Annual Premier Children’s Literature Event to be Held in Red Wing, Minnesota

Save the date for a great event! WonderWeavers - Storytellers, LLC will be telling stories from 2 to 4 PM. Perfect for a family outing down the river to Red Wing, MN. Annual Premier Children’s Literature Event to be Held in Red Wing, Minnesota 15th Celebration of Minnesota Children’s Authors and Illustrators Scheduled for September 20, 2014


Teachers, librarians, parents, students, and readers of children’s literature rejoice! It is time once again for the Celebration of Minnesota Children’s Authors and Illustrators. Held annually at the Anderson Center in Red Wing, Minnesota, 2014 marks the 15th year the state’s premier event in children’s literature has occurred.



This year the Celebration of Minnesota Children’s Authors and Illustrators will be held on Saturday, September 20, from 12:00 to 5:00 pm at The Anderson Center located five miles north of Red Wing at the intersection of Highways 61 and 19. This exceptional event is free of charge.



The celebration will feature book signings and readings by authors, slide presentations and talks by illustrators, bookmaking workshops for children and parents, and an extensive gallery display of book illustrations. The Kerlan Collection will display rare manuscripts and illustrations. Mackin Educational Resources will have books available for sale with a portion of the proceeds to be donated to the Anderson Center.



Activities at the literary event will include Lauren Stringer hosting a “Deer Dancing” activity, John Coy challenging attendees to a game of Peach Basket Basketball, Stephen Shaskan teaching how to make paper bag puppets, Lisa Bullard playing Chicken Poop BINGO with children, and Catherine Thimmesh building a lunar landing. No registration is required for any of these activities.



Many of Minnesota’s finest authors and illustrators will be present at the festival, including: Eileen Beha, Lisa Bullard, John Coy, Brian Farrey, Mark Fearing, Bruce Giebink, Michael Hall, Bill Johnson. Chris Monroe, Chris Raschka, Joyce Sidman, Stephen Shaskan, Erin Soderberg, Lauren Stringer, Catherine Thimmesh, Mike Wohnoutka, and Douglas Wood. New this year, three of the winners of the Maud Hart Lovelace and Star of the North Awards will present together and accept their Minnesota Youth Reading Awards: Rob Buyea, Sharon Draper, and Jake Parker.



For more information, please call the Center at 651-388-2009 or visit www.andersoncenter.org. The Celebration of Minnesota Children’s Authors and Illustrators is sponsored by the Anderson Center, Mackin Educational Resources, and the Red Wing Public Library.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Storytime at the Underground Music Cafe

We are so fortunate to have the WonderWeavers begin our new 2014-2015 season with P.J. Stories. Join us on Sept. 4th

P.J. Stories

A storytelling event which is just like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich—

a story on both sides, and lots of fun squished in-between.

Where: The Underground Music Cafe

1579 Hamline Ave. N.,Falcon Hts.

When: Thursday, September 4th

6:30-7:30pm

Storytellers:

The WonderWeavers

With:

Books Alive! Stories Alive!


September 4th: Do you have the end of summer brain slump? How about "Books Alive! Stories Alive!" Join the WonderWeavers - Storytellers, Tina Rohde and Colleen Shaskin, as they spark your imagination and tickle your funny bone. Using audience participation, props, songs and magic you will see old and new tales brought to life in aunique way. Fun for everyone!

Mark Your Calendars:

Rhythm and Words June 7th!

Halloween Fun!

Fall is here and Halloween is just around the corner. We will be out sharing the fun. Listed below are some great spots to take your family to enjoy some special treats and maybe a trick or two! Kids are encouraged to dress in their favorite costumes and join us for free tricks and treats and other fun activities. All events listed are free and open to the public and geared for families and children of all ages.

