Great news for everyone! After an exhausting search for the perfect place to hold Building Stories, Kiskadee Coffee Company (18 Main St, Downtown Plymouth) has agreed to sponsor this program! Alot of friends expressed interest in the Children’s Workshop “Building Stories” that I am hosting this summer. Just a reminder – you must register to be part of the workshop, and NO – you do NOT have to be a Plymouth resident to partake in “Building Stories”:

Summer Events 2008:

Big Ryan’s Tall Tales Presents: Building Stories Workshops

“Building stories” are exciting, brand new workshops designed by Big Ryan to nurture and showcase your child’s natural ability to tell stories. Great for children who have a wild imagination – even better for children who have difficulties using their imagination – Big Ryan’s workshop exercises their brains and lets them have fun in the process! Taking place 4 Saturdays over the summer, each week we will develop better skills as storytellers and then the children will have the opportunity to showcase their storytelling abilities for families and friends in a “Story-fest” the following Sunday.

Two age groups are available:

August Session

( 11:00am-12:00pm, Ages 5-7)

(1:00pm-2:00pm, Ages 8-11)

August 2^nd

August 9^th

August 16^th

August 23^rd

Story-fest: August 24^th

To ensure that each child gets the personal attention he/she needs: Each session will enroll only 12 children each!

Enrollment in the four-week session is $45.00. The children will gather for one hour each week par-taking in some storytelling exercises. Then, Big Ryan will spend time with each child individually crafting their very own tale which they will have the opportunity to showcase at the Story-fest!

Thanks for everyone who has asked questions and showed interest. If you have any questions or would like to register please feel free to call me at 508 641 5336 or email me at ryanstalltales@hotmail.com I look forward to hearing from everyone! This will be so much fun!

 

I have this song called “The Fishing Song” – and it’s all about teaching kids to recycle.  Well, during the song I ask the kids what we should do with all of the trash that we find.  One of the items is a bottle.  A regular old water bottle.  I asked what we should do with that bottle to which one little girl replied:

“Bring it to the machine and they turn it into a nickel!”

This little girl thought that when you put the bottle into the recycling machine – the machine, in turn, turns the bottle into a nickel and then gives it back to you.  How great would a machine like that be?

 

Great news for everyone!  After an exhausting search for the perfect place to hold Building Stories, Kiskadee Coffee Company (18 Main St, Downtown Plymouth) has agreed to sponsor this program!  Alot of friends expressed interest in the Children’s Workshop “Building Stories” that I am hosting this summer.  Just a reminder – you must register to be part of the workshop, and NO – you do NOT have to be a Plymouth resident to partake in “Building Stories”:

Summer Events 2008:

Big Ryan’s Tall Tales Presents: Building Stories Workshops

“Building stories” are exciting, brand new workshops designed by Big Ryan to nurture and showcase your child’s natural ability to tell stories. Great for children who have a wild imagination – even better for children who have difficulties using their imagination – Big Ryan’s workshop exercises their brains and lets them have fun in the process! Taking place 4 Saturdays over the summer, each week we will develop better skills as storytellers and then the children will have the opportunity to showcase their storytelling abilities for families and friends in a “Story-fest” the following Sunday.

Two age groups are available:

August Session

 ( 11:00am-12:00pm, Ages 5-7)

 (1:00pm-2:00pm, Ages 8-11)

August 2^nd

August 9^th

August 16^th

August 23^rd

Story-fest: August 24^th

To ensure that each child gets the personal attention he/she needs: Each session will enroll only 12 children each!

Enrollment in the four-week session is $45.00. The children will gather for one hour each week par-taking in some storytelling exercises. Then, Big Ryan will spend time with each child individually crafting their very own tale which they will have the opportunity to showcase at the Story-fest!

Thanks for everyone who has asked questions and showed interest. If you have any questions or would like to register please feel free to call me at 508 641 5336 or email me at ryanstalltales@hotmail.com I look forward to hearing from everyone! This will be so much fun!

The only real difference between the two puppets, as you can see, is the color.  Charlie is a bit less white – the new Charlie is almost blinding white!

But the difference is harder to notice in Max.  Max I think held up very well over the years. 

