Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, July 1, 1995 TAG: 9507030121
SECTION: SPECTATOR PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LYNN ELBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: LOS ANGELES LENGTH: Medium
For a second season, ``Storytime'' is juicing the venerable tradition of reading to children with celebrity storytellers. There's Allen, gleefully mugging his way through ``The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!''
Douglas lends his resonant voice to ``Dogteam.'' And Potts handles her rambunctious 2-year-old son while bringing ``Wind Says Good Night'' to life - part of 10 new episodes that begin airing Monday (at 10:30 a.m. on WBRA-Channel 15).
Young actress Kirsten Dunst (``Interview with the Vampire,'' ``Little Women'') is a fan-turned-reader, giving ``Storytime'' her interpretation of the book ``Cabbage Rose.''
``I always watch `Storytime,''' said Dunst, 13. ``I was happy to do it because it encourages children to read. And it's not boring.''
High praise for a show with no special effects, no glossy production values. Just a carefully selected book, a reader and an appreciative audience: children (sometimes the star's own) and Kino the puppet.
Kino, performed by puppeteer Mark Ritts, and hosts Marabina Jaimes and Anne Betancourt make up the ``Storytime'' family on the half-hour program aimed at ages 3 to 7.
They and ``Storytime'' director Cordelia Stone know what the guest readers soon discover - it's how you read, not who you are, that counts. This young crowd probably can't cite your movie or TV credits, and they're tough.
``The kids do not care that these are stars,'' Stone said of the youngsters who take part in ``Storytime'' shows. ``All they want is to be entertained.''
``They're a very difficult audience; there are times we've had to stop the readings and start over again because if they're not entertained, they don't pretend to be entertained.
``They're staring at the lights, they're staring at the ceiling, they're wiggling around. The stars have an absolute demand laid on them - and I don't lay it on them, the children do.''
Some stars carry their own burden. A smooth TV private eye was a veritable basket case because his young daughter would be reviewing his performance.
``Tom Selleck, who I expected to be very confident and blase about the whole thing, was the opposite, so nervous because he had a 5-year-old and oh, how ruthless 5-year-olds can be,'' Stone said.
He came through admirably in his reading of two books last season, she said. ``He was so personable with the children that they ate him up. They adored him.''
Musician Little Richard also had a case of ``Storytime'' stage fright when he was asked to read ``Little Lumpty'' and ``The Grasshopper and the Ants.''
``He kept saying how scared he was, kept asking was he doing OK,'' recalls Stone. ``And he did wonderfully. The kids were transfixed by him - not because he was Little Richard. They don't know Little Richard. But because he talked to them and he really wanted them to be entertained by the story.''
Stone has been with the series since it originated in 1992 as a local production for KCET, the PBS station in Los Angeles.
The inspiration came from author Jim Trelease and his ``The Read-Aloud Handbook,'' which asserts there is nothing better for youngsters than reading to them. Storytelling expands a child's comprehension level and strengthens literacy skills, no matter their age, studies indicate.
A $1 million gift from philanthropists Helen and Peter Bing got the series off the ground for KCET, which won four local Emmy awards for ``Storytime.''
The program went national in June 1994 with additional funds from the Bings and from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
``Storytime'' already has had an impact, according to research conducted for PBS. A survey of 1,200 families in Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Dallas and Atlanta found that children and parents who watched the show displayed more interest in reading.
That is ``Storytime's'' aim, says Stone: encouraging a tradition of reading in the home. To that end, she offers storytelling tips culled from directing 150-plus book readings on ``Storytime'' - and from reading to her own 4-year-old daughter:
Use different voices for different characters. ``The kids adore that,'' says Stone.
Employ lots of sound effects. ``If it says the door slammed, don't just say that. Say the door slammed, bam!''
Children especially love body sound effects. ``If it says somebody blew his nose and you make a funny sound, they're yours forever.''
Make eye contact with your audience; don't focus solely on the book.
Get physical. Use body language, and don't be afraid to exaggerate.
Finally, says Stone, there's ``just getting into the story, believing the story, becoming a part of the story.''
by CNB