Hanover’s Woman’s Club puts on a Halloween Children’s Parade every year.  It’s an opportunity for the children of Hanover to dress up in their costumes and march down Main St to a field where they are treated to the Hanover High School band playing – and then me!

I have been doing this parade for years and I am so excited to see the parade every year – this year we were happy the weather held off… of course – just as I started my show it DID start to rain.  It was a little disappointing – but I did fit in Edgar and Uncle Charlie, one of my favorite, original fall themed stories The Scared Crow and even squeezed in Father Frankenstein!

But the rain did come and cut my show short – I did appreciate all of the people who did stay and listen to the end of the show.  Also, I’d like to thank the Hanover’s Woman’s Club for inviting me back every year – it is a wonderful organization that does a lot for the town and it’s many children!

 

I had the distinct pleasure to visit the Falmouth Library – and I was able to see the new meeting room space – and boy is it beautiful!  I was so excited to see so many people there!  Falmouth is such a great area and I enjoy every visit – especially walking down Main St!

I was especially happy to have my cousin Jeffrey, who was visiting from California, to join me while performing “Father Abraham”.  I think he enjoyed himself too!  Here are some more shots:

I told one of my favorite stories called “The Bunny Bird” and Max and Uncle Charlie came out to get the children giggling – all around I had a great time – and I think the kids did too!

This summer’s Hingham Library show was so fantastic!  I really enjoy seeing familiar faces and knowing that they enjoy seeing my shows over and over is always a huge compliment!  I’ve been telling one of my longer – but favorite stories called “The Bunny Bird”.  One of the children told me that I did that story at his birthday party – and he said it was his favorite – he was happy that I told it!  That was nice to hear.

My show at the Weymouth Library was such a success – thanks to everyone who came out!  Even after all these years of telling stories there are still “Firsts” and it happened again!  After the show, when all the kids were coming up to tell me their Popsicle flavors, one of the young boys tried handing me a tip!  It was quite the honor to think I did such a good job that someone would think I deserved a tip!  Although I do not accept tips – I did think it was a very sweet thing to do.  Below is the photo where the boy has the money in his hand.  That’s the first time it ever happened – and like I said – it was unexpected, sweet and ultimately unnecessary!  But thank you anyways!

 

In June I was fortunate enough to be able to visit each of the Little People’s College’s around the New Bedford and Dartmouth areas to not just tell stories – but to do my workshop “Building Stories” - with the school age children.  This is a fun, interactive workshop that allows children, not to just enjoy stories, but actually create their own!  I had a blast – and apparently the kids did too – I was overjoyed to receive a Thank You card from the students and teachers there!  Here are a couple of pictures from the visit to one of the schools.

 

 

I was going through the pics from last weeks Early Childhood Fairs – and I found a few that I thought I’d share with you!

My little girl has made it to a few of my shows – and seems to really enjoy them!  I was also at the Kid’s Expo at the Jungle Plex in Plymouth later that afternoon!

Where Lex had her first ride on a slide!

 

I’ve really enjoyed bringing back the Family Reading Nights with Plymouth Family Network!  Everyone should thank PFN for bringing great events like these to our communities – this past Family Reading Night we read “My Many Colored Days” by Dr. Seuss and then the kids cut out colored faces and told us how each color made them feel.  Not to mention – my daughter made it to see her Dad in action!  This was the first Big Ryan show she’s been to – and my wife said she loved the puppets!  Can’t wait for the next one!

Today’s show – the first show of the year – was a fantastic time!  I told “Sarah’s Little Brother” and had Wolf and Moose come out and tell “Treat 4 Bear”.  Thanks to all who came out in the cold and the snow – even though I love this weather I know there are some who do not.

The great things about story times in the winter is the excitement level in the kids – who, for the most part, do not get to play outside as much in the winter due to the frigid temperature.  So I made sure to do “Old Man Johnson” and got a lot of the wiggles out!

I know that Truro is quite the ride – but I have to say – I enjoy making the ride every time I am invited to tell stories there!  The library is such a clam, quiet place, well, until I get there :)  But even better – the kids that come to hear the stories are always an exceptional crowd – fun and energetic!

 

The Scary – but not too scary – Tall Tales were really fun to tell – I love the reaction that the Scarecrow gets when he finally learns how to scare the bunny away – and watching the kids at the end of that story is priceless!

Summer is not over just yet… and I have been having so much fun scouring the beautiful state of Massachusetts telling my stories.  I have had the oppotunity to visit new places as well as seeing some of the regulars at the libraries I visit over and over – like the Hingham Library in the pic above and below!

I was also fortunate enough to visit Fairhaven last week where the librarian told me some bittersweet news – she has gotten a job in the Dartmouth Schoold and will not be the librarian at the Millicent Library any longer after the summer.  Good luck to you, Laura – I wish you all the best!  The show was also one for the books because My uncle Tony – who I have not seen in almost 10 years – made it to the show.

My Uncle Tony – and on the other side – his son Tony: