_Coming Summer 2012!

Our newest show, Big Dreams Big Deeds, features interactive stories of kids around the world doing big things to help their families, communities, and the world.

In 45 minutes, you'll "meet" kids making a big difference!

• When his town (in Malawi, Africa) was suffering from a drought, William went to his library, researched inventions, and built his own windmill to bring water and electricity to his neighborhood.
• With friends, Severn (from Canada, North America), started an organization to protect nature, and spoke to the United Nations about the responsibility we all have in taking care of the people, plants, and animals that share this planet.
• In the middle of war in his country (Kosovo, Europe), Petrit and a friend started a club to bring together children from different ethnic backgrounds to work and play.

These stories, and more, include information about what it's like to grow up in these countries and inspiration to read, dream, and make a positive impact on the world around us, no matter how young or old we are.

Summer library rate: $500 per performance

Booking Information

Grab your passport, pack your bags, and buckle up. We're headed for a trip around the world--and we'll be back in less than an hour!

Treasures of the World is a fast-paced interactive storytelling program for elementary students featuring folktales from all over the world. Each story contains a virtue and offers a glimpse into the culture from which it comes.

Each of the Treasures of the World stories comes from a different continent, and have a "treasure"--a virtue--exhibited by one of the characters.

Each attendee receives an activity sheet with additional information and fun games and puzzles to extend the learning.

Extras

• Snacks and Recipes
  
• Curriculum Ideas
  
• Activity Sheets
  
• Teacher Preparation Packet

Stories include:
The Roly-Poly Rice Ball from Japan
In this story, a kind man and a greedy man who are neighbors to each other each have an encounter with a mouse after dropping rice balls in the woods. The kind man is rewarded with a magic box which provides for him and his wife for the rest of their lives. The greedy man receives a box of scorpions, snakes, etc. Treasure=Kindness.

Gecko from the Lango and Acholi people of Sudan and Uganda is the story of a determined little gecko that keeps stomping for water in spite of his small size and funny looks. His persistence not only provides water during a drought, but also wins him the lion's treasure box! Treasure=Determination.

The Barking Mouse from Cuba is a short and funny story about two mice who disobey their parents and tease the local cat. They are saved by their mother, only because she speaks "dog" and scares the cat off. Treasure=Courage.

The Apple Dumpling from England is the story of a generous woman who is hungry for an apple dumpling. She shares the plums she has. Throughout the story, she gives away what she has, and receives something in return, ending up, of course, with an apple and the joy of having helped many others along the way. Treasure=Generosity.

Clever Katya is a Russian story of how a wise little girl helps her father answer the Tsar's riddles, and keep a colt that his brother tried to claim as his own. Treasure=Wisdom.

Chardae's Thousand and One Nights, popular in Iraq, is an adaptation of the story from which the 1001 Arabian Nights tales spring. Treasures=Courage, Wisdom, Creativity.

The Singing Snake is a folktale about how Snake tries to win a singing contest in Australia by trapping Lark in his throat. Treasure=Honesty.

Old Joe and the Carpenter from Appalachia. Old Joe and his former best friend and neighbor Jess have an argument over a calf that leads to one of them digging a "crik" between them and the other hiring a carpenter to build a wall. After the carpenter builds a bridge, they offer each other forgiveness. Treasure=Forgiveness.

Not all stories are told at each performance.

Booking Information

Our silliest show is packed with funny stories, crazy songs, and lots of laughs. Hear stories that make children around the world laugh while learning a little bit about what it's like to live in another part of the world.

A World of Sillies features interactive and funny folktales, games, and music from around the world. Countries featured include Puerto Rico, Turkey, Mali, England, India, Lebanon, Finland, and the United States of America.
Each story is about three to five minutes long and includes information about the culture or country from which it comes. 

Each attendee receives an activity sheet with additional information and fun games and puzzles to extend the learning.

Extras

• Teacher Preparation Packet
  

Stories include:
Juan Bobo and the Pig from Puerto Rico. Juan is convinced that his pet pig misses the boy's mother when she goes to church, so he dresses the pig in appropriate church clothing and sends the pig to join his mother.

Aili's Quilt from Finland. Aili makes a quilt for her son. Unfortunately, the quilt is too short! No matter how much fabric she cuts off the top of the quilt and sews to the bottom, his feet still stick out and are cold.

The Costly Feast from Turkey. Hodja, the local noodlehead, is convinced by his neighbors that the world is ending in three days and he must kill his young lamb to roast and share with them. As they sleep during the hot day, Hodja, who is out of fuel, burns their discarded clothes to finish cooking the lamb, since they won't be needing their clothes anymore.

The Hatseller and the Monkeys from Mali. While BaMusa the hatseller rests under a tree, monkeys steal his hats. After several unsuccessful and funny attempts, BaMusa figures out a way to get his hats back.

The Horse Egg from India. Some young men buy their teacher a horse egg from an enterprising watermelon salesman. Enroute to deliver the gift, however, those carrying the "egg" trip and drop it. It breaks, startling a hare nearby, which runs away. Their teacher concludes that the young horse appeared much too fast for his liking, anyway.

Next Time I'll Know What to Do from England. Poor Jack, no matter how he carries home the various items he receives as payment for his day's work, his mother always has a better idea. Each day he carries home that day's pay in the way he should have carried yesterday's, losing or ruining it enroute. Finally he thinks for himself and succeeds.

The Farmer Who was Easily Fooled from Lebanon. A thief convinces a farmer that he was the farmer's donkey under a spell. The farmer, feeling sorry for the way he treated the donkey, lets the thief go and gives him money. The next day, when the farmer's donkey turns up at market, the farmer is determined not to buy him again, as he didn't learn his lesson the first time and was under the spell again after only one day of freedom.

Whose Horse is Whose from Midwestern USA. The two cowboys in this tale have tried various ways to tell their horses apart, from clipping their horses' manes to trimming tails. Not until they decide to measure the horses do the cowboys discover that the brown horse is taller than the white horse with black spots!

Not all stories are told at each performance.

Booking Information

Sing your way around the world with our 45-minute interactive show, featuring fun songs, intriguing instruments, and much more from 12 countries, featuring musicians Todd and Merci Brill and their family.

The Kids and Cultures World Music Tour is a quick trip around the world with songs from Mexico, Jamaica, Lesser Antilles, Peru, Brazil, Africa, Israel, Greece, France, Poland, Russia, India, China, Australia, and the United States.

Introductory rate: $500 per assembly (up to 250 students)