Ms. Chieffo's 2nd graders dance Zydeco 2-12-09

Friends:

I had such a good time on Day 4 of my Story Fest residency. It was a late day, with my first class starting at 9:40 am so I took advantage of the extra time and worked out for an hour at home. I came to school refreshed and ready to go! My first class was Ms. Chieffo’s 2nd grade class. They were perfect little angels – so incredibly well-behaved. They listened intently to the tale of The Cajun Cornbread Boy and followed instructions when it came time to explore Louisiana’s Cajun and Zydeco music through scarves, movement, and dance.

2nd graders play the washboard 2-12-09

After 2nd grade, I went downstairs to meet Ms. Bonnano’s kindergarten class. They were an enthusiastic, curious group of students who really enjoyed my activities. I told them the story of The Cajun Cornbread Boy and they loved it.

Ms. Dianne shows Ms. Bonnano's Kindergarteners The Cajun Cornbread Boy book 2-12-09

Ms. Bonnano (my first time meeting her) was so sweet and accommodating. Here they are dancing and passing a good time!

Ms. Bonnano's Kindergarteners dance Zydeco 2-12-09

Then it was on to Mr. Boone’s 3rd grade class. I love Mr. Boone. He is a great teacher who knows how to balance fun and discipline. I arrived a tad early so I helped Mr. Boone finish up his lesson on ABC order. It was fun to “team teach” with Mr. Boone! Afterwards, we transitioned into my activities.

Ms. Dianne walks a "dog" in Mr. Boone's 3rd grade class 2-12-09

The class had a blast with the role-playing drama activities. They did a great job.

Mother comforting jilted brides in Mr. Boone's 3rd grade class 2-12-09

The class was assigned the story rap, “Jackie Rabbit,” and I can’t wait to see Mr. Boone’s class perform it. It is going to be awesome!

After lunch, I visited Ms. Leboutillier’s preschool class. What a sweet group of students! They were ready for me as soon as I walked in! I told them the story of The Cajun Cornbread Boy and they fully participated in all the motions and songs.

Ms. Leboutillier's preschoolers listen to The Cajun Cornbread Boy 2-12-09

Then we explored Louisiana through Cajun and Zydeco music and dance. And did we dance!

Preschoolers second line around the classroom 2-12-09

My last class was Ms. Muller’s preschool class. When I arrived, they were all napping. They had been on a field trip in the morning and were zonked out completely. After unsuccessfuly trying to rouse them, we decided it was better to let them rest. Fortunately, I will be visiting their class again.

Friday and Monday were off days for me so I headed for a nice 4 day weekend! I look forward to Week 2 with my Bissonet students.

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

Telling stories to Ms. Ragusa's First Graders 2-9-09

Friends:

Today was my first day of my Louisiana Story Fest Residency at Bissonet Plaza Elementary School. I have been doing an artist residency at this school for 7 years now. They are one of my favorite schools. For this residency, I am sharing Louisiana culture through its folk stories. For grades PK through 2, I tell a Louisiana tale and then we explore Louisiana music through movement, dance, and colorful scarves. It’s so much fun.

First graders explore Zydeco music with movement and scarves 2-9-09

My day began in Ms. Ragusa’s first grade class. They were a delightful and enthusiastic group of students. I told my story of The Cajun Cornbread Boy and they loved it. Then we explored Louisiana’s Zydeco and Cajun music through movement, dance and scarves.

Ms. Ragusa's first graders dancing Zydeco 2-9-09

Then it was off to Ms. Presser’s second grade class. What a phenomenal group of well-behaved students. They had a blast participating in the telling of The Cajun Cornbread Boy. We even had a lesson comparing Cornbread Boy to the Gingerbread Man.

A Cajun Cornbread Boy lesson with Ms. Presser's bright second grade students 2-9-09

They loved doing my drama activity, role-playing with scarves and dancing Zydeco. Ms. Presser is the kind of teacher I would have loved – her passion is displayed in the classroom and in her students.

Ms. Presser's second graders dance Zydeco 2-9-09

After second grade, it was downstairs to see Ms. Johnson’s kindergarten class. We had fun with The Cajun Cornbread Boy, singing the refrain, “Run, cher, run as fast as you can! You can’t catch me – I’m full of cayenne!” Even Ms. Johnson was joining in! The children had a blast with the scarves.

