Archive for September, 2016

How do you feel about fables for kids? I didn’t really like them as a child. I found them preachy and old-fashioned. Hearing or reading a fable felt a bit like being lectured. To be fair though, I was mostly subjected to Aesop’s original fables and, let’s face it, they haven’t aged well. There’s a whiff of the puritanical Victorian headmaster about them.

The Country Mouse and the City Mouse by Patricia and Richard Scarry.

However, there were a few exceptions to my anti-fable stance and most notable were Patricia and Richard Scarry’s versions of The Country Mouse and the City Mouse, The Fox and the Crow and The Dog and His Bone. I loved them and that was largely due to Scarry’s warm and wonderful illustrations.

These expertly illustrated versions always stayed with me and, in fact, convinced me that I should put my personal prejudices aside and include fables for kids in Storytime. Thanks to the Scarrys, I felt confident that we could take the time-worn genre that is the fable, and brush it off, spruce it up and give it a new lease of life. With the help of super-powered illustrations, of course.

Two years later and Famous Fables is often one of our favourite sections in Storytime. Personally, I love researching them and working on them and it’s not just because that makes me a fabulist (best job title ever).

As a team, we are constantly surprised by what our talented illustrators bring to these stories (see below for Oscar Julve’s fantastic interpretation of a know-it-all fox). We’ve also witnessed first-hand the benefits of reading fables to kids and the conversations they can inspire. So, to any doubters out there, here’s why you shouldn’t be an old cynic like I was and why fables for kids are important.

Why Read Fables for Kids

The Tortoise and the Geese, Storytime Issue 10. Art by Tel Coelho.

• • There’s much more to the world of fables than Aesop. He’s just the fella who we tend to obsess over in the West (and he probably didn’t even exist). In Storytime, we’ve also featured fables from Buddhism, West Africa and an Indian collection called Panchatantra and we’re always investigating new sources, so they’re a great introduction to different cultures and diverse beliefs. Perfecting for nurturing little global citizens!
  • Fables usually feature animals and kids LOVE stories with animals. Why? Because animals in stories are free to be foolish, funny, boastful, naughty, kind, selfish and wild – and children can observe this and enjoy it all from a comfortable distance. Depict the same characters as children and, suddenly, the comparisons between the reader and the subject are much more obvious, and that doesn’t make for such a relaxed read. This is one of the smartest things about fables for kids.
  • Fables are short and sweet, and neat and easy to read. Most take no more than a few minutes to share. They’re quick to the punchline and, in time-pressured times, this is a gift.

The Crab Walk, Storytime Issue 24. Art by Zhanna Mendel.

• Fables give you excellent food for thought – just steer clear of the dull Aesop originals and stick to modern versions (like in Storytime). With a neat little message contained in every single story, they’re a friendly and often funny introduction to discussing morals with children – and a good accompaniment to PSHE at school. Or you can ignore the lesson entirely and just enjoy the stories. After all, it’s your right as a reader.
• In Storytime, at least, they come with rich, colourful, amusing, action-packed illustrations that bring the fables to life like no gloomy-looking Aesop paragraph ever could! Thanks to the strong images, they’re stories that stay with you and give you learning by stealth.

If you’re interested in understanding more about fables or fancy writing your own – at home or in the classroom – we have a free resource pack you can download with lots of ideas for creating animal fables. Plus there are storyboards and planners. It’s a fun activity for kids. (Scroll down the page when you click on the link.)

As you can see, I’m a convert to fables for kids (and adults too). However, I’d be interested to know whether you feel the same. We hope we’ve succeeded in breathing life into a tired genre and also hope you’re enjoying the illustrations as much as we are. It would be amazing if we could have the Scarry-effect on even one reader. Have a fabulist week.

In our latest issue, Storytime 25, we’re celebrating our 2nd anniversary in the very best way we can think – by holding our first ever children’s poetry competition. Yes, we’re giving our readers the opportunity to see a poem they’ve written in print in Storytime! (And beautifully illustrated too!)

Our poetry competition is open to children anywhere who are aged between 3 and 9, and all we ask is that your poem is original and between 12 and 20 lines in length. Oh, and we’d like it to be about an animal. The animal can be real or imaginary, it can be your pet or an animal you’ve never seen – it’s entirely up to you!

Your entries will be judged by the Storytime team, and one of our all-time favourite children’s poets, Brian Moses. Brian isn’t just famous for his brilliant poems, he’s also well known for visiting schools up and down the country, inspiring children to write poetry. If you haven’t visited his site, you really should. There are loads of great poems on there and they might just give you an idea or two.

Brian was kind enough to share a few top tips in our magazine, but we thought we’d give you some more to help you get started.

Children’s Poetry Competition Top Tips!