October 26, 2013

11:00 AM to 3:00 PM

BOO BLAST

Boo Blast will take place at many of the Lunds and Byerly's stores. We will be sharing stories, face painting and balloons at the Lunds Store, 3455 Vicksburg Lane, Plymouth, MN  55447 .
http://www.lundsandbyerlys.com/Events/BooBlast.aspx

October 26, 2013

3:00 - 5:00 PM

Gibbon Public Library

Join Colleen as she shares favorite tales of Halloween delight. Wear your costumes and be part of the storytelling fun followed by a treat of balloon creations. Gibbon Community Center, Gibbon, MN.

October 27

Great Pumpkin Festival

1:00 - 3:00 pm

 Landmark Center, Musser Cortile 

The popular Halloween event returns with music, crafts, candy, a costume contest and more! Dress your best and get ready for some fun! Landmark Center is located at 75 West Fifth Street, Saint Paul, MN 55102.
http://www.landmarkcenter.org/visit/visit.htm 

October 31, 2013

6:00pm – 8:00pm

Vadnais Heights Community Halloween Party

Enjoy an evening full of entertainment & fun; Halloween treats, balloon animals, storytelling for the kids and refreshments at: Vadnais Heights Commons –655 E County Road F

Get into the Halloween spirit with this special community event.

This event is free and sponsored by
The Vadnais Heights Fire Relief Association, the Vadnais Heights Lions,
the Vadnais Heights Rotary Club and the City of Vadnais Heights.
http://www.cityvadnaisheights.com/

And just for fun here is the link to a video Tina created for a digital storytelling class that goes with the season.

The Family Vine
http://photopeach.com/album/190ri24

 

Roar into Reading!

PJ's with Santa and the Storytelling Elves

PJ’s with Santa

Come to the Annual PJ’s With Santa event featuring Santa, storytellers, games with prizes, face painter, cookies, punch and YOU!!

Sponsored by the City of Vadnais Heights.  Children of all ages are welcome. Parents are asked to accompany children throughout the event.

 (PJ’s are optional and your camera is welcome!)

       Date:          Friday December 2, 2011

       Time:           6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

       Where:         Vadnais Heights Commons, 655 E. County Road F

       Cost:         $5.00/child or $10.00 max per family (residents)

                           $10.00/child or $20.00 max per family (non-residents)

Deadline for registration – Monday, November 28 - Don’t Wait!!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please complete this form with the child or children’s name(s) and parent’s name that will accompany the child or children to PJ's with Santa. Mail or drop off completed form to City Hall, 800 E. County Road E, Vadnais Heights, MN 55127. Please list additional children's names and birth dates on back of form. Thank you.

Child Name Age Birthdate / /

Parents Name

Address City Zip

Phone Number

Amount Paid Check # Cash

Activity Number  440131-1

Number of Children Attending Number of Adults Attending

Please make checks payable to: The City of Vadnais Heights

Passport to Fun!

 

Let us bring a trip around the world to you! Our summer reading program is an interactive set of stories that have listeners traveling from one country to another. We are currently setting up tours in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin. Save on travel and lodging fees by booking an event around one of the tour dates or set up a new one. See what's been scheduled for 2011 so far...

