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Hunt For Spring
by Susan O'Halloran
Illustrated by Dick Smolinski
This story is an original fable created by professional storyteller Susan O'Halloran. Set in mythic time, the story features a heroine worthy of any age.

E-book (Downloadable)…$15

Book on Compact Disc….$15

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With a Little Help From My Friends
by Susan O’Halloran
Original stories and songs for children. Themes: compassion, sharing, tolerance, self-acceptance and solving arguments.

Cassette Tape…$12

A special thanks to Karen Chace, professional storyteller/arts web researcher, for her gracious generosity and extensive contributions to the following list of resources. You may read more about Karen by visiting her websites...

Storytellers' Products-Karen Chace
http://www.story-lovers.com/productschace.html

Working smARTS - An e-Publication for Professional Children's Artists
http://www.workingsmarts.com/

RESOURCES FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN

Children's Peace Bibliography ~ http://www.mincava.umn.edu/reports/Book/CPB.asp
This list of children's books about global and personal peace, war, interpersonal relationships, and friendship includes fiction and non-fiction. Each title has a short description, and its recommended age range is noted. It includes books for pre-school through junior high school.

Girl Power! ~ http://www.girlpower.gov/
A national public education campaign sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help encourage and motivate 9- to 13- year-old girls to make the most of their lives." Includes sections on drug and alcohol abuse; mental health concerns; body image and nutrition; sports and fitness sites; and games and puzzles. Also features resources for adults, and studies and statistics about girls. Searchable.

Association of Jewish Libraries: The New Jewish Values ~ http://www.ajljewishvalues.org
Finder: A Guide to Values in Children's Books
This project's purpose "is to identify the Jewish values found in Jewish children's books published since 1995." A searchable database of books for children (preschool through high school) includes complete citations, with an option to search for award winning titles. Also includes announcements of children's book awards and lists of notable books for younger and older readers.

Fate Did Not Let Me Go: School Guide ~ http://fatedidnotletmego.org/schoolguide/
Ollendorff Center For Religious and Human Understanding Offers Free School Discussion Guide for New PBS Documentary

This April 29, as millions of Americans mark Holocaust Remembrance Day, educators are invited to teach lessons of tolerance, courage and hope by sharing the story of a timeless letter written by a loving mother just days before she died in a concentration camp.

On August 24, 1942 , Valli Ollendorff wrote a farewell letter to her only surviving son knowing that she would not escape her fate in the Thereseinstadt camp. Lost for nearly 50 years, the letter mysteriously arrived in 1985 when her son was 79 years old.

A new PBS documentary, "Fate Did Not Let Me Go," narrated by Martin Sheen and Liv Ullman chronicles the true story of Valli's letter and its long journey across continents and generations. More than a mother's goodbye, the letter's message of hope and love transcends the tragedy of the Holocaust and stands as a triumph of the human spirit in history's darkest hour.

Aaron Shephard's Author Online ~ http://www.aaronshep.com/
Aaron's specialty is retelling folktales and traditional literature from around the world. A wonderful collection of folktales, original scripts and articles. Aaron is known for his generosity and permission to tell his adaptations.

Zine 5 Folktale Archives ~ http://www.geocities.com/zine_5/folkarchive.htm
Hidden among the pages of this magazine publication is a distinctive selection of characteristic folktales from six continents. The front folktale pages highlights the newest tales but click onto the archive link and you will tumble like Alice Through the Looking Glass into a world full of story.

Tales of Wonder ~ http://www.darsie.net/talesofwonder/
Travel across the African plains, into the mysterious East then skip over to the Emerald Isles. No matter what land you seek, there are folktales to keep you company on your journey.

Family Folklore: How to Collect Your Own Family Folklore ~ http://educate.si.edu/migrations/seek2/family.html
Every family needs a Tradition Bearer so why not you? Produced to accompany the exhibition, The Grand Generation, Memory, Mastery, and Legacy, this site will guide you through the process of discovering and recording your own family traditions and folklore.

Peace Corp - Student Folktales ~ http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/students/folktales/
Thankfully, the Peace Corp students have carried on the oral tradition. While serving in countries such as China , Ethiopia, Togo, Papua New Guinea they listened, learned and recorded these unique stories.

