Fall for Books - Tell Me a Story

From timeless fables and fairytales to the nonsensical world of Dr. Seuss or the insatiable appetite of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, stories soothed us, awakened our imaginations, and set us on a path of learning as children. The books read before bedtime, story hour at the library, Sunday school lessons, and circle time with teachers all had a role in shaping our brains and view of the world. The power of words, whether spoken or written, is truly amazing. In these pages, we’re indulging our love of all things literary and encouraging you to fall for books all over again this fall. Let’s start with story time…

TELL ME A STORY

There’s nothing like a good story! Far beyond mere entertainment, stories and storytelling play an important part of a child’s development. Research shows that babies’ brains prepare to speak months before they say their first words. In order for that preparation to occur, children need to hear spoken language. Talking, singing, and sharing stories every day helps your child recognize sounds, words, and language, and form early literacy skills. It helps develop your child’s brain, ability to focus, concentration, social and communication skills. Reading to children has been proven to raise IQ and improve critical thinking. And children aren’t the only ones who benefit; the special time you spend together promotes bonding and strengthens relationships.

Reading and storytelling spark your child’s imagination, stimulate curiosity, and help your child learn the difference between real and make-believe. Children learn to identify with their emotions, to empathize, and to better understand new or frightening events. Stories and songs teach about the world around them and other cultures. By looking at books together and talking about them, you demonstrate language skills and communication. By watching you hold a book the right way and seeing how you turn pages gently, your child learns to value books and stories. Words, pictures, and gestures help your child to pick up on the cognitive perks: they’ll start to take in what you’re saying and will learn things about numbers, colors, shapes, animals, or anything else you’re reading about. They’ll start to understand cause and effect and strengthen their logical thinking ability. Their attention span will increase, and they’ll become better listeners and communicators. Books also expand our vocabulary by exposing us to new and different words or words that we wouldn’t typically use on an everyday basis, such as names of plants or animals.

Story time with others offers children social opportunities and allows them to see how other children empathize with characters, express emotion, and engage their own critical thinking skills. Here in the Golden Isles, we have wonderful libraries that offer story time with engaging storytellers, like Ali Carlyle and Vicki Greene. Story time at the Brunswick-Glynn County Library is Tuesdays & Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. Story time at the St. Simons Island Public Library is Wednesdays & Fridays at 10:30 a.m. Additionally, Righton Books in Redfern Village on St. Simons Island hosts Second Saturday Storytime & Craft at 10:30 a.m. on the Second Saturday of the month. Drop in with your youngsters and join the fun! 

CELEBRATING THE STORYTELLERS

You don’t have to be a child to enjoy the storytelling experience. For almost a decade now, some of this country’s finest storytellers have gathered on St. Simons Island for a few days of education and entertainment at Epworth by the Sea. On February 17-19, 2023, the St. Simons Storytelling Festival will be back for its eighth year. Returning are “Dean of Storytelling” Donald Davis, along with fellow Festival veterans Andy Offutt Irwin who turns over emcee duties to Bil Lepp. Joining them are master storyteller, narrator, librettist, instrumentalist and singer Charlotte Blake Alston and Native American storyteller Dovie Thomason. 

Traditional and contemporary stories from African and African American oral and cultural traditions are Charlotte’s forte. In 1999, she began studying the kora and the West African history-telling traditions of Senegal, Mali, Guinea, and Guinea Bissau. Her solo performances are often enhanced with traditional instruments such as djembe, mbira, shekere, or the 21-stringed kora. Dovie brings to life the wise, boisterous teaching tales of her Lakota and Plains Apache relatives, sharing her culture with wit, passion, understanding, sly humor, and astonishing vocal transformation. This former teacher’s stories from her own life and her people’s experience provide a contemporary vision of the rich cultures of the First Nations of North America. Dovie is an NEA and Arts International recipient and received the National Storytelling Network’s 2007 Circle of Excellence Award.

Born in a Southern Appalachian mountain world rich in stories, Donald Davis has a long career as a storyteller and steadfastly promotes the cultural importance of storytelling through seminars and master classes. The retired United Methodist minister is the author of 18 books and more than 40 original recordings, and received both the Circle of Excellence and the Lifetime Achievement Awards from the National Storytelling Network.

One of the most highly sought performing storytellings in the country, Andy Offutt Irwin is a one-person showman with a silly putty voice, hilarious heart-filled stories, and amazing mouth noises (arguably, the greatest whistler in the world). He’s been aptly described as “equal parts mischievous schoolboy and the Marx Brothers, peppered with a touch of the Southern balladeer.”

Award-winning storyteller, author, and recording artist Bil Lepp bravely takes over as emcee this year. You may recognize him as the host of the History Channel’s Man vs History series or NPR’s internationally syndicated Mountain Stage. His humorous, family friendly tall-tales and stories have earned the appreciation of listeners of all ages and from all walks of life. Though a 5x champion of the WV Liars’s Contest, Lepp’s stories often contain morsels of truth which present universal themes in witty ways. 

Registration for the festival is open now. For more information, event schedule, and registration, visit stsimonsislandstorytellingfestival.com.