June 6  1:00PM  Mason City Public Library, Mason City, Iowa
             3:30 PM Nissen Public Library, St. Ansgar, IA
June 7  10:30 AM Stacyville Public Library, Stacyville, IA
             1:30 PM Osage Public Library, Osage, IA
June 8  10:00 AM Dike Public Library, Dike, Iowa
             1:00 PM Reinbeck Public Library, Reinbeck, Iowa
             3:00 PM Kling Memorial Library, Grundy Center, Iowa
June 9  10:00 AM Sherman & Ruth Weiss Public Library, Hayward, WI
June 13 3:00 PM Big Lake Public Library, Big Lake, MN
June 15 10:30 AM Amery Public Library, Amery, WI
              3:00 PM Rice Lake Public Library, Rice Lake, WI
              6:30 PM Hawkins Area Library, Hawkins, MN
June 18 10:00 - 2:00 PM Summer Arts Festival - Storytelling and more Thief River Fall Public               Library, Thief River Falls, MN
June 21 1:45 PM Children's Literature Workshop, St. Cloud, MN
June 23 2:00 PM Monticello Public Library, Monticello, MN
June 28 2:00 PM Books Alive, 3:30 PM Kings, Queens and Other Royal Things
              VanHorn Public Library, Pine Island, MN
June 29 10:00 AM Fort Dodge Public Library, Fort Dodge, Iowa
              2:00 PM Erickson Public Library, Boone, IA
June 30 10:00 AM Fort Dodge Public Library, Fort Dodge, Iowa
              1:00 PM Clarion Public Library, Clarion, IA
July 6  10:00 AM Colfax Public Library, Colfax WI
July 7  2:00 PM Chisago Lakes Area Library, Chisago City, MN
July 13 4:00 PM Books Alive and project Campbell Public Library, East Grand Forks, MN
July 20 10:00 AM, 2:00 PM, 7:00 PM Jackson County Library, Jackson, MN
July 21 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM Lakefield Public Library, Lakefield, MN
              3:00 PM Heuron Lake Public Library, Heuron Lake, MN
July 26 10:30 AM Rondo Public Library, St. Paul, MN
July 27 10:00 AM 6:30 PM Storytelling Workshop Gaylord Public Library, Gaylord, MN
July 29 1:00 PM Appleton Public Library, Appleton, MN

Call or email today! 952-934-4194 or Info@wonderweavers.com

Spring and Summer Library Performances

Come join the fun with our Wild, Wet and Wacky summer storytelling program. (There are several libraries who have chosen a different theme and those are listed.)  All programs are open to the public.
                                                            Click on schedule to enlarge.

We are jumping into summer!

Go Wild, Wet and Wacky with the 
WonderWeavers - Storytellers!

Where can you splash in enormous puddles, meet a giant talking frog and a friendly sea serpent and even have some rub-a-dub-dub bathtime fun? The WonderWeavers - Storytellers bring Wild, Wet and Wacky stories to life. Tina and Colleen bring a menagerie of puppet friends and a few surprises to tell their tales. You won't be sitting for long as we leap, jump and sing. Who knows you might even get to see a fish fly ... and raincoats are not needed.

(Ask about our optional craft project to extend your program.)

Check out our website for more programs.

www.wonderweavers.com

Call to schedule you summer fun!

952-934-4194

I Love To Read Kick Off!

February 6, 2010
2:00 PM
Waite Park Library
253 5th Ave N
St. Cloud, MN
320-253-9359

Join Tina and Colleen as they bring Books and Stories to Life!

If your family loves to laugh together you'll want to attend this lively tandem performance by the WonderWeavers - Storytellers. We will bring stories to life using puppets, props, songs, magic and audience participation. Great fun for everyone.

Holiday Fun at Wayzata Bay Shopping Center

Come by and visit Santa and Mrs. Claus - Rudolf had to stay at the North Pole but there will be songs and stories straight from the workshop. There is all kinds of holiday fun so check out the schedule below - HO HO HO!

Lake Street & Superior Boulevard in downtown Wayzata, MN.

November 28th
•Santa Paws - 10:00 to 2:00
(A holiday celebration for the entire famly - including your furry friends)
•Visit Santa & Mrs. Claus - 10:30 to 1:30 (Pets welcome, professional photos available
taken by Ashford Kroll Photography - 612-432-7925)
•Minnesota Free-Mo Modelers Model Train Exhibit - all day

December 5th
•Visit Santa and Mrs. Claus - 10:30 to 1:30 (Professional photos available)
•Wayzata Middle School Choir - 11:00 to 11:30
•Holiday Cookie Decorating with Wuollet Bakery - 11:30 to 12:30
•Bake Sales - all day
•Minnesota Free-Mo Modelers Model Train Exhibit - all day

December 12th
•Visit Santa and Mrs. Claus - 10:30 to 1:30 (Professional photos available)
•Hot Hot Holidays - 10:30 to 1:30 (Festive Drinks Catered by the Muni)
•Wayzata Steel Drum Band - 11:30 to 12:30
•Face Painting, Storytelling, Crafts with WonderWeavers - 12:00 to 1:30
•Bake Sales - all day
•Minnesota Free-Mo Modelers Model Train Exhibit - all day

