I had a great time on Thursday when I shared W is for Wonderkid with a group of young people during a community event.  They participated in a number of art and music activities, were filled with pizza, then sent to me for a story.

Instead of simply reading the rhymes in the book, I created a scenario based on some of the character-building traits, then had these rather sleepy youngsters talk through the problem, and what were a few ways to solve it.

Storytelling is both an art and a science, and we all have strengths and weaknesses in these areas.  Each time I “perform,” I tweak my presentation based on past experience, as well as how my audience is responding.  Perhaps 2 hours of activity hindered this particular event, as the children were not as responsive as some audiences have been.  But in spite of the circumstances I think the event went well.  At least the parents were smiling and nodding! 🙂