Being invited back

I love being invited back to tell stories.

Today I had a call from a school that had me just last year, as well as in 2002. Not only are they asking me back, but they want me to do the same program, "Mostly Munsch." I tell the ridiculous stories of Robert Munsch (with his kind permission). What makes this particular school so fun is that the kids have studied Munsch's stories and they know them all.

Picture it: the gym is full of 300 2nd and 3rd graders, with teachers and some parents. First my old lady puppet Trixie* and I do a little back-and-forth (no, I tell her, we aren't here for the big basketball game, we're here for stories). Then Trixie retires for a nap. At 111, she naps often in the daytime. I ask the kids which stories by Robert Munsch they like. Hands shoot up. I point to kids, who yell out the titles. When I hear one I think would suit at the moment, I stop them and tell it. Trixie comes back, we chat some more, then we do it again. Very fun. I'm likely also to tell them "The ghost with the one black eye," if they request it (which they do). We all have a good time.

*you can see pictures of Trixie on my website www.priscillahowe.com. She's the one in the hat. The one in the pink bracelet is Mavis. I'm the one in the vest. Could you tell?