December 19th
•Wayzata’s Indoor Winter Farmer’s Market - 10:00 to 2:00
•Antique Toy Show - all day
•Visit Santa & Mrs. Claus - 10:30 to 1:30 (Professional photos available)
•Minnesota Free-Mo Modelers Model Train Exhibit - all day

For more information and an updated event list please visit wayzatabaycenter.com

Workshops, Residencies, Retreats, Keynotes

Tina and Colleen teach and perform thoughout the year. This past year has been an exciting one with workshops presented at Stout University, Northlands Storytelling Network's Annual Conference, Primrose Childcare Inservice and Team Building, YMCA Camp DuNord staff training and much more. We are scheduling now for the coming school year. Contact us today so we can help you plan your event and get your dates on our calendar.


Here is what one client said:


Tina and Colleen:

Thank you for presenting and contributing to the success of the 2009 early childhood education conference. Whenever I think of the presenters and their contributions to the conference, I always think of an adage that you probably have heard before. It goes like this: To laugh often, to win the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch . . . to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.

You have succeeded and left the world a better place. Your session titled “Ready Set Tell: Learning Basic Storytelling Skills” received excellent conference evaluations. This session was rated as one of the top, 4.71, at the conference. Comments from participants attending your session included:
• Very interactive.
• Great ideas.
• Very information and made you think outside of the box and work very interactive.
• Fun class! Helped me feel more confident in my story telling.
• Very creative.

I am already in the process of planning for the success of the 2010 conference and hope to complete the program by the end of August. Based on your presentation skills and expertise, I would like to ask to share your talents again with us again. In the meanwhile, best wishes in your endeavors.
Best,
Judy


Dr. Judy Herr
Professor Emeritus
Chair, Annual Early Childhood Education Conference
University of Wisconsin-Stout
119 Home Economics Building
Menomonie, Wisconsin 54751
Email: Herrju@uwstout.edu
Telephone Numbers:
University 715-232-2486

WonderWeavers Summer Library Schedule - More Added

Click on a book to see the schedule in a larger size!

There are still dates available for summer bookings and into the fall.

WonderWeavers join the Minnesota Bike MS: Allianz Twin Cities Ride 2009

Colleen and Tina have joined the Rohde Riders to help raise awareness and funds for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. On May 9th, 2009 they will ride in the Minnesota - Bike MS: Allianz 30/60 Twin Cities Ride 2009. To make a donation or view the team's progress go to : Rohde Riders

Tina and Colleen are not new to working with the MS Society. They were commissioned in 2000 to write the script for the last MS READaTHON. During that year they presented the story to many of the Twin Cities schools encouraging students to read books and raise money for MS.

Two years ago, Tina's daughter-in law, Kari, was diagnosed with the disease. In honor of Kari and our ride with the team we have pulled out the old script and reworked the story which will appear in the new WonderWeavers story collection coming out later this summer.

Special thanks goes to Jane Chang for getting us started in storytelling and for the help with final editing of the story and to Iris Nelson for the wonderful illustrations.

So Enjoy the Preview!

The Golden Pages

At my house, Saturdays always started the same way.

My brother would yell, “Three, two, one, GO!” and the race to the living room was on. The first one to the living room became the Remote Control Master. One day I won the race. It was finally my turn to choose what we would watch on TV all morning.

After we watched super robots save another doomed city, I knew it was time for a change. I aimed the remote at the television. Without warning a tan, furry blur shot past us as our cat, Simon, darted between the remote control and the TV. POOF!

When the strange blue smoke cleared, the television screen was dark. There lying on the living room floor was an enormous book. Cautiously, we walked over and looked down at it. My brother was about to pick it up, but I stopped him.

“I wouldn’t touch that if I were you.”

“Don’t be a scaredy cat,” he replied, “It’s only a book.”