1. Start with your animal. Which animal will you choose and why? How does it make you feel? Does it scare you or make you laugh? Does it comfort you? If so, why?
2. How does the animal look? How would you describe it? If it’s big or small, can you find different ways of saying those words? Can you compare it to something else (e.g. as a big as a house, as yellow as the sun)?
3. How does the animal sound, smell or feel when you touch it? Think about these things when you describe it.
4. Where is your setting? It doesn’t have to be where the animal lives. Use your imagination – it could be anywhere in the universe or beyond!
5. What adventures might the animal get up to? Could they try something they’ve never done before? Maybe a mouse wants to be a strongman or a camel wants to swim the channel? Maybe all the adventure it’s needs is in your back garden!
6. Finally, to echo the wisdom of Brian Moses: enjoy it. Don’t spend too much time worrying about long fancy words or clever rhymes. Have fun when you write and that will shine through.

You can find out more about our children’s poetry competition and download your entry forms here.

For more helpful tips, also download our fantastic Poetry for Kids Resource Pack, which is bursting with ideas, inspiration and exercises for writing many different types of poetry, including Narrative Poems, Shape Poems, Acrostic Poems, Haikus, Found Poems and Limericks. Plus there are some fun poetry games too. It’s a great way to spend an hour or two and really helpful in the classroom.

We wish our entrants lots of luck and we can’t wait to read your poems. We’re sure that picking a winner will be a very tough decision.

What are you waiting for? Go and get poetic!

After the blissful liberty and sprawling hours of the summer holidays, back to school can bring you back to earth with a bump. It can mean routine, rushing back and forth for drop offs and pick ups, squeezing in after-school activities and homework and, sadly, not fitting in some of the things you treasure most – like those intimate moments when you snuggle up and read together. Suddenly, something as simple as finding time to read feels an impossible challenge.

Well, it will be no great surprise to you that we think finding time to read is something worth fighting for – and we’re not alone. New research from Booktrust shows that almost two thirds of parents feel concerned about the lack of quality family time in their lives. And, though many parents are well aware of the benefits of reading together (not just for literacy and intellect, but also for bonding and emotional wellbeing, among other things), their survey found that parents aren’t doing it as much as they’d like – especially as children get older and read to themselves.

But the simple fact is, it doesn’t take much time to make a positive difference to your child’s life. A commitment to read together for just 10 minutes a day is a brilliant start and can be hugely beneficial. And let’s face it, it’s a lot more pleasurable than 10 minutes of press-ups or star jumps! So put all deadlines, commitments and demands aside for a moment and have a look at our suggestions for finding time to read.

Finding Time to Read: The 10-Minute Challenge

•  Read at breakfast time. Admittedly, this doesn’t work for everyone. For some, breakfast is a time for saying “Get dressed” and “Have you brushed your teeth yet?” on repeat, while spinning round like a whirling dervish. But reading early in the morning – either in bed before you’ve got up or after breakfast – can create a wonderful sense of calm in the middle of the storm. Set your alarm clock ten minutes early, and make packed lunches and iron any clothes the night before. Alternatively, try it at the weekend when things are more relaxed. It’s a great way to start the day.
• Read straight after school. Dump school bags, forget homework and ignore crumpled clothes. Preparing lunch or dinner can wait for 10 minutes. Instead, enjoy a snack, a drink and a story together. It won’t just give you closeness after being separated for the day, it will bring calm and give your child time to process everything that has happened at nursery or school. After reading together, they’ll be more settled and willing to talk about their day. Even better, you’ll have had some quality time when you need it most.
• Read before bed, but not in bed. So often, reading in bed can go wrong. It’s cosy and a bit too snuggly. You’re both tired and yawning through the stories. “Let’s skip it tonight,” you say. Try this instead – get your kids cleaned up and in pyjamas, then read on the sofa or in a chair before going to bed. Comfortable, but not too comfortable, and so easy to make part of your routine. Just be strict about putting that 10 minutes aside.
• Read in the car or on public transport. Reading in the car only works, of course, if you’re not also driving. But if you have to travel for at least 10 minutes every day with your child and don’t have to be at the wheel, turn the journey into quality time by reading. It will also put a stop to travel boredom and those “Are we there yet?” cries.
• Do a weekend readathon. If you’ve had a frantic week or really can’t fit in 10 minutes a day from Monday to Friday, stack up the minutes and use them at the weekend in a mega reading session. Be strict about it. Choose a location that will make it extra special (see some suggestions here). Turn it into an hour that you’ll look forward to and treasure in the week to come. 10 minutes a day is great, but life isn’t always straightforward, and a longer session more than makes up for it.

We hope that has given you some inspiration for finding time to read. You can get more tips in coming weeks from Booktrust’s Time To Read blog. It’s truly worth making the commitment as it can have such a lasting impact on your child.

If you’ve haven’t tried reading for 10 minutes a day before or try any of the suggestions above, we’d love to hear how it went and what a difference it has made to your family time and your child’s literacy. Let us know on Facebook or Twitter.

As ever, happy reading!