I
n the last chapter we examined guidelines for effective storytelling along with how to make opti-
mal use of the storyteller’s voice, the emphasis being on the oral tradition of storytelling. While
most stories are oral and have long been communicated in words, that is not the only way to relate
stories, especially to children. Our ancestors made their stories come to life visually by painting them
on the walls of caves and chipping them into rocks—the precursors of symbols that are our present-
day books and movies. They put on masks, decorated their bodies, and told their tales in song and
dance—the beginnings of modern theater. Maybe, as they sat around with their listeners, they
sketched their tales in the sand—a forerunner of the blackboard—or made rudimentary clay models
of story characters, animals, and implements—the origins of today’s toys.
In this chapter I outline some of the many ways by which you can present stories to heighten
their auditory, visual, and kinesthetic impact, and thus engage the child in a more interactive learn-
ing process. In exploring the use of books, drama, videos, toys, play, humor, experience, and collab-
oration in pediatric metaphor therapy, I cover stories presented by parents, teachers, and therapists;
stories written or told by others (such as those from the classics); and stories created by the child. All
such tools and techniques can help facilitate the listener’s identification with the problem and, con-
sequently, the steps taken toward its resolution.
BOOKS AS A SOURCE OF HEALING STORIES: BIBLIOTHERAPYThere is an abundance of children’s books available with new ones coming out all the time—and
some of these provide excellent metaphor stories. Below I have listed two categories (classic value
CHAPTER 3
To ols and Techniques