Ms. Johnson's Kindergarteners dance with scarves to Zydeco 2-9-09

My last class before lunch was Ms. Frechette’s third grade class. I normally don’t tell stories to the upper grades but Ms. Frechette is special and her class is so well-behaved so I told The Cajun Cornbread Boy to them. Ms. Frechette was kind enough to lend me her microphone, which made my job so much easier! Thank you, Ms. Frechette! The students loved the story. Then we did our scarf role playing activity.

Third grade mother comforting the daughter, the bride who has been jilted 2-9-09

Here I am with one of Ms. Frechette’s fabulous third graders. One of her students told me, “Ms. Dianne, you made my year!” How’s that for a warm fuzzy?!

Ms. Dianne with a third grader playing a bride 2-9-09

After lunch, I headed upstairs to Ms. Morales’ 4th grade class. What a blast! I just love Ms. Morales. She is so much fun and her students were awesome! I showed them The Cajun Cornbread Boy book and they were amazed that I wrote it. Ms. Morales was excited about exploring Louisiana culture through its folk stories. Their story was “Jean Sotte (Foolish John).” First, we did our role-play exercise with the scarves.Even Ms. Morales got into the action, playing a high society woman walking her dog in Central Park.

4th grade teacher Ms. Morales walks her dog 2-9-09

Afterwards, I assigned roles for the parts in our story theater script, which they will perform in a couple of weeks, as a class.

My last class of the day was Mr. Joyce’s 5th grade class. These 5th graders were quite a challenge because they were so chatty. They had a difficult time following instructions because they simply didn’t listen. Once we moved into the drama activity, they had fun but they still had a hard time focusing because they socialize so much.

Mr. Joyce's 5th graders play a mother comforting her daughter, the jilted bride 2-9-09

We didn’t even have time to assign roles for their story. All in all, it was a wonderful day. Bissonet Plaza has a special place in my heart. Thank you, Ellen Miller (librarian), for always bringing me back!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

The Cajun Cornbread Boy Puppet with Alligator - 12-16-08

Friends,

I am so excited! My first picture book for children, The Cajun Cornbread Boy, came in! My publisher, Pelican Publishing Company, is based in New Orleans so my husband picked up a case of books for me today. The books are beautiful! They are scheduled for a Spring 2009 release so getting the books this early is quite a delicious surprise. I have my first book signing on Saturday so, with the help of my daughter Soleil (who is majoring in art at LSU), I made The Cajun Cornbread Boy puppet. He came out better than I had hoped.

Cajun Cornbread Boy puppet w book - 12-16-08

I absolutely adore him! He is made out of felt, 8 inch cardboard cake circles, jumbo craft sticks, chenille sticks, foam, paper, and an enormous amount of hot glue. I have the burn marks to prove it! LOL There was even a bit of hand sewing involved. He was quite labor intensive (about 3 hours from start to finish) but well worth the effort.

I hope The Cajun Cornbread Boy will run into the hearts of many readers and spice up many children’s bookshelves! You can order your own autographed copy of the book from the Story Connection Store. http://storyconnection.net/?content=store If you order by Friday, December 19, 2008, you’ll get it in time for Christmas!

Spice up your holidays with The Cajun Cornbread Boy.

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

Stories on Board at Audubon Elementary - 11-3-08

Friends:

On Monday, I presented a professional development workshop at Audubon Elementary for the teachers. I forgot my digital camera but was able to take a few pictures with my phone camera.

I presented, “Stories on Board: Creating Board Games from Favorite Tales.” I showed the teachers my method of turning folktales into board games that the students create. They story-mapped, chose stories, and then worked in groups to create their board games. Finally, they played their board games and then traded games with other groups and played theirs.

A Teacher Finishing "A Cooking Chick Race" - 11-3-08

Here are P.E. teachers playing the game they created to teach health concepts based on the story of “The Tortoise and the Hare.”

PE Teachers Playing "A Healthy Pace Wins the Race" - 11-3-08

This is a group of teachers playing “Lil Red’s Tale,” based on the folktale, “The Little Red Riding Hood.”

Teachers Playing "Lil Red's Tale" - 11-3-08

This game is called “3 Pig-Opoly” based on the story of “The Three Little Pigs.