Pitara for Kids - India ~ http://www.pitara.com/talespin/story.asp
Many fables from the Panchatantra and Aesop, Jataka stories and tales from India 's tribal peoples.

Tell Me a Story ~ http://www.uexpress.com/tellmeastory
A terrific site with very unique stories from around the world, adapted by Amy Friedman and Jillian Gilliand. They have been adding new folktales since 1997 and also sell artwork to compliment the stories.

The Electronic Text Center - University of Virginia Library ~ http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/
Browse by culture: English, French, German, Spanish, Latin, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Apache, Greek, Hebrew, Tibetan, Icelandic, Italian and Portuguese. You will never run out of stories to read. "Holdings include approximately 51,000 on- and off-line humanities texts in twelve languages, with more than 350,000 related images (book illustrations, covers, manuscripts, newspaper pages, page images of Special Collections books, museum objects, etc.)"

Tales of the Punjab : Told by the People ~ http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/steel/punjab/punjab.html
"Would you like to know how these stories are told? Come with me, and you shall see. There! Take my hand and do not be afraid, for Prince Hassan's carpet is beneath your feet. So now!-'Hey presto! Abracadabra!' Here we are in a Punjabi village." And so it begins...a wonderful collection of Eastern Indian tales with notes to the stories.

Traditional Folk Tales for Children - Turkey ~ http://www.mfa.gov.tr/grupc/cj/cja/ft.htm
Forty-five folktales Turkish tales collected and edited by edited by Ahmet Edip Uysal

The AFRO-American Almanac ~ http://www.toptags.com/aama/tales/tales.htm
"An on-line presentation of the African in America . A historical perspective of a nation, its people, and its cultural evolution." A terrific site for those interested in Afro-American culture. Not only is there an extensive list of folktales there is also biographical and historical information, as well as excerpts from literary works.

Oral Tradition - Utah State University : Educational Resources
The information on Oral Tradition is provided by Professor David Sidwell of Utah State University . There are five separate sections, complete with examples and further reading resources.

The Significance of Oral History

How To Collect Oral Histories

Telling Effect Live Stories

Telling Stories From Our Lives

Making A Life-Map

Educational Resources
http://www.usu.edu/oralhist/edu.html

Teaching with Folklore Index
A great number of links to myths, fables, legends and lesson plans. Teaching with Folklore is meant as an entry point for busy teachers who wish to use folklore Internet resources with their class. The resources are aimed mainly at elementary grades one to six. http://www.qesn.meq.gouv.qc.ca/folklore/index.htm

Storytelling Arts of Indiana ~ http://www.geocities.com/storiesinc/TeachersGuide.html#Games
Teaching Guides, games, activities and resources from such quality tellers as Heather Forest, Doug Lipman, Rex Ellis, Doug Elliott, Janice Harrington and Ed Stivender. You can't go wrong taking advice from this group!

Children's Theater/Creative Drama ~ http://www.childdrama.com/mainframe.html
At first glace this doesn't appear to be a storytelling resource but click on the Lessons Plans link and you will surprised. There you will find a wealth of improvisational games sure to enhance any storytelling residency.

Future Folklore - Dan Yashinsky ~ http://www.futurefolklore.ca/
Dan Yashinsky is a storyteller, author, editor and community organizer "whose passion is to encourage the renaissance of storytelling in today's world." He has created The Telling Bee, a free resource to teachers outlining ways for schools to organize a fundraiser based on the Oral Tradition. Dan and Future Folklore have made it incredibly easy for anyone to share the importance and joy of storytelling.

Teaching Values.com ~ http://www.teachingvalues.com
Useful ideas on how to use storytelling, music and movement in character education. There are stories, activities, quotes and additional resources to guide you.

Borneo Legends and Myths ~ http://www.e-borneo.com/insideborneo/legend.html
Would you like to know the Origin of Rice or meet The Girl Who Longed to see the Moon? Then stop off in Borneo and read these and other legends and myths of this magical land.

