Storyman from England
The Storyman from England visited four Watonwan County Libraries in July. He "read" three classic children's books with the audience, bringing the stories to life with acting and encouraging audience participation. Brian Poulton, the Storyman from England, presents programs that involve acting, reading, and storytelling. He began telling stories twenty years ago when he was an ESL teacher in Southeast Asia. He began working at the Minnesota Children’s Museum as a storyteller fifteen years ago. His programs are interactive and humorous. He can tell stories to audiences of all ages.
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We will collect anecdotal responses and observe the audience. We expect: Participants will interact with an experienced storyteller Participants will enjoy a library sponsored program with their friends and families Participants will be motivated to checkout the books mentioned in the program
When he was performing in St. James, staff members inside the library could hear the audience roaring with laughter from the meeting room. Here are some of the comments/anecdotes we collected: *One parent said she couldn't take pictures because she was laughing too much to hold her arms steady. *The kids from daycares talked about the program at lunch and for the rest of the day. *The audience really enjoyed interacting with the Storyman. He built his whole show around the audience so much so that without an audience there could not have been a show. *One participant wrote, "I enjoyed the story "Mean Soup." It is always good for children (and grown ups) to deal with emotions in a healthy way." *One participant wrote, "More Storyman from England!"
St James Library, Madelia Library, Lewisville Library, Butterfield Library, Brian Poulton, Lewisville American Legion, Butterfield Town Hall, Area Businesses, Shopper Newspaper