Storytelling at CCC "The Hobbit" with Big Brian

Storytelling is an integral part of CCC. In the Frontyard the children get storytelling during circle time with Allyssa, during the parent meeting when the children are outside with the staff, and outside during lunch with the parents reading books to the children. Jim Beatty does stories when he is with the children as well. In the Backyard the children hear storytelling during circle time with Lara. The bulk of the storytelling is during lunch time. As Backyard parents it is impressive to watch the teachers: mostly Auden, Big Brian and Ryan take turns telling a story to the children during lunch. The children are captivated as they slowly chomp away. Storytelling is a unique part of CCC that we wanted to highlight and honor. Thank you to the teachers who make this a part of our children's experience. They love it!

February 8th - March 29th is the annual event of our beloved Big Brian's storytelling of The Hobbit. Big Brian will be in the Backyard every Tuesday at 1:00 sweeping the children away and igniting their imaginations. As new parents to CCC almost three years ago we did not take advantage of this hidden treasure. We were unsure of the story and were not aware of the deep thought, preparation, and talent that went into this event. Our hope is that this blog will allow you to make an informed decision to allow your child to have this experience one of their years at CCC. Brian's unique approach to this story and the sharing of it with the children is a CCC tradition that started many years ago and has become a part of our CCC culture. Please read below as Big Brian discusses it in his own words in the following interview:

How long have you been reading the Hobbit to the children at CCC?
and
How did you decide to start reading the Hobbit to the children at CCC?

"I can't recall exactly when I started, but it was in the early '90's, when the afternoon program was being notably underutilized, and I offered to tell the Hobbit in 4-year-old terms as a draw to greater attendance. I do recall that it worked quite well in bringing more children to attend for at least that one day of the week."

How did you choose the Hobbit over other stories?

" I discovered and fell madly in love with Tolkien's work in my late twenty's, and was still infatuated when the above situation arose."

What appeals to you about the hobbit?

"Tolkien and his colleagues described their style of writing as mythopoeic, in which they attempted to write new works with the power and depth of the great myths. I think that Tolkien succeeded magnificently in his attempts, with "The Hobbit" being a child focused book that adults can enjoy, and "The Lord of the Rings" being an adult focused book that children can enjoy once they're old enough (7-8?)."

What are children's past reactions to the reading that you remember?

"I believe that children need all kinds of creative images to work with in their play, and I try in my storytelling to provide a range of such imagery. The reactions that move me most involve seeing the children disperse after hearing the weekly installment and heading off to play Bilbo and Gandalf and embark on adventures. Some of them even want to indulge in the dark side, and play at being goblins.
During the telling, reactions range widely according to personality, with some kids eagerly listening to even the most frightening aspects of the drama, while others decide it's too intense and get up to play elsewhere. There are usually one or two who leave the immediate story circle when things get intense, but don't want to fully break away, and so place themselves nearby to keep an ear on the action."

In your eyes what is the appropriateness of the books content for Front yarders vs. Back yarders?

"Age-appropriateness is so important, and yet hard to gauge individually. I get surprised every year by a few young children who choose to not miss a single minute of "The Hobbit", while some older kids I thought would really enjoy the story leave after five minutes to engage in their own play choices."

Is there anyway that parents can support this reading by reading at home too?

"A few parents have read the story concurrently with my presentation at CCC, but I can't say that this is supportive at either end. Some of the children who have had this experience seem to enjoy hearing my digested version and then hearing Tolkien's full verbiage, though I think that several aspects of the full book are not age-appropriate in general, which is why I render it for the preschool level. The only problem with hearing it at home is if the home presentation gets ahead of the one at school, and the child keeps jumping up and yelling out what's about to happen..."

What are the special ways you read the Hobbit?

"I'm not an actor, and can't memorize lines well. Each night before the story day, I read the 2-3 chapters I'll be telling to make sure they're fresh, and then tell them in my own words as the images unfold in my imaginative memory. If I were to tell the story to 9-year-olds, I would see the same imagery in my mind, but use different language that fit my audience. I bring the book only to show Tolkien's original paintings and drawings, and to read a few lines where his words are really needed to get the full story.
For me, the most important aspect of telling any story is that the teller has a strong positive relationship to the story. I can't do justice to a story I don't like, or that I don't understand. Once I've found a story that I admire, I tell it with no judgment of belief or disbelief, I enter the story in my imagination and tell it as truth in the moment and context of that story, and that provides the power that makes it magical to my young audience.
I've never felt comfortable telling when there are too many adults in the room, because I feel that adults live too much in the mindset of skepticism, which kills the magic and leaves me feeling as if I'm flailing around trying to talk to atheists about the nature of Gods and Goddesses, when I'm simply trying to share a story that I believe has archetypal value. I aspire to the day when I can tell a story to any audience with enough inner power to push past all intellectual stands of disbelief, but this may just be an egotistic fantasy..."

What are your favorite parts and why?

"I love Bilbo's choice to leave behind the comfort of Hobbit culture and head out into the unknown, the scene with the rock giants playing rock ball, Bjorn the Bear-Man, and most of all, Bilbo's conversation with Smaug the dragon, although the part in which Bard the Bowman shoots Smaug from the sky is a close second. Why I like these parts is tied to my persona, and would take some time to diagnose and report on..."

Does each yard/age group get something different out of the story from your perspective?

"We would have to do serious socio/psychological studies to precisely determine what each child gets from the story, and how different that substance might be if they get to hear it both as a front yarder and again as a back yarder. From my perspective, I judge my success from the look of magical wonder that glows from a child's eyes as I'm telling, and secondly, whether they then take the imagery into their play."

How can parents encourage storytelling in their children?
"By engaging their child's imaginations in appropriate ways as often as possible. Yet it still depends on the child's persona, as imaginative input is impossible to judge as to how it will reappear as an outer manifestation. A few kids will probably never engage in telling a story themselves, while others will spin more yarns than anyone wants to hear, including ones to justify their poor behavior."


Thank you for reading,

Jessica and Shareef Salaam
February 2011