The Storyteller’s Kit Box – how to create and tell spellbinding oral stories to children - is a practical how-to guide for parents, grandparents, teachers and carers.

It details the educational benefits of storytelling – from encouraging sleep, fostering curiosity, growing imaginations, developing language and concentration, strengthening relationships … to managing behaviour, relaxation and pure fun!

The book shows how we’ve let storytelling wane under competition from captivating multimedia material and the omnivorous mobile phone... and makes a convincing argument for reviving a great oral tradition that’s in our DNA.

Author Judy Hubbard shows how easy it is to build magical stories using a simple 4 step approach – character, setting, action and resolution – and provides an A-z list of over 50 great story themes to get people started – from dreams to disasters; families, feelings and fairies through to spells and surprises.

The book also provides helpful tips on story delivery - language tricks, special effects, rhyme and repetition, voice and body language.

There are also detailed instructions for creating props bags and story boxes … and sample stories to adapt and personalise.

The chapter on getting children to sleep using storytelling discusses a suite of simple techniques to practise at home: setting the scene, rituals, rhythm and repetition, long lists, using voice speed and volume, and slow soft singing.

There are also helpful educational insights from early childhood educator, Tarryn Robertson.

The Storyteller’s Kit Box will transform the most tentative storyteller into a whiz … reminding us, that children are incredibly forgiving listeners.

Sally Odgers, renowned Australian author said this about the book: “This is marvellous and ought to be in any care giver’s library. A great resource for trainee storytellers.”

The Storyteller’s Kit Box is available from www.judyhubbardstoryteller.com.au for $29.95 and from Amazon.

Judy has kindly offered two books to two of our lucky members- see our April 2021 newsletter for how to win your copy