With the television broken we figured we might as well take a look at the book. We opened the cover and began to read...
*******
Once upon a time, far, far away in the Kingdom of Usmore, there lived a king and a queen. It just so happened that this king and queen had twelve charming sons. Life was very hectic and busy with all those boys. The nannies were always chasing after someone, the tutors had lessons to teach, and the cooks and servants had their hands full. It was no surprise that the youngest of the twelve brothers, Reed, was often overlooked, missed, skipped, or just plain forgotten. His brothers called him Prince Doubtful. They thought it was doubtful he would ever amount to anything.

Time passed as it does in all kingdoms. The twelve princes grew to be fine young men and the king and queen decided it was time to retire. Each of their sons was given a portion of the realm as his own inheritance. Each prince looked over his new kingdom and was pleased - all the princes except Prince Doubtful. Being the youngest, he had received the smallest kingdom.

It was in the furthest corner of his parents’ land. Nothing much lived there. The young prince rode out to investigate his new realm. As Prince Doubtful entered his new castle, his face fell. Every single room in his castle was filled from floor to ceiling with shelves, and every shelf was filled with books. For some people this might have been a great treasure, but to Prince Doubtful, it was the worst of luck. For you see, during all those years of being the youngest and often overlooked prince, Doubtful had missed many lessons from the royal schoolmasters. He had never learned to read. Now he was to spend the rest of his days in a tiny castle filled with books, and not even a single servant around who could read to him.

Doubtful stomped out of the castle and mounted his horse. He might as well see what the rest of his kingdom held. As he surveyed his land, he was pleased to discover that it was filled with beautiful rolling hills and fields. He entered a thick, dark forest. When he paused to admire the giant trees, he heard a strange noise. It sounded like someone softly crying in those woods.

Prince Doubtful moved closer to the sound. The crying became sobbing, and then the sobbing became wailing. At length he entered a clearing. There, in the center of the clearing, sat the first person he was to meet in his kingdom - a young girl, in a fine purple gown. “She must be one of my royal subjects - and a sad one at that,” thought Doubtful.

He looked down from his mount and inquired, “Royal subject, why do you shed so many tears?”

The young woman stood up, stomped her foot and declared, “I am not your royal subject. Why I am a bewildered princess who has a mountain of trouble that is getting bigger all the time. For your information I also have a name — Princess Rita.”

Doubtful dismounted and approached Rita. “Why, a damsel in distress! My lucky day!” he thought to himself. “Perhaps I can be of assistance,” he said.

At this, Princess Rita burst into a fountain of tears.

“Things can’t be all that bad,” Doubtful said, trying to comfort her.

“They are worse than bad! I am the only child of the king and queen of Lot. Until recently, my home was a beautiful and friendly kingdom. I had everything from the finest clothes to the best teachers, and I was a healthy, happy princess. Then Count Victor arrived. He is my father’s uncle’s meanest cousin. He held an official document declaring that he had the right to take over our kingdom unless we could pay him 100 pieces of gold.”

“So your mother and father paid him, right?” Prince Doubtful interrupted.

“No, ours is a simple kingdom, not a rich one. Everyone works side by side. We all help each other do whatever needs to be done. Money is not important - at least until the day Count Victor arrived. Mother and Father have no money in the royal treasury. Count Victor was so angry. He wanted money, not our tiny kingdom. His face turned red, he yelled and hurled chairs across the room.

In his rage he said horrid words that turned everyone in our kingdom into stone – everyone, that is, but me. I don’t know why the curse didn’t turn me to stone, but my life has changed in other ways. Each day when I wake up, something different is wrong. Some days I cannot walk well. Some days my hands won’t let me pick things up. At times my vision is blurry, or I am unable to speak without mumbling. I just never know quite what to expect. I believe I’ll be doomed to live like this until I find 100 gold pieces and lift Count Victor’s curse.”

Prince Doubtful looked at Rita. “Together we should be able to work something out,” he said. “Two heads are better than one, after all. Return with me to my castle.”

With that, Prince Doubtful helped Princess Rita onto the back of his horse. As they rode, Doubtful explained, “I’ve just become ruler of this kingdom and there is no one here but me.” They rode out of the forest and returned to his castle.