3 Pig-Opoly Game - 11-3-08

It was a fun workshop and the teachers appreciated a new technique that integrated reading, writing, and even mathematics into an engaging learning activity they could share with their children.

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

Madame Poule and Monsieur Roach, A New Orleans Folktale

Friends:

Happy Happy Joy Joy! Today, I received 2 book contracts in the mail, one I was expecting and one that was a delightful surprise. I received a new book contract from Libraries Unlimited for Stories on Board: Creating Board Games from Favorite Tales and a new picture book with Pelican Publishing Company, Madame Poule & Monsieur Roach. The illustrations for the picture book will be done by Marita Gentry, illustrator of The Cajun Cornbread Boy.

So yes, today was a great day. Jumping up and down, up and down, up and down. And I’m not even dizzy yet! LOL

Happy Tales to You! Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

Since I have been back in my office, things have been hopping! My website was hacked over the summer, causing numerous problems you won’t even believe. Thankfully, after a lot of work, Heidi, my fabulous web designer, got to the bottom of the problem and fixed things, including my blog. So now, I can blog again. Yay!

I have been working on numerous book projects. The Story Biz Handbook: How to Manage Your Storytelling Career from the Desk to the Stage has been sent to the printer. It will be out by the end of September, early October. It is 30 chapters on everything you wanted to know about being a professional storyteller. You can order a copy from Libraries Unlimited (http://www.lu.com) or from any major online retailer. This is what the book looks like:

The Story Biz Handbook

I am now working on the final proofing of Tangram Tales: Story Theater Using the Ancient Chinese Puzzle. I am really excited about this book. It bring stories and story theater to life in a whole new way, using Tangrams. As far as I know, it’s the first book of its kind. Tangram Tales should be out by the end of the year, if all goes well with production.

Tangram Tales

I also just finished with the final proofing of my first picture book, The Cajun Cornbread Boy, a spicy twist on The Gingerbread Man folktale. The illustrator, Marita Gentry, did a fantastic job and I am soooo excited about this book. It has been my dream since I was a child to publish a picture book. Special thanks to my editor, Nina, who made the book shine. I hope there will be many more picture books to come! There is something so magical about a picture book. Even as an adult, I am mesmerized by both the words and the illustrations in a fantastic picture book. Check out the book’s phenomenal cover…

The Cajun Cornbread Boy

I will be working on more book projects in the upcoming months, including writing Scared Silly: 25 Tales to Tickle and Thrill, which is due in December.

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

Today, I performed my “Jump, Jiggle & Jam” program for a PK-5 elementary school in the Metro New Orleans area. I had so much fun with the students. I saw about 600 students in two assembly performances in the gym. The show is a rousing and energetic performance of favorite folktales “remixed with rhythm, rhyme, and rap.” My first story was “The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza,” a signature story full of humor and tons of audience participation. Both groups (PK-2 and 3-5) really enjoyed it.

Following that tale, I performed my original song, “Peanut Butter and Jelly Jam.” We build a “gourmet” PB&J. The sandwich begins with traditional peanut butter and jelly. Then there’s a twist as the other ingredients are added (apples & bananas, peppers & pickles, ketchup & mustard, and finally sardines & anchovies). By the end, the kids are really grossing out and laughing at the concoction. Here are some students helping me put that interesting sandwich together.

My last story was another signature story, “Rockin’ Three Billy Goats.” Kids love the “trippity trap” chorus and my rapping “Hoogedy Boogedy Woogedy” Troll. I never get tired of telling this story because every audience’s reaction to the story makes it fresh for me.

After my upper elementary performance, I had a Q&A session. The kids asked questions such as “Is it fun to travel to other countries and learn new languages?” “Where have you traveled?” “How do you remember so many stories?” I spoke to them about the importance of reading, writing, social studies, and taking learning seriously. I told them that when they are old enough to decide what they want to do in life, they will need to know as much as they can about the world around them.

When the students were filing out, they were high-fiving me, hugging me, and asking for autographs. One little boy exclaimed, “This is my first time meeting a millionaire!” They assumed that because I travel so much, I’m rich. Hahahaha!

It was a special day at school and they had other activities going on including a visit from the NBA Hornets Bookmobile. Parents were also in attendance at my show and I sold quite a few CDs. One of the 1st grade teachers returned with three of their students, who read me fractured tales from their writing journals. Wow! They were really amazing writers!