Korean Folktales ~ http://www.csun.edu/~hcedu004/
Twelve folktales along with a teacher's outline an interesting introduction to Korean beliefs and cultural traits.

Legends of Samoa ~ http://samoanlady.amsamoa.net/samoanlegends.htm
Love to research new cultures? Come read about the traditions, art, proverbs and interesting legends of the beautiful Samoan people.

American Folklore ~ http://www.americanfolklore.net/
Take an armchair journey with folktales, myths, legends, Tall Tales and ghost stories from the 50 United States . Tales are clearly indexed so you won't even need to ask for directions.

Tons-o-Trickster! ~ http://members.aol.com/pmichaels/glorantha/foolsparadise.htm
There are more trickster links here than you could possible hope to surf in one sitting; anything and everything related to the elusive trickster. I kid you not!

C.A.R.T.S. ~ http://www.carts.org/
C.A.R.T.S is the acronym for Cultural Arts Resources for Teachers and Students. And is part of City Lore, "a cultural organization whose mission is to document, preserve and present the living cultural heritage of New York and other cities." Located in the heart of New York City they offer In School Programs, Staff Development and Local Learning Initiative. C.AR.T.S also has Teacher Resource Center located in NYC. The center is "stocked with reference books, photographs, and videos on folklore, history, culture, and the arts."

A rich variety of educators, folklorists, writers, anthropologists, historians, artists, and educators who are a part of C.A.R.T.S believe that by linking "various places where learning occurs-home, community, and classroom-exponentially increases analytic skills, cultural understanding, and literacy for students. CARTS.org is a compilation of the best practices and resources of this successful approach to education." From this site you can also link to Citylore, Place Matters and Peoples Poetry Gathering. Drop in to the Guest section, sit a spell and listen to artists such as Dakotah storyteller Mary Louise Defender Wilson or Blues Guitarist John Cephas. No matter where you roam on this website you are sure to come away with a cartful of information.

Coming Up Taller ~ http://www.cominguptaller.org/
This initiative is part of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. It is a private sector patrons program and their mission is to focus national attention and support for out-of-school programs. Their focus in on programs which specifically provide new learning opportunities, safe places and programs that use the arts and the humanities. Their collaborators, which include Fortune 500 companies and smaller organizations, provide grants, paid performances or gallery opportunities, job training and placement. Part of their belief and mission states, "By investing in arts and humanities programs, the Initiative will prepare young people for their individual futures and for our common future as Americans." And what a beautiful world that would be.

Tolerance
Sponsored by the Southern Poverty Law Center, "a nonprofit organization that combats hate, intolerance and discrimination through education and litigation." At first glance this appears to be a news site on various issues of diversity and tolerance...but look deeper. There is information for parent and teachers on how to discuss, expand and explore the issues of diversity and multiculturalism in the classroom and at home. There is even an interactive children's section with multicultural tales to learn and share.
Tolerance.org ~ http://www.tolerance.org/index.jsp

American Folk Life Center ~ http://lcweb.loc.gov/folklife/afc.html
This site is a gold mind of information and resources to facilitate folk life projects and study. It is the one of the premier centers for folk life documentation and research with collections that includes folk cultural material from all fifty states, as well as United States trusts, territories, and the District of Columbia . Including among the collections, are hypnotic chants of Native American dance; the plaintive lament of an ancient English ballad; the rascally antics of "Bruh Rabbit," told in the Gullah dialect of the Georgia Sea Islands; the stories of ex-slaves, told while still vivid in the minds of those who endured one of the most harrowing periods of American history; an Appalachian fiddle tune that has been heard on concert stages around the world; a Cambodian wedding in Lowell, Massachusetts" and so much more. Take a virtual tour of America and listen for the sounds of history in the making.

TADA! YOUTH THEATER ~ http://www.tadatheater.com/
TADA is a children's musical theater located in New York City . "TADA! was founded to provide kids from all racial, economic and social backgrounds a place where they can develop individual talents while being a vital part of a group." This organization offers a variety of services aimed at increasing a child's self esteem, creativity and talent in a supportive, caring environment. TADA! offers internships, in-school residency programs, acting classes, writing residencies, literacy integrated residencies and professional development programs. But TADA doesn't stop there; because of this organization over 50,000 will have experience the magic of musical theater. They deserve a standing ovation!