Upon entering the castle, Rita’s eyes grew wide at the sight of all the books. She turned to Doubtful. “You must be the richest prince in the world!”

Doubtful was puzzled by her words. He looked at Rita as if she were crazy. “This is all that I have - hundreds of dusty old books. What good are they?”

Rita turned and stared hard at him. Finally she stammered, “What good are they? What good are they? Each book is an adventure, a new friend. You open the cover and a story emerges. With a book you can travel to places you have never dreamed of. A book can make you laugh, and it can make you cry. Best of all, a book can teach you great things! Valuable things!” As the prince listened, he began to frown and his shoulders slumped.

“What’s wrong?” asked Rita.

“I never learned how to read. I’m the youngest of twelve, and no one seemed to notice,” he said with a sigh. With tears in his eyes and a heavy heart, Prince Doubtful sat down and looked around the great room. He had missed so much. “You are so lucky to have been an only child,” he said to Rita.

Rita felt as if her heart was breaking. Suddenly, she had an idea, “Why don’t I read you a story out of one of your books? Bring one to me.” The Prince chose a large volume bound in rich red leather. A golden oil lamp was embossed on the cover. The book held over 1000 stories which a young woman was forced to tell in order to save her own life. Doubtful laughed so hard he had to hold his sides when Rita read from that book a tale called “The Historic Fart!”

Rita read late into the night. The candles were lit and she continued to read – on into morning, through the next day, and into the next. By the third morning, Rita found she could barely speak. Her words came out slowly and with so much effort. Finally, the book became too heavy for her to hold. Prince Doubtful gathered up the book from her lap and held it in his own hands. “Would you help me, Princes Rita? Will you teach me to read?”

She rested her voice only a minute, then began. They worked page by page, hour after hour. By the time they reached the last pages of the book, they were reading the words together. Finally, unable to speak one more word, Rita stopped. At first they did not notice when Doubtful read the last page by himself. He smiled at Rita and closed the book. As he placed the book on a nearby table a single gold coin fell from the pages and rolled across the floor. They watched as it came to a stop. Surely the coin couldn’t have been in the book all the time. Doubtful and Rita ran to the shelves and started pulling down more books, shaking them, opening them to see if there were any more gold coins. Alas, not one more coin appeared.

Disappointed, the two sat down and looked at each other. Then, together they said, “We might as well start another book.”


This time Rita picked a thinner volume. It was a silly story about a princess with a golden ball.
“The princess leaned over, kissed the frog, and there stood a handsome prince,” read Rita. She closed the book and, just as before, a single gold coin clinked onto the floor. Rita was stunned, but Doubtful was up in a flash searching the shelves for the very shortest book. He read the story as fast as he could. On the last page of the book he read, “One hundred gold coins dropped down the well will surely break a terrible spell.”

“That’s it!” exclaimed Doubtful “With every book we read we receive a gold coin. If we read enough books we will have enough money to break the curse.”

On that day, Doubtful and Rita began the task. They spent all their days and evenings devouring the many stories that lay upon the shelves. The stories took them to lands where the sun did not show its face for many days at a time, and they were delighted when they found a book that named and mapped the night stars. It wasn’t long before they had one hundred gold coins. Together they traveled to Rita’s kingdom where they dropped the one hundred gold coins down the well. The terrible curse was broken at last. The stone statues in the Kingdom of Lot turned back into people, and Rita’s body regained its strength.

After all those days of reading together, Rita and Doubtful had grown quite close. Doubtful, unable to imagine returning to his kingdom without her, asked Rita, “Would you marry me and be my queen?”

“You Bet!” exclaimed Rita with a smile.

When the king and queen learned how Rita and Doubtful had learned to break the spell from a book, Rita’s father insisted Doubtful should have a reward. “The only reward I ask is the right to your daughter’s hand in marriage,” said the prince.

“Well then, the only remaining problem is your name,” said the king. “I’m not sure that I want a son-in-law named Doubtful.”

The prince laughed. “That is only a childhood nickname,” he said. “I’m certain my true name will be suitable.”

