There’s a significant difference between a storyteller and a story reader, Vicky Town explained to a group of McKinley Elementary School third-graders this week.
A story reader — particularly with younger children — usually will read excerpts and show children pictures that adorn the pages of a book.
“Everybody sees the same picture,” Town noted.
But with a storyteller, the audience’s imagination provides the illustration, usually with different pictures.
To prove her point, Town told the third-graders to imagine a chair.
One audience member suggested a rocking chair. Another picked a small, wooden chair such as one used by “The Three Bears.”
The point, Town explained, was that her simple suggestion led to different pictures for her audience.
Town went on to relay a number of folk tales in her hour-long presentation, using facial expressions, gestures and voices to create a plethora of characters for the children to follow.
Such a task has become old hat for Town, who has delighted audiences of all ages with her storytelling capabilities for more than 21 years.
Town is in Allen County this month as a storyteller-in-residence, part of the Arts in Education series sponsored by the Sleeper Family Trust, Daniels Bequest and Bowlus Fine Arts Center.
McKinley’s stop was the final one in Iola for Town, who is in Humboldt for the rest of this week. She will complete her classroom visits next Tuesday and Wednesday at Marmaton Valley Elementary School in Moran.
Storyteller regales students