It was such a wonderful day and they told me they would be inviting me back again next year. Yay! (Thank you, Jeanne! Your school is wonderful – I love the teachers, staff and students!) I am really blessed to be able to do what I do for a living. Who wouldn’t want to have a job where you can be silly, have fun, and inspire children and teachers all at the same time?!! Thank you to all my clients and fans for helping me achieve my mission of “Connecting Children and Learning through the Arts.”

Boys and girls, if you are reading this, remember ~ keep reaching for the stars; sky’s the limit!

When I arrived home, I had more work to do (of course). I began preparing for my last two days at my Stories on Board Residency. I am going to tell a fun version of “The Three Little Pigs” and have the students play “Pigopoly.” (I couldn’t resist.)

My nieces are coming over to help me color the boards once again. (Thank you Eliana, Camrynn & Jasmynn!)

Next week, I finish my residency and then head to Dallas for the Texas Librarian’s Association conference. Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

Today was my eighth day doing my Stories on Board Residency at a school in the Metro New Orleans, Louisiana area. Every day this week, the library has been hosting the Scholastic Bookfair. Of course, I can never get away from a book fair without spending any money. There was no shortage of top-notch books from which to choose.

My first and second classes were a bit of a challenge. I had first grade as my first class. Their teacher was out and there was a sub but the children were a bit unruly. I had to spend ten minutes at the end of class talking to them about their behavior. My second class, 2nd grade,  was also a challenge. Unfortunately, there are several students in the class that were very disruptive. I had to counsel them for ten minutes before I could begin my story. Once I began, they really enjoyed it.

Kindergarten was a delight. We had so much fun laughing and playing “The Little Red Hen’s Pizza Party” game. Their teacher, Ms. Anchissi, must wear a halo because she has the patience of a saint. She is so nurturing. I love watching her guide and counsel her students. She does it with such love.

My class before lunch is 3rd grade. I love going to Mr. Boone’s class. Mr. Boone is a fun guy and he LOVES taking pictures. Here is one of Mr. Boone with the game “Pizzalicious,” based on “The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza.”

Since the class is right before lunch, we are always salivating over pizza – I guess it’s the power of suggestion. Here is a picture of me instructing the 3rd graders on how to create their game boards and label their game spaces.

This is “Pizzaopoly,” a “hands-on” game!

Here is “Pizzalicious,” completed. This game is going to be so much fun to play.

After lunch, I went to 4th grade. Their story was “The Ant and the Grasshopper.” There were some great game titles such as “Working for Winter”  and “The Ant Hill.” This game is called “Working for Winter,” and is still in progress.

My day ended in preschool. When I first walked in, they were all napping. It didn’t take long to rouse them when they found out the storyteller was there! I love how attentive they are when I am telling my story.

I loved ending my day in Pre-K. They are so loving and sweet. One little boy said to me, “You are the best teacher ever and you are never leaving this classroom!” Another little girl came and just planted herself in my lap, like we had known each other forever and a day.  Though my day started a little rough, my day ended in enchantment.

On Monday and Tuesday, I get to see all the classes together during their PE period. It’s going to be fun and challenging to manage a whole grade at a time but I look forward to it.

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

Today was Day 7 of my Stories on Board residency. Wow – what a great day! The work that was created today was absolutely amazing. My day began with 50 first graders in one room. Because my first grade class was canceled yesterday, we combined two classes. Though it was crowded, both classes really cooperated and had a lot of fun listening to “The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza” and playing “Pizza Party.” We had as many as 8 children playing one game! Great job, Ms. Roos’ and Ms. Buras’ class!

My class with my second graders was interrupted because more than half of the students had to leave to shop at the school’s Scholastic Book Fair. I had 12 students in the class. So I went from an overwhelming 50 students in my first class to an intimate group of 12 in my second class. It was great because I was able to sit with a group and actually play the game with them. What fun!

When I walked into my Kindergarten class, the students began cheering and clapping for me, yelling, “She’s here!” It was such an boisterous welcome. The first picture above is a picture of me telling to the Kindergarteners. They are so cute and such  enthusiastic listeners – very participatory.