THE UNITED NATIONS CYBERSCHOOLBUS ~ http://www.un.orgPubs/CyberSchoolBus/
"Peace education is an integral part of the work of the United Nations.... peace education currently addresses the broader objective of building and sustaining a culture of peace." We live in difficult times and teachers, above all, have one of the most difficult jobs. This website is full of useful, applicable information and curriculum for today's teachers who wish to broaden their student's horizons and offer them a global education. Take a virtual tour of the United Nations, read actual U.N. documents, learn about peace initiatives around the world and so much more. In the words of Gandhi, so prominently stated within "There is no way to peace. Peace is the way."

The YouthARTS Development Project ~ http://www.ncjrs.org/html/ojjdp/2001_5_2/contents.html
"The YouthARTS Development Project, initiated in 1995, is a collaborative effort among Federal agencies, national arts organizations, and a consortium of three local arts agencies in Atlanta, GA; Portland, OR; and San Antonio, TX, designed to identify, implement, and refine effective arts-based delinquency prevention programs." The project investigated if participation in the arts would decrease juvenile delinquency. To that end they "brought together Federal agencies, national art organizations, and a consortium of local arts agencies to develop and assess arts-based prevention programs for at-risk youth." Within their pages you can learn how the program worked and how to implement one in your area which will serve the needs of both the children and the community at large.

Ache` Brasil Music and Dance ~ http://www.achebrasil.com/
Not only will you find information on a terrific dancing troupe at this site but you will also get a little history lesson. I found myself intrigued about this Brazilian art form which combines dance, music, acrobatics and martial arts all in one show. Equally amazing is that they use their skills "to advocate multiculturalism, environmentalism, anti-drugs and anti-racism, and the healthy business practice of its schools." They perform at schools, charities, festivals and corporations. This ancient Brazilian art form, known as Capoeira, is the secret dance of Brazil. Originally out of North East of Brazil about 400 years ago, this dance was created, taught and practiced in secrecy as a martial art of self defense against their oppressors. Performed to the music of drums and Berimbau it is a high energy, deftly executed style of dance that has evolved "into one of the most hypnotic and interesting art forms yet to come out of Brazil." The artists believe that Ache` "is the magic force that moves all things in the universe. and to wish aché to someone means to wish good luck" and to this creative, talented and caring troupe we certainly do wish them Ache`.

International Society for Music Education ~ http://www.isme.org/index.shtml

ISME dances to their own music and generously invites everyone to join them on the floor. Formed in 1953 and now based in Australia , their mission has been "to stimulate music education as an integral part of general education." Today it is a "worldwide service platform for music educators who want their profession to be taken seriously" and they do take it seriously. Their World Education Conference will be held in Norway on August 11 -12, 2002 and ISME also hosts regional conferences in Africa , Asia , Australia and Pacific, Europe , North America and South America . In addition, they offer resources, publications and information on festivals, conferences and workshops. You can't go wrong with a group who states "Music is an essential element in the life of every cultural group and every individual. It challenges the mind, stimulates the imagination, brings joy and satisfaction, and exalts the spirit." Amen!

Drumplay ~ http://www.drumplay.com

Drumplay is a six person, improvisational percussion ensemble inspired by Afro-Cuban, Brazilian and Middle Eastern rhythms. No two Drumplay concerts are alike. Founding member James Onysko states, "While we honor the elder master drummers, we strive to create our own unique voice in the vast universe of percussive sounds." Drumplay offers improvisational performances and educational workshop for children and if their teasing tones on this site are any indication their audiences must be happy indeed. Here are just a few of the instruments Drumplay uses in their performances: Deagan xylo-marimba, ashiko, dumbek, congas, maracas, bodhran, claves, shakers, talking drum, gong, Noah bell, rainstick, bongos, djembe, and clay whistle, to name a few. Slide on over to this site and make sure to click on the music link where you can hear a sample of their musical style in real time. I dare to you keep still why you listen to The Belly Rub and The Stream. Come on everybody, get up and dance!