John, Jack and a Jamaican Anansi

I tried out a full one hour interactive storytelling session on my Year 6s today - and they LOVED it! First up was 'The Three Sillies' as recounted by Hugh Lupton (whom I also had the pleasure of seeing in action a few weeks ago at York Theatre Royal - he was brilliant), then 'Jack and the Old Giant' and finishing with 'Anansi and the number nine.' I was keen to see if their attention would be held for a full hour, and it pretty much was, apart from the odd shuffling here and there. I was very pleased with the reaction to Jack and the Old Giant, as this is the first time I've ever told it to anyone other than my webcam (I keep having to webcam myself for my mentoring by Gemma from 'Once Upon a Story'). And as for Anansi - the kids LOVED it and they LAUGHED so much at my (admittedly slightly shaky) Jamaican accent.

The afternoon filled me with joy - I really really did have a good time, and once again I realise that stories that are humorous are my kind of story. One thing I also realised - when I do full days of storytelling, I can't be shouting as loud as long as I did in the Anansi story. My voice is fried!

Thanks to Year 6 at St Peter's. They were fab.

I am still here

Well, 4 months into 2011 and you could be forgiven for thinking that I'd dropped off the end of the earth. But thanks to a gentle prompt from Gemma, my storytelling mentor, I'm back writing on my blog. The truth is that actually, due to being very busy in schools, and looking after our three delightful daughters, I've just been rather overrrun with things to do!

I'm very excited to be receiving such ace storytelling training from Gemma. She runs the brilliant company called Once Upon a Story and is a most excellent tutor. And I'm learning more and more about the art of storytelling. Got another training day (actually, two days) down in London in August and I'm really looking forward to that. But before that happens I've got LOTS of schools to visit, to have fun with, and to inspire to write write write!

Yaay, I'm back blogging. Well done me!

POEM FROM JESSICA

This is a poem sent to me by a Y3 girl called Jessica. Thanks Jessica! So... her it is...

MY FUNNY BUNNY

I've got a bunny who is very funny
He likes to be out when it's sunny
His teeth are long and his legs are short
That's why my bunny is funny!


Round of applause for Jessica please! And Jessica, keep on writing poems. They're good for the soul!

BADSWORTH J AND I and sheep that are blue!

Badsworth Junior and Infants School very kindly hosted me on Monday, and I was VERY well looked after by the delectable Mrs Laycock (nee Bunting, and still the name I want to call her whenever I see her!). I spent the whole day in her Year 3 class and what a pleasure they were to work with. Funny, enthusiastic, and, best of all, creative. Some of the threats in our 'Wars of the Roses THREAT FACTOR' were genius. I was also very chuffed to receive a poem and a picture from Bradley the following day, courtesy of Mrs Laycock, who popped in after work. When I get my scanner working I'll post the picture Bradley drew, but for now here's the poem. It's brill, and it's one he made up in the playground on Monday whilst I chatted with the other children and Mrs Laycock shivered uncontrollably in the cold...


A POEM ABOUT A BLUE SHEEP

A sheep in a heap went to the loo
And got turned blue
He went to the zoo
And did not get fed
And died in bed
With a red head


Written by Bradley 13/12/10

Thanks so much Bradley! I loved it! And the googly eyes on your drawing are brill. I've read the poem to Alice, my four year old, and she keeps saying 'read it again, Daddy, read it again.'

BUYING MY BOOK!

Well, thanks to a rather creative and very clever man called Danny (www.dannycope.com), my book is now available to be bought online. Hurray! So, the Hungrumptious Blumpfh is online and ready to be bought. Just need to get people to come and buy it. Although the first print run has done well...over 1000 copies sold since July and now onto my second run. Who would have thought it? Not me in my wildest dreams!

GSAL Christmas Fair Poetry Contest

Well done to all who entered the poetry contest this weekend outside Santa's Grotto at Rose Court. It was tough to choose a winner, but I have! I have also highly commended another poet for an outstanding shape poem. His name is James Hardy from Year 3. Well done James, and unlucky. You only JUST missed out on winning the Maltesers!

Here is James' poem. It looks better in real life as he's written it within a drawing of a rat. Great shape poem!

I scuffle through rubbish all night long
I'm scrumfatlus to cats
I am black as coal and swift and speedy and hard to catch
I have big brainy brain


However, the winner, and proud owner (soon to be delivered) of a box of Maltesers, is MILLY MACKENZIE from 2W for her brilliant nature poem. Here it is...

I went to the woods
and I saw a great tree
it was once a little seed and now
it is a great big hump of leaves


The description of a tree being 'a great big hump of leaves' did it for me. Brilliant!

Fussy Eating

This poem was posted to me today, by none other than 9 year old Alice - you may remember her as second place in the poetry competition I ran at Wrenthorpe Methodist Church the other weekend. Well done Alice, it made me chuckle. And I feel sorry for your mum - I know JUST what it is like to have fussy eaters for daughters. And yes, they do generally seem to win!

Here's the poem...

I am a fussy eater
because I don't eat peas
carrots make me queasy
and broccoli makes me sneeze

we fight like mad at mealtimes
but I'm aloud to win
because mum knows I'll eat
anything if it comes in a tin.