One World, Many Stories: Bookweek 20 -26 August

The storytelling year has kicked off. Its been a relaxing January but the rest is now over. The old story box has been replaced with a new woven case, strong enough to sit on! The gear has been cleaned and repainted.

New stories are being developed. You can see here, in the mess of my table, a dog split in two. That's 'Split Dog'. My surprise for story lovers in 2011 is my new Kamishibai (Paper Theatre).

Combining this popular Japanese style of storytelling with some original Aussie tall stories has been my holiday project. Split Dog is a smart dog that appears in Australian and American traditional tall tales. The concept has won my heart - he's a hero, with two legs down and two legs up!

'Kamishibai' means 'paper theatre'. Illustrated cards are revealed inside a wooden frame/box. It's too hard to describe but I'll soon have some pics to show you. My friend Ted is making the box for me. Watch this space! All will become clear. In the meantime you can see that I am working on the cards.

But preparing for the year ahead is more than sprucing up the gear. Two years ago, I joined the Newport Choir, not just for the singing but also for the training: flexible voice, a good ear and team work! On Sunday I attended a master class at the Footscray Community Arts Centre with Richard Gill and the Victoria state Opera.

One word: AWSOME! Seven choirs attended: Hip Hop, Estonian, Arabic, Pop, Stadium rock ... all music made with voice. Here's Richard stepping up to the platform to put us through our paces. and the segue is ......

Bookweek 20 - 26 August

THEME: One World, Many Stories

Book early or you'll be disappointed.

Storytime: Channel 31. Dharma and Jackie

Dharma and I were invited to be part of a Storytime episode. Hosted by Tall Ted, Storytime is on Channel 31. Check the Tall Ted website for times and details Tall Ted has a fabulous website with loads of information and activities for small people. This youtube clip shows myself and Dharma working on episode 5. Dharma has a fabulous bookshop in Kingsville called Everlasting Books and not only that but she has more songs in her head than I have had hot dinners!

Dharma and I share a commitment to working for small people and their families, telling stories singing songs and keeping the old tales and rhymes alive for another generation. It's a hard gig but hey ... we're up for it!

Storytime is being shown in Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria with other states soon to follow. Imparja in the Northern Territory and a community channel in Canada have also expressed an interest in Storytime. Channel 31 say that the show has proved to be very popular and would like another series.