Storytime at Bootyland: Wrap-Up

Explaining about the Terrible Animale-Podale (Father of the Trahira Fish) in "Little Crab and His Magic Eyes"

This morning, I performed songs and stories at the Bootyland consignment shop in Seattle, Washington. While I waited for the doors to open, I was gratified to see caregivers with their children coming specifically for the storytime. I had prepared enough songs and stories for 3 storytimes, so my Almira puppet got some exposure with my finger-puppets for the "Jack and the Robbers" story, but "Lazy Jack" and "Why the Tides Ebb and Flow" didn't make the cut this time. This was my first time using puppets for the story that's evocative of "The Bremen Town Musicians," and I'm thinking about changing it to a flannel-board story so that I can stack the animals more efficiently.



"If you won't wear red, Jenny Jenkins, then what will you wear?"

Here is the list of what I told and sang:

"(Almira) and the Robbers" (story)
"Little Crab and His Magic Eyes" (story)
"Little Monkey Face" (sketchbook story)
"Joseph the Tailor" (story)
"Jenny Jenkins" (song with flannel-board)
"Going to Boston" (dance song)
"I'm a Little Scallop in a Shell" (Nancy Stewart's song to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot," accompanied by a scallop puppet)

Here's what I liked about the storytime:

1) All of the people who came to hear stories
2) The audience's willingness to participate in the stories and songs
3) Despite the array of distractions like toys and other interesting things, my stories held the attention of the majority of the audience.

Here's what I would like to have done differently:

1) I debated back and forth about bringing my small sound system. I ended up leaving it at home. However...
2) My voice wasn't in the best shape, and it creaked a bit during the songs. While I think my vocal volume was decent, my voice definitely showed strain by the end of the storytime.
3) Even if my guitar was in tune before I arrived, I still should have tuned it right before the storytime. Since the store didn't open unti 10:30, I was working to get everything set up and ready to go as quickly as possible, and I cut corners. Tuning was one of those "corners."


My next planned public performance will be a pajama storytime at Island Books on Thursday, July 12, at 7 pm.