My third grade class had trouble quieting down at first because they were so excited about working on their game boards. But when they finally did work on their boards, they worked so well in their groups. Their story was “Sody Sallyraytus,” an Appalachian tale reminiscent of “The Three Billy Goats Gruff.” One of the students, Nicholas, came up with an ingenious board game design. The game is called “Don’t Get Trapped!” Wow! is all I can say…

In fourth grade, there was so much creativity in the air! Their story is “The Tortoise and the Hare” and they had some really cool board games. This one designed by Ajdan,  which is still in progress, will be titled, “The Hare’s Tale.”

Here’s another Hare board game design (again, still in progress), “The Hare Racing Adventure.”

Today’s fifth grade class was assigned “The Gingerbread Man.” I love this board game called “Gingerbread Man on the Run.” I can’t wait to play this game!

I am always in awe of the talent and creativity of the students. I just love working with them. High five to Ms. Massa’s class, Ms. Naugle’s class, and Ms. Brumfield’s class! You guys have done some incredible work! I’m so proud of you!

Tomorrow, I work with my last group of students creating board games. I look forward to working with my students and seeing what they have in store for me! Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

Today was Day 6 of my “Stories on Board Residency.” What a day! In the 8 years that I have been the artist-in-residence at this school, never once have I been late. Today changed that record. There was a big accident that clogged traffic for miles, causing me to arrive at 9:00 am (first class is at 8:45 am). I frantically called the librarian, Ellen (who books me every year), explaining the situation. She reassured me that everything would be just fine and she would adjust my schedule.

Fortunately, there was a puppet performance in the cafeteria by Calliope Puppet Theater. Ellen cancelled my first class and sent them to the puppet show. Then she moved my second class to my lunch period. That enabled me to have some free time in the morning so I was able to watch the show. It was a great show, showcasing multicultural stories about music from around the world. Karen Konnerth, the puppeteer, is a friend and I loved how much educational content was woven into her show. The kids really enjoyed it. Here is the story of the Legend of the Marimba from Guatemala.

I ate lunch at 10:00am! Then I had five back-to-back classes with no break in between. Needless to say, at the end of the day, I was exhausted!

Though the day started off on the wrong track, my classes were great. I did have to handle some discipline issues in kindergarten and second grade but the rest of the students were fantastic. Here is a picture of some of today’s second grade class playing “Pizza Party,” based on my story, “The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza.” Hello, Ms. Leblanc’s class!

Again, I had a blast working with 3rd through 5th grade, creating the game boards. My third grade class’ story was “The Lion and the Mouse.” They came up with some creative titles and games including “Mouseopoly,” “Lion Limbo,” and “Lion and Mouse Land.” This is “Mouseopoly.”

This third grade group created “The Lion and The Mouse Game.” The third graders worked so well together – it was amazing. I really enjoyed their ideas and collaboration. They truly exemplified teamwork. Way to go, Ms. Ryan’s class! Woo hoo!

My fourth graders were assigned the story, “Jack Seeks His Fortune,” an Appalachian mountain tale. These students amazed me with their creativity. Some of their game board titles include “Jack and His Sack of Gold,” “Goldopoly” (notice how so many of the students love the “opoly” type of game?), “Go for the Gold!,” and “Not So Fortunate.” Ms. Morrow’s class, you did a fantastic job with your boards. I can’t wait to see them finished. Check out this board.

In fifth grade, they worked on the story, “Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby.” This group of fifth graders were planners and contemplaters, discussing their options in detail and consulting with each other on their game board designs. As a result, they worked a little slower and their board games did not progress as much as the other classes. Still, there were some impressive boards. This one is called, “The Carrot Trail.”

This 5th grade board game is titled, “Brer Rabbit’s Briar Patch.” I love the rabbit’s face! Fantastic work, Ms. McLeod’s class!

One of my fifth grade students from yesterday’s class, Samuel, really impressed me. He asked me if he could take a board home so that he could design his own board game. Today, he left the board in the library for me. It’s such an intricate design. I was so touched that he had the initiative to want to work on his own design. Samuel is such a sweet student. Every day, he carries my suitcase (filled with all my supplies – I call it my “Rolling Classroom”) down the stairs for me at the end of the day. Thank you so much, Samuel. You are awesome. This is Samuel’s board game design – he promised to fill it in and actually create the game too. Too cool!

So today, lemon turned into sweet lemonade. And there’s more to come! Until next time… best wishes!

Warmly, Dianne