I don’t know if I told y’all that my son is an artist in San Francisco. Actually, he is “studying art,” but as you can see by this picture I think he has already “arrived” as an artist.

This is a picture he has titled, “SHORT LOVE STORIES, EMPTY CALORIES.” You can see other pictures he has created at Oogashaka.com It’s an interactive website, so be sure to move your cursor around and click. My son’s name is Matt Kneupper, but he calls himself, “Setch.” Remember the name. One day, you’ll see it on animated films or children’s books.

This isn’t one of Setch’s favorite pictures, but it is one of mine. I begged him for the use of it in my sidebar. I’m putting it there as a link to a Storytelling Bibliography and other items offered by Amazon.com. Click on the picture to go there now. Some of y’all may remember that I started explaining to you how to tell stories. I didn’t forget, I got sidetracked by real life! I’m going to get back to it very soon.

Meanwhile, I’ve compiled this listing of books that I have in my personal library. Some of them are from very old collections of folktales that are no longer in print. If you can buy them used, snap them up. I tell stories adapted from every one of these books, but it’s by no means a definitive list. I have four bookshelves (floor to ceiling) devoted to folk tales. I don’t suggest that you have to get that many! After all, it makes the floor sag in that part of the house.

I hope you enjoy finding some folktales. You don’t have to be a storyteller to enjoy them, and they aren’t always just for kids. However, if you tell them to your children, you can teach them about other cultures. They can go all over the world while they are just sitting in a chair. You’ll be painting pictures inside their heads. The imagination is better than a television any old day.

You could hear Shelly tell stories!

Technorati Tags: Matt Kneupper, Setch, Storytelling Bibliography, books