iPod Convert: Storynory!

My latest podcast recommendation comes from the search for non-commercial and kid-friendly listening for the driving I do with the urchins. Now, most of my frequent listening is already pretty safe (what can I say, it is my lot in life), but I would also like to have content specifically created for kids. We've had great luck with audio books for The Young Man, and his interest in Geek.Farm.Life made me feel pretty secure in his ability to follow along without any visual aids. (Such a funny child ... he is always asking for more "Farm Phone Rocks" as he calls GFL. I'd love to know what he gets out of the podcasts.The Hubby fears it is more fuel for the pig obsession.)

But back to the topic at hand. My latest find is Storynory, and it is a hit. I actually didn't get to listen to the trial run of a Storynory podcast with Miles and Miss T, but I certainly heard about it after the fact. We came in to the series with an episode of an ongoing Robin Hood storyline. Now, Miles' retelling of the episode leads me to believe he didn't get all of the subtleties of the Sheriff of Nottingham's visit to Robin's forest hide-a-way, but that certainly didn't stop him from enjoying the story. I was quickly tasked with finding more of the same, and stocking up for our upcoming trek to Maine. Direct from the Storynory site: "Our stories have bought harmony in place of strife on the back seats of cars all over the world. Next time you go away, take Storynory with you."

I'll be sure to, although our strife is blissfully limited, and the savage beast that is a pissed-off Teija isn't likely to be soothed by Jack and the Beanstalk. (Perhaps she prefers the Jasper FForde version? That's my little hard-boiled sweetie-pie.)

Please don't be put off by the somewhat basic website. It isn't fancy, and I found I had to navigate a bit to get to what I wanted. It is so worth it. The focus at Storynory is the storytelling. The narrator Natasha's timing is excellent, (Goodness! She's a looker!), and her interpretations of the different characters avoid the saccharine over-simplification of so much storytelling for children. I appreciate that at five Miles will have to reach to understand some of the motivations of main characters, or that the language is challenging and the fairy tales retain a bit of their Brothers Grimm darkness. I think it is the complexity of these classic tales and the foibles of their characters that enthralls him. I kid-you-not, I didn't hear a peep from him during his second listening of the Sheriff Who Came to Dinner episode, and he can ask questions from sun-up to sundown when the mood strikes him. The stories are also well-paced and not overly long, which shows that the producers know more than a thing or two about kids.

I can't wait to delve into the classic fairytales page, and appreciate that the stories are broken down by primary source, including the aforementioned Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, Hans Christian Anderson and others. There is even a category of tales for younger listeners. The Oscar Wilde story is one I am completely unfamiliar with (I.Love.Oscar.Wilde.).

Some parents may be struck by a certain Euro-centric quality to the story selections. The founders are based in London, so this isn't a complete surprise. This is my initial impression, and I may yet be proven wrong, particularly when it comes to the original stories. I did not realize the extent to which I personally expect to see selections from all over the world until I started to review the archives. I mention this mostly as an encouragement to try to find other sources for folk tales and stories from around the word, and not to detract in any way from the ones offered by Storynory. If you find other sources to expand your family's array of children's stories, please post a comment! Storynory does have a Japanese site, so perhaps some selections for that audience will migrate over to the English-language site as well? I can hope.

I could go on, but I think I've hit the highlights. I'm so enamored I might even add a page widget. For the most part, though, I'll enjoy listening.