Wedding bells rang the very next day as Prince Reed Usmore married Princess Rita Lot. The happy couple returned to their own kingdom where, to this day, they can be found reading stories together and living a life filled with riches beyond gold coins.
*******
My brother and I closed the book. The television blared back to life. Mom walked into the living room and announced, “One more show and that’s it for today.”

“That’s okay,” my brother said. “Will you take me to the library, Mom? I want to get a copy of The Arabian Nights.”

“You want to come along?” Mom asked me. “Sure,” I said, “Maybe I’ll visit China while I’m there. Who knows – maybe I’ll even get rich. When we get home will you help me find that old telescope we have somewhere?”


(Copyright © 2009 by Tina Rohde and Colleen Shaskin, WonderWeavers-Storytellers, LLC. All rights reserved)




What is Multiple Sclerosis?

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the brain and spinal cord - the central nervous system. Each nerve has a special covering that helps the signal arrive rapidly. Each one of us has a nervous system which acts like the television remote control. A message is sent out from the brain - raise your right arm - the signal travels until it reaches the appropriate muscles to make your arm go up. With MS the covering is damaged and the signal can’t get through. Your arm won’t go up. It is like when the cat blocked the remote signal and the television stopped working.(not an exact metaphor, because blocking the signal wouldn’t turn off the T.V., in the story, it was something magical that turned off the T.V. and brought the book into the room)

People with MS are like Princess Rita -they are not sure what will or won’t work -they have varying physical challenges. They might not be able to walk right, they might become forgetful, and they might not be able to speak or hear. Often the symptoms come and go. It is not easy to explain MS. There is no cure for MS but someday there will be. Doctors and scientists are constantly researching the cause and looking for cures.

The MS READaTHON ended in 2000 but there are still ways to help support the fight against MS.

Happy Earth Day

Tina and Colleen believe that every day is Earth Day!

In their updated "Earth Day is Every Day" program you will see stories brought to life that reinforce recycling and taking care of our home (Planet Earth).

Learn how to have fun with trash, how one object can become many usable items and watch as two little seeds grow. You might be part of the "Going Green Giggle Wiggle Recycled Band" and get your body moving and then go home and make a band of your very own! Stories are a perfect way to learn about the wonderful world around us and how to take care of it!

Story Time Anytime Launches!

Tina and Colleen were part of an exciting project that was produced by the Richton Park Public Library District and Governors State University. Last April we traveled to Richton Park, IL where we were one of ten storyteller/s to be filmed for a very special literacy project. Making storytelling accessible for all children even if they could not get to the library for the special story hours was the main goal of the project.

We performed with a wonderful group of children and from that performance DVD's were created that may be checked out of the library. The video of the performances is also available to be watched online through the library website. To view the WonderWeavers - Storytellers go to http://www.richtonparklibrary.org and watch Story Time Anytime!

In Honor of World Storytelling Day!

World Storytelling Day is a global celebration of the art of oral storytelling. It is celebrated every year on the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere. On World Storytelling Day, as many people as possible tell and listen to stories in many languages and in many places as possible.
Come listen to stories. You may be inspired to share stories of your own. This year’s theme is "NEIGHBORS." Let’s all dream big and let others know our plans, to make this the best World Storytelling Day ever!

Two Great Family Friendly Events In Honor of World Storytelling Day

March 21, 2009
10:30 - 11:00 AM

Red Balloon Bookshop

891 Grand Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55105
Tel: 651-224-8320

www.redballoonbookshop.com

Join Tina and Colleen as they welcome in spring with their favorite new story - Bob by Tracy Campbell Pearson. You won't want to miss the fun as Bob the rooster goes off on a crazy adventure to learn how to cock-a-doddle-doo.


March 21, 2009
7:00 – 9:00 PM

Mocha Monkey

115 S Olive St
Waconia, MN 55397
952-353-3627

www.themochamonkey.com

Join the WonderWeavers – Storytellers, a lively tandem team of professional storytellers, as they bring stories to life. Tina Rohde and Colleen Shaskin will share stories to warm your hearts and delight your senses and bring our neighborhoods closer together. We will also share some simple story starters to get you telling your own stories.

