Storycard Theater Newsletter
September 2010

Welcome to the Storycard Theater Newsletter, our ongoing series of kamishibai storytelling news, performing tips, and history. Please feel free to forward it to your friends and colleagues.

Highlights of This Issue

1. Make Your Own Kamishibai: Blank Card Kits Now Available
2. Inside a Storycard Theater Workshop
3. Sale: Jack and the Slightly Scratched Beanstalk
4. Classroom Project: The Japanese "Surprise Story"
5. Upcoming Events

★ News ★

Make Your Own Kamishibai: New Blank Card Kits

Here's a fun project for teachers and other creative people. Our new Blank Storycard Set is a package of 12 all-white cards sized to fit our hardwood presentation frame. Draw or paint on the front of the cards, add text to the back (we suggest taping it on while you refine the story), and you're ready to perform.

These sturdy, blank cards fit our presentation frame perfectly. Download our free "How to Make Your Own Kamishibai" PDF for layout and performance tips.

Inside a Storycard Theater Workshop

This summer, Storycard Theater's Hazuki Kataoka presented kamishibai workshops at the American Library Association Conference in Washington, D.C., and the National Storytelling Conference in Los Angeles. During the workshops, she...

• Toured the cultural history of kamishibai, from Depression-era street performance, through WWII propaganda, to the format's heyday in the 1950s;
• Presented nearly 100 original slides of rare, historical kamishibai;
• Performed our own kamishibai plus stories we've brought back from Japan;
• Introduced kamishibai's unique educational and storytelling benefits;
• Shared classroom activity ideas and lesson plans;
• Explained the role of kamishibai in modern Japan in developing literacy, math concepts, and social skills in young children;
• Showed video clips of "the last kamishibai man in Tokyo" (an audience favorite);
• Shared insider performance tips;
• Revealed techniques and strategies for making your own kamishibai.

Every time we make presentations, people tell us how excited they are to discover kamishibai. Typically fewer than ten percent of attendees knew about the format, and almost none knew about its colorful history.

We're really looking forward to introducing this wonderful storytelling resource to more people. Please contact us if you'd like us to visit your group. Our new author visit flyer (PDF) has details on our programs.

Hazuki Kataoka visits teacher Julie Schmidlen's Freedom Writers in San Jose, California. These 6th graders collaborated to write and perform original kamishibai stories, often about the immigrant experience in America.

Jack and the Slightly Scratched Beanstalk: 25% Off

We have a small stock of Jack & the Beanstalk storycard sets with minor wrinkling or scratches on the display box. (The cards inside are fine.) To clear the way for more stories, we're selling them for 25% off at our site and Amazon. For shoppers who are savvy enough not to judge a book by its cover (or a storycard by its box), this is a great deal.

After climbing for a long, long time, Jack finally poked his head through the clouds. In the distance, he saw a huge castle....

★ Tips ★

Classroom Project: The Japanese “Surprise Story”

The joy of kamishibai for the audience is in the transition between cards. Every time you slide the top card away, you get the chance to give your audience a little jolt. We structure our text and artwork to emphasize these transitions, with each card ending on a mini "cliffhanger." (See last issue.)

For younger audiences, though, we simply describe kamishibai as a "Japanese surprise story."

On a recent visit to a 2^nd grade classroom, Storycard Theater's David Battino used this concept to entice the students to create and perform their own stories. He began by scrawling a circle on a piece of paper to show that anyone can draw. Then, hiding his work from the class, he drew a spotted circle on a second sheet.

Next, he held up the two sheets, with the plain circle facing the class. "Okay. Mr. Circle was walking down the street, when suddenly—" (David pulled the top sheet aside) — "he turned into a pizza!"

The kids loved it. David passed out paper and markers, and the students immediately began making their own surprise stories. As soon as each student finished, he or she came up to perform the story for the rest of the group. The stories and performances quickly grew more elaborate. When the recess bell finally rang, no one moved. They were too engrossed in creating and telling their stories. Best of all, no one was shy about performing. That's the joy of kamishibai.

David Battino draws a simple kamishibai story to show the concept of surprise in storytelling. Next, the students drew and performed their own stories.

Are you on Facebook?

Visit our World of Kamishibai group and share a question, photo, or tip. We'd love to hear how you're using storycards.

★ Upcoming Events ★

For details and driving directions, please see our events page.

Oct 16 — Workshop, CalSAC Spotlight on Afterschool Conference (Sacramento, CA)

Oct 23 — Workshop, Painting the Future Conference, Foothill College (Los Altos, CA)

Nov 19 — Workshop, Marion Cilker Conference for Arts in Education, San Jose State University (San Jose, CA)

Would you like us to visit your group? See our author visit flyer and then call or write with details.

Happy storytelling!

David Battino & Hazuki Kataoka
Authors, Performers & Publishers
Storycard Theater
Folsom, CA

(916) 984-7617 tel
(918) 518-2685 e-fax
www.storycardtheater.com

Winner:
Dr. Toy's Top 10 Creative Products (2004)
Parents' Choice Approved Awards (2008)
Storytelling World Resource Award (2010)

Please feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends and share the joy of kamishibai.

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