Storytelling at the Edward Ndlovu Library
An important part of a Library, at least I think, is storytelling. On this picture Mrs. Moyo, librarian, tells a group of children a story from a book. Mrs. Moyo read the book, first all the way through, then once again, stopping and discussed with the children. After that they got a piece of paper and some cryaons and the children was drawing something from the book they just heard. This is the traditional way of storytelling all over the world. I do so, every day of the week at my School library in Sweden, but I am not so ambitious so I read the book 2 times and they do not draw pictures either. That’s because we don’t have the time I guess. This story telling is ordinary working days. But sometimes a real story teller comes and tell the children an old folk tale and that is something else. We have a Folk tale museum 55 km from Älmhult (where I work), and from there a woman comes and tell the children an oral story (that is without the book). She is an educated woman in storytelling. But maybe me and Mrs. Moyo have a different purpose with our story telling. We want the children to know about the book, and want to borrow it and take it with them home and ask parents to read to them and their brothers and sisters.
A story telling event is more of a performance and give the child quit another experience than our ordinary day reading. But I don’t say it is less worth, only different purposes! Anyhow I wish I had the education of a real story teller.
I think you in Zimbabwe have a very old and well developped tradition of storytelling, which we lost a good bit of in Sweden. We used to have it, and I am afraid the same losing of storytelling is on iny Zimbabwe of today!
What can we do to keep up traditions of storytelling?
I will think of that and come back to you. I am most grateful for any suggestions and thoughts about this important subject.
Good bye from a lovely spring in Sweden and from a still hot Zimbabwe, which is waiting for the cold period you call WINTER!
Kersti
storytelling is an important detail in what we call education, could you think about something more important than water, food, sunshine and a good story that starts the imagingation to flow and your thoughts to fly? story telling is a everyday luxery! love K
and storytelling, and reading for each other is not only for children but for everyone!
