Paperback Books by Margaret Read MacDonald

Presents a variety of short skits written by children that do not require much preparation or props.

Presents a brief history of the round, eighty rounds to sing, and suggestions for round leaders on how to use them.

Little Rooster is happy to find a diamond button—it's a perfect present for his mistress. Then along comes the King, who snatches the button for his treasure chamber! And when Little Rooster demands the button back, the King is so furious he has Little Rooster thrown into a well. One thing the King doesn't know: Little Rooster has a magic stomach. Water? Fire? Bees? No problem!

In this British variant of a traditional tale, an ungrateful woman who complains constantly about her house is granted increasingly grandiose wishes by a fairy.

Maybe it's the king who spills honey, and then says it is not his problem until it causes a war. Or maybe it's some sandpipers and whales who get into a foolish fight that almost destroys their homes. Perhaps it's the man who thinks that a gun makes him strong, or the monkeys who follow their leader into water that's too deep.

"With this classic storybook. revitalized for a new generation of storytellers, master storyteller Margaret Read MacDonald shares twenty timeless, easy-to-learn tales for the beginning storyteller. Borrowing story lines from across cultures, MacDonald adapts folktales with chants, songs, and repeating lines, making them both easy to remember for the teller and enjoyable for the listener." "This revised edition includes twenty-five pages of bibliographic material and author commentary covering story collections, sources for researching tale variants and origins, and recommended picture books and videotapes as a starting point for finding the best tales for your style and audience. A must-have for school and public librarians, teachers, parents, and any folktale or storytelling aficionado, Twenty Tellable Tales gives beginning tellers a place to start to find their own voice. Even the most inexperienced storyteller can sound like a pro using the techniques outlined in this proven resource."--BOOK JACKET.

A cumulative tale from Chile that begins with a hen and ends with sixteen different animals and a guitar.

After spending 35 years telling stories to preschoolers on a weekly basis, MacDonald now presents this collection of 100 short tales from around the world to read or tell when time is short. Includes a bibliography of additional sources of short tales.

The first edition provides descriptions of folktales and references to more than 700 published sources of folktales. The new edition covers folktales from 1983-1999. Both editions include thorough indexing by subject, motif, title, ethnic group and country of origin and a comprehensive bibliography.

Presents five folktales for young children, including "Snow Bunting's Lullaby" from Siberia, "Chin Chin Kobokama" from Japan, "The Playground of the Sun and Moon" from Argentina, and "Counting Sheep" from the British Isles.

Mabela may be the smallest mouse in the village, but her father has taught her to be clever. And this cleverness comes in handy when the cat comes, inviting everyone to join the secret Cat Society. The mice line up, with Mabela at the front and the Cat at the back. They march into the forest, singing the secret Cat song and shouting FO FENG! Only clever Mabela realizes the Cat is up to no good!

Quack, moo and neigh along to this riotous cumulative song, which features animals of all shapes and sizes. The text comes with an audio CD that includes two versions of the song, both with and without vocals, so children can listen first and then sing along.

Provides advice on storytelling techniques including when to raise and lower the voice and when to refrain from reading and encourage audience participation, including dozens of stories that are easy to read aloud.

Collects twenty international tales arranged by storytelling technique, including dramatic play, talk-back tales, and chanting, singing, dancing, and drumming.

A cumulative tale from Chile that begins with a hen and ends with sixteen different animals and a guitar.

This book discusses the art of storytelling in a small community of Southern Indiana. Based on audio-taped participant observation in the rural community of Scipio, Indiana, the author presents an analysis of storytelling performances during social events of family and friends. MacDonald discusses performative aspects such as the techniques of the storyteller and stresses the role of the audience during the story event. She also examines several genres of Scipio story, such as fish stories, old codger stories, and practical joking tales. The repertoire and style of one of the community's master storytellers is analyzed along with the attributes of a master storyteller and the passing on of the storyteller's role. Scipio Storytelling concludes with a note on the future of this storytelling style in this particular community.

Tales of ghosts inhabiting the Pacific Northwest include stories of haunted houses, departed loved ones, and disturbed Native American burial sites

Presents thematically arranged programs featuring songs, books, poems, activities, films, art projects, and craft ideas

A collection of folktales for use in programs celebrating holidays around the world offers tales from China, Japan, the Middle East, West Africa, the United States, and other areas

Presents twenty-five variants of the "Tom Thumb" tale from around the world, with notes on each, a unit for classroom study, a bibliography, and suggestions for other related activities.

Offers tips for beginning storytellers on getting started, collecting stories, networking with other storytellers, and deciding on a performance style

The stories of some 340 holidays from over 150 countries are told, wherever possible, in quotations from books, journals, biographies, and other firsthand accounts by people who actually celebrate the holidays in their own homes. Additional information is furnished by folklorists and anthropologists. Especially strong is the treatment of non-European countries, scantily represented heretofore in the reference literature. Arrangement is according to the Gregorian Calendar, January 1 to December 31 (the introduction explains the origins and organization of this and other calendrical systems). A single index combines ethnic, subject, and geographic entries. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Collection of 20 folktales from around the world with a gentle tone including many that include singing and audience participation.

Suggests programs for preschoolers featuring books about science, the seasons, holidays, the imagination, travel, art, and music.

Designed primarily as a collection of scary fare for adults to tell elementary-age children, the tales may be read and some even told by children. Also contains notes on the stories.

Spoiled and vain, Aree cannot decide which of her many silken dresses and lavish jewels to wear to the dance, so she wears them all.

A Thai tale. During a fire, some bees fly into the elephants' noses and direct the elephants to safety. The beeds decide not to leave, however, and as the elephants try to blow the bees out, their noses grow longer and longer. That's why elephants have

In a timely yet timeless nature tale from Micronesia, a bragging contest between Whale and Sandpiper turns into a battle over the beach and sea, until both realize that the beach and the sea, as well as sea creatures and shorebirds, are interdependent.