The hardest part is breaking the new puppets in.  I brought them to the show this morning.  It was a bit uncomfortable – their mouths don’t move as fluidly, yet, and even trying to make them talk right was a bit of a challenge.  I’m sure they will work out fine, but right now it’s just new and still, a little sad.  Please send any inquiries about giving my older puppets a good home to ryanstalltales@hotmail.com.  Thanks – Big Ryan 

 

The beautiful puppets I use are amazing.  I don’t even need a theater to conceal myself – when I bring out the puppets all eyes are on them!  But after 8 wonderful years of telling stories with them it has finally happened.  I need to replace them.  I need to get new “friends”, and even though they are just puppets, it’s still a little sad.  It’s like they have a personality of their very own.  But I know I need new puppets…

During one storytelling, as I brought out the dog puppets, Edgar, the little black puppy, shook his head and all of a sudden his eye popped off!  It went bouncing across the floor and landed right in front of a little girl who picked it up and just held onto it until the story was done.  After I put Edgar and Uncle Charlie down I walked over and the little girl handed me the eye.  But, I’m telling you, that could’ve gone a lot worse!

If anyone is interested in what company makes the puppets that I use, or would like to buy some of them themselves - you can go to Folkmanis.com – great puppets that last a long time even after constant use!  And I am living proof!

Lastly, if any school, library, or fan is interested in my taking my old puppets off my hands please email me at ryanstalltales@hotmail.com – Thanks, Big Ryan 

 

Alot of friends expressed interest in the Children’s Workshop “Building Stories” that I am hosting this summer.  I ran out of flyers and stated that I would post the info for anyone interested.  Just a reminder – you must register to be part of the workshop, and NO – you do NOT have to be a Plymouth resident to partake in “Building Stories”:

Summer Events 2008:

Big Ryan’s Tall Tales Presents: Building Stories Workshops

            “Building stories” are exciting, brand new workshops designed by Big Ryan to nurture and showcase your child’s natural ability to tell stories.  Great for children who have a wild imagination – even better for children who have difficulties using their imagination – Big Ryan’s workshop exercises their brains and lets them have fun in the process!  Taking place 4 Saturdays over the summer, each week we will develop better skills as storytellers and then the children will have the opportunity to showcase their storytelling abilities for families and friends in a “Story-fest” the following Sunday.

Two age groups and sessions are available:

                       

                          Session 1                                            Session 2                                      

             (11:00am -12:00pm, Ages 5-7)        ( 11:00am-12:00pm, Ages 5-7) 

             (1:00pm-2:00pm, Ages 8-11)          (1:00pm-2:00pm, Ages 8-11)

                          June 28^th                                             August 2^nd           

                          July 12^th                                              August 9^th            

                          July 19^th                                              August 16^th            

                          July 26^th                                              August 23^rd      

                 Story-fest: July 27^th                           Story-fest: August 24^th 

To ensure that each child gets the personal attention he/she needs:  Each session will enroll only 12 children each!  

            Enrollment in the four-week session is $45.00.  The children will gather for one hour each week par-taking in some storytelling exercises.  Then, Big Ryan will spend time with each child individually crafting their very own tale which they will have the opportunity to showcase at the Story-fest!

Thanks for everyone who has asked questions and showed interest.  If you have any questions please feel free to call me at 508 641 5336 or email me at ryanstalltales@hotmail.com  I look forward to hearing from everyone!  This will be so much fun!

*By the way – I’m not sure what the Bird picture has to do with this post – I just needed something to put here and thought it was nice.

 

I will be doing a huge Big Ryan show on Feb 19th – but if you go to the Plymouth Library now – you will see, The Hulk!!!!!! 

A portion (a very small portion) of Big Ryan’s Hulk memorabilia is on display for the entire month of February.  Check that out now, then come back to see Big Ryan! 

 

 

While waiting for my show to start I heard 2 little girls in the front of the crowd talking.  They weren’t discussing anything in general but I overheard this and thought it was funny enough to pass on…

Girl 1: “Hey, ask me why the chicken crossed the road.”

Girl 2: “Why did the chicken cross the road?”

Girl 1: “I have no idea.”

See?  Wasn’t that funny?   I laughed for a while just thinking about that!

Alright, maybe you had to be there…

The 2008 Caldecott and Newbery Medals were awarded a bit ago.  With my love and passion for children’s literature I thought that I’d pass on the news to you!

Caldecott Medals:

Winner!: The Invention of Hugo Cabret (link in image above)
See the other winners here

Newbery Medals:

Winner!: Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village
See the other winners here

Check out the sidebar for a new page titled “Be Your Own Storyteller!”  The page is filled with answers to alot of the questions I get and my own personal beliefs of what storytelling means to me.  Also, my ideas on what you can do to be your very own storyteller!