Award Winning CD!

So it took another two awards to move us into the blog world...

We are so excited that our collaborative group, Cygnus Storytelling, came together to learn from one another, support our creativity and combine our talents in the art of storytelling. We have discovered that their is power in the flock!

A little over a year ago the National Institute on Media and the Family asked if we could produce a CD to help model the storytelling process for individuals and families. The five Cygnus Storytellers gathered in a recording studio and with the help of a great recording technician, Andre from Babble-On Recording Studios, "U Tell A Tale" was created.

The next step was the CD cover art and design. Thanks to Tom Racine and Karen Wollscheid it is fun loving and well represents the contents of the stories recorded.

The middle of September we found out that our CD received the National Association of Parenting Publications' Gold Award (NAPPA). Yesterday we received the Parents Choice Approved Award.

Great reviews are coming in and we will post a few. U Tell A Tale is available for $15 plus shipping and handling of $2.50 - email us at info@wonderweavers.com.

CD CONTENT

U Tell a Tale CD: Stories told by Cygnus Storytelling:

Tina Rohde, Colleen Shaskin, Mike Mann, Jenifer Strauss and Kevin Strauss

1. Where the TV Use to Be

2. The Turtle Who Talked Too Much

3. The Amazing Mouse

4. Moose in a Muddle

5. The Eagle Who Thought He Was a Chicken

6. The Eyes in the Closet

7. Itsy Bitsy Jane

8. The Three Bear Rap

9. Anansi's Counting Trick

10. The Three Little Beavers

11. The Wishing Fish

PARENT REVIEW

U Tell A Tale is a well-balanced mix of favorite tales and original stories by Cygnus Storytelling, tied together by a handful of animal friends guaranteed to delight listners of all ages. The variety of tales combines with the varied styles of five tellers to make this collection a delight to listen to.

As a new mom, I'm always looking for fun things to do with my son, and listening to this disc is wonderful. This is a disc that parents will enjoy as well as the kids, a treasure for the whole family! My son's favorites are "Moose in a Muddle" and "The Three Bear Rap,"he loves the singing and rhythm. I particularly enjoyed the story about the eagle who thought he was a chicken. I even found myself telling the stories back to my son as the day went by; without meaning to, we were storytelling! A disc that has the ability to create spontaneous moments of telling and imagination is a rare and special thing. And any disc that can entertain my toddler and make me giggle is a definite winner.

I've listened to many story collections over the years, and this one is one of the most kid friendly and accessible ones I've come across. A definite must for a ride to the grocery store or an afternoon of folding the laundry!

Michelle Chelstrom, Mom of a 19 month old boy

Buffalo, NY

Parent's Choice Review

U Tell A Tale: Stories Told Through-U

Fall 2008 Storytelling

Ages: 4 - 12 yrs.

Story Artisits: Cygnus Storytelling
Producer: National Institute on Media and the Family

CD Price: $15.00

Review:

Eleven brief stories (folk tales, original stories, raps, cultural stories, and adaptations of traditional pieces) offer samples that can be told by a variety of ages. In addition to the fun of hearing (and retelling) these stories, listeners will recall several important "warnings" offered as helpful life lessons. "The Turtle Who Talked Too Much" is a reminder that there are times it is better to remain silent. Other stories (such as "The Eagle Who Thought He Was a Chicken") encourage young learners to accept and explore their individual differences instead of becoming too complacent or accepting of how things seem to be. "The Amazing Mouse" reminds listeners that even the smallest among us can sometimes make an enormous difference. The variety of different tellers and performance styles boosts the value and appeal of this creative collection of stories.

Dr. Flora Joy ©2008 Parents' Choice

Dr. Flora Joy is a Professor Emeritus of Storytelling at Eastern Tennessee State University. She is the founder of ETSU's Storytelling Master's Degree Program in Storytelling and the founder of the National Storytelling Youth Olympics.