A Unique Gift Children Will Enjoy
I am a parent and a grandparent. And I am constantly seeking a unique gift children would treasure. Something that is memorable long after the gift is given. One great gift I have found is a memorable story. And it is appropriate for all ages, children included. Think of all the pleasurable hours an entire CD of stories can provide. Imagine the trip around the world your progeny can take on the wings of a story!
You can find three CDs listed on the “Recordings” page of my website. Fables in Four Minutes contains ten wonderful stories from ten different storytelling genres. For listeners who want to take a virtual trip around the world, World Full of Stories makes a unique present. Parking in Manhattan, my latest project, represents a compendium of hilarious urban folktales, all of them sounding as though they really happened! If you wish to make a purchase of one or more CDs, the directions on the “Recordings” page will assist you.
Looking for a unique gift children will value and cherish? A unique gift children will never get tired of? A unique gift children can enjoy sharing with their friends and family? A memorable gift is the gift of story. The kind of unique gift children will treasure for a long time to come.
March 24th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
I grew up with the word “nifty” as a standard descriptor in my vocabulary. It was a word that meant a variety of things, all of them good and attractive. As time passed, I heard the word used in a wider range of conversations, including nifty evenings out, nifty concerts, and nifty songs. Even later, the word took on a more cultured definition in reference to poems, books, and, of course, nifty stories.
The word seemed allusively defined, yet attractively so.
March 29th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Great post.
April 3rd, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Liked your blog a ton.
April 5th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
The word seemed allusively defined, yet attractively so. Still, I did not really define the word until I found myself using it to refer to the stories I tell to audiences and on recordings. Actually, I hit the books when a listener said my stories were nifty. The current Wiktionary defines the word as “good; a general term for anything that is good, useful or beneficial. ” A thesaurus gives synonyms such as “peachy, smashing, dandy, great, keen, and groovy,” all of which strike me as exchanging one jargon term for another!”
So how do I define nifty stories? The stories I choose to tell are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making a point, a lesson, a message, a bit of perspective.
April 6th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
The word seemed allusively defined, yet attractively so. Still, I did not really define the word until I found myself using it to refer to the stories I tell to audiences and on recordings. Actually, it was a listener who called my material “nifty stories,” and that comment sent me to the books. The current Wiktionary defines the word as “good; a general term for anything that is good, useful or beneficial. ” A thesaurus gives synonyms such as “peachy, smashing, dandy, great, keen, and groovy,” all of which strike me as exchanging one jargon term for another!”
What was my listener describing when he called my stories “nifty?” The stories I tell always have a message, a lesson, a bit of perspective, and they are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making their point.
April 10th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
They have an ageless quality. The messages are as relevant now as they were long ago.
Why seek out inspirational stories? First, consider the barrage of daily news and information. Next, we live lives that leave no room for reflection. And without time to reflect, how can we develop insight into the affairs of the day? This is where inspirational stories serve us well.
April 21st, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Gifts rewarding good behavior. I would search high and low for something meaningful, something unique. Most of the time it was rough going. I quickly realized that a good gift is hard to find. A meaningful gift is even rarer.
April 25th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
I will tell my friends about this site.
April 28th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
Listeners are left to figure out the message for themselves. And there may be a different message for each listener. This kind of story is generally attractive to a wider audience. The subtler lessons tend to come from longer tales. One can learn many lessons from epic stories.
May 9th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Great blog. Your blog is really helpful.
May 18th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
In the fabric of a culture, they act as vital threads in the weave. In any society they define the roots and significance of the peoples. As a culture grows, so do its world stories.
I have been blessed by the number of world stories I have found from my travels around the world. And each time I visit another country I have the opportunity to learn a bit about it.
May 22nd, 2009 at 6:40 pm
I will use this site in the future.
June 19th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
I will come back to this site. Many thanks.
June 28th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
” There needs to be a message beyond a witty punch line.
Any story with a moral at the end sends the listener a clear message. It teaches by example. However, the lessons in many other stories may not be as obvious. The meaning is hidden in the actions of the characters.
July 1st, 2009 at 7:21 pm
More great info. This blog is rockin.
July 26th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Creation stories form the majority of this category, along with other stories help explain the world.
By contrast, folk tales spawn from daily village life. Naturally, stories of the folk world are couched in rural settings. The world of folktales is also inhabited by fairy tales. The questioning minds of preliterate villagers found apt expression through stories of magic and mystery.
August 13th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Lovin this blog.
August 14th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Lovin this blog. Cool.
August 17th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
And that brings us to storytelling today. Modern society is a far cry from rural villages, yet the stories ring true regardless.
Some world stories are humorous. Other world stories are filled with mystery. Many world stories are full of insight.
August 20th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Love the blog.
August 27th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
How come? For one thing, they are entertaining. For another, they deal with the human condition. Even animal characters in stories act out the situations of our own humanity.
For centuries as well, life has been a struggle. Conflict.
September 2nd, 2009 at 3:28 pm
Whenever I heard the word I assumed it meant something good, something attractive. Still, I did not really define the word until I found myself using it to refer to the stories I tell to audiences and on recordings. Actually, it was a listener who called my material “nifty stories,” and that comment sent me to the books. The Merriam/Webster Dictionary definition states: “very good, very attractive,” etymology unknown, originally used in 1865. The standard reference Compact Oxford Dictionary states: “particularly good, effective, or stylish.
September 11th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
Keep the posts coming dude.
September 19th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Their stories grow out of this mythical soil. Many world stories derive from mythology. Creation stories form the majority of this category, along with other stories help explain the world.
Folktales, on the other hand, are generated from daily village life. Naturally, stories of the folk world are couched in rural settings.
September 21st, 2009 at 8:46 pm
Your blog is great. Great blog info.
November 7th, 2009 at 5:21 am
This was helpful stuff.
November 12th, 2009 at 5:23 am
Great info. This was a great post.
November 20th, 2009 at 5:28 am
Great info.
November 27th, 2009 at 5:30 am
Thank You.
December 24th, 2009 at 5:36 am
Blog is awesome. I keep coming back to this blog.
December 28th, 2009 at 5:56 am
And when I did find a special gift, I regarded it as something of a treasure. And I hoped my children would do the same.
I am now a grandparent. And I am constantly seeking a unique gift children would treasure. Something that is memorable long after the gift is given.
January 3rd, 2010 at 6:17 am
I am now a grandparent. And I am always on the lookout for a unique gift children would enjoy. Something that is memorable long after the gift is given. One great gift I have found is a memorable story. And it is suitable for children of all ages.
January 12th, 2010 at 6:54 am
Thanks. You should write more.
January 16th, 2010 at 7:06 am
Stay out of the dark forest! Keep away from wild animals! Avoid strangers! On the other hand, reward and happy endings comprise many folktales. Good is eternally pitted against evil. The Golden Rule reigns supreme. No matter what the genre, a good world story brings meaning to the contemporary world as well. And that’s where modern day storytelling has a place.