“ The kids absolutely loved her. She got right down to their level,” said Jolee Ellis, who coordinates the 10-11 a.m. event each Wednesday.
So did the parents.
“It was so fabulous and she was so theatrical,” said parent Charlotte Adamson. “I loved the flexibility and range of her voice, how she could make so many sounds. She was lovely. It seemed like she was right up a kid’s alley.”
Most of the youngsters attending story hour are in the two- to four-year-old category, according to Ellis. At the old library, the weekly crowd averaged about 20 children and adults. Since moving into the new library, that number has dramatically increased to an average of 30-40 participants each week.
The invitation to be a volunteer storyteller at the library is open to anyone who is interested.
“You have to be able to capture kids’ attention, and you need some ability for telling stories or reading stories to kids to get them interested,” Ellis said. “The big thing to watch is that you don’t get over their heads.”
Pat Evarts is a frequent story hour volunteer.
“I have always supported the Homer library and so I started taking my grandchildren down there and thought I wouldn’t mind doing something like that (storytelling). That’s how I got started,” Evarts said.
The secret to good storytelling, Evarts said, is “a complete devotion to the children.” An apron with pockets filled with interesting little items helps Evarts capture her listeners’ attention.
“There’s so many children that live in Alaska and don’t have grandmothers, so I’m their grandmother for that hour,” she said.
In spite of her comfort as a grandmotherly storyteller, Evarts admitted a moment of panic when she saw the larger crowd that filled the children’s room of the new library.
“I’ll be very truthful. The first time I went in there after they opened the new library, there were 65 people in the room and I thought I’d die,” she said. Then she realized almost half were adults. “I trained myself to block out the adults. I’m there for the kids. Then I was able to get over my stage fright.”
Beth Trowbridge of the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies is a once-a-month volunteer storyteller.
“I try to do more of a natural history thing — a lot of fish, animals, plants, birds, snow — with a different theme each month,” said Trowbridge.
She praised the increased space of the new library.
“Parents feel more comfortable not having to worry about the children being loud. At the other library, if they were not attentive, it was a problem. But now, if they want to wander off a bit, it’s OK,” Trowbridge said.
Flexibility and creativity are keys to good storytelling.
“I ‘read’ the audience,” Trowbridge said. “If they’re interested, I’ll read more. If their fidgety, I try to have extra things in my pocket, a song or an extra book.”
Evarts suggested anyone interested in storytelling visit on Wednesdays and listen in. Or you can pick up tips from Hunter by listening to her two CDs: “Why The Skunk Stinks and Other Nature Stories for Children” and “Rowf! Songs and Tales from Many Cultures.” They cost $15 each and can be ordered from her Web site, www.kathytales.com, or purchased locally at Timeless Toys and the Homer Bookstore. Anyone interested in volunteering as a storyteller can contact Ellis at 235-3180.
McKibben Jackinsky can be reached at mckibben.jackinksy@homernews.com.
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