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Mama’s Bayou (Pelican Publishing, Spring 2010)
ISBN: 9781589807877
Children's Picture Book, Ages 3-8
Crickets chirp, snakes hiss, and skeeters buzz as all the animals of the bayou get ready for bedtime.
In Dianne de Las Casas’ gentle tale, Mama rocks her baby to this soft symphony of sounds, a sweet lull of rhythmic animal
noises. Illustrated in beautifully detailed and textured cut paper and collage by Holly Stone-Barker, this simple stroll
through the swampy wilderness introduces children to the bayou's animal sounds as they fall into peaceful slumber in the
warm and loving embrace of Mama. A perfect bedtime "lullabayou" story!
Order from Pelican Publishing
Dianne is available for fun author visits and school presentations.
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Madame Poulet & Monsieur Roach
(Pelican Publishing, Fall 2009)
ISBN: 9781589806863
Children's Picture Book, Ages 3-8
"Hooray! Here is an authentic Louisiana folktale wonderfully adapted for telling aloud by one of
Louisiana's favorite storytellers. Kids will enjoy singing along as the rascally roaches party while the hard-working
hen is away. And, anyone who has found roaches scurrying around in their house at night will rejoice when the pesky
critters get their comeuppance." — Gale Criswell, Former Children's Services Consultant, State Library
of Louisiana
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Dianne is available for fun author visits and school presentations.
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The Cajun Cornbread Boy
ISBN: 9781589802247
Children's Picture Book, Ages 3-8
"Dianne de Las Casas mixes humor, high spirits, lively narration and a colorful setting to bring alive
the timeless tale of The Gingerbread Boy. When a lonely old woman decides to cook up a cornbread boy in her magic
skillet, her too-generous use of cayenne pepper in the batter brings about unexpected results and sets the stage for this
droll, Cajun-spiced retelling. The author mixes her storyteller's ear for concise, vivid description; rhythmic language;
and exciting pacing, with tasty dollops of humor, as she recounts the cornbread boy's meetings with various woodland
creatures who want to gobble him up. This delectable, delightful retelling is accompanied by lively, appealing watercolor
illustrations by Marita Gentry that capture the zest of the tale and the distinctive bayou setting."
-- Robert D. San Souci, author of The Talking Eggs: A Folktale from the American South and Little Pierre: A Cajun
Story from Louisiana
Order from Story Connection Store
Dianne is available for fun author visits and school presentations.
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Stories on Board! Creating Board Games from Favorite Tales
(Libraries Unlimited)
ISBN 9781591588627
Students learn to create fun board games using adapted tales from around the world, integrating
language arts, math, and social studies. Add this innovative professional resource book to your shelf!
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Unlimited
Dianne is available for fun author visits and school presentations.
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Scared Silly: 25 Tales to Tickle & Thrill (Libraries Unlimited, Fall 2009)
ISBN 9781591587323
Professional Book for Educators, Librarians & Storytellers.
A primer on how to tell spooky stories, the 25 tellable tales in Scared Silly are the perfect addition for teachers'
and librarians' scary story selections. Storytelling techniques cover how to choose age-appropriate tales and how to
effectively master audience participation. Each story is measured by a "spook-o-meter," an icon that "rates" how scary
the story is and what audiences the story is intended for. The tales are also annotated with suggestions on how to
tell them. Grab a flashlight and let's get scared silly!
Order from Libraries Unlimited
Dianne is available for fun author visits and school presentations.
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Tangram Tales: Story Theater Using the Ancient Chinese Puzzle (Teacher Ideas Press; 2009)
ISBN: 9781591586524
Professional Book for Educators, Librarians & Story Practioners; Grades 2-6
Targeted for elementary teachers, drama teachers, librarians & teaching artists, Tangram Tales contains
adapted tales from around the world appropriate for grades 2 through 6. Teachers can tell the stories in the classroom as part
of a math unit, or they can have the students use the scripts provided to perform the stories using tangrams. In Dianne de Las
Casas' tangram story theater process, students are given roles as storytellers, tangram artists and chorus members to create
grade-level story presentations. Other tangram methods, such as individual tangram tales, are shared as well. The ways in
which tangram tales connect language arts and math is demonstrated. The book includes simple black-and-white spot
illustrations for each story, showing the tangram figures that depict the story. A durable rubber tangram puzzle is
included with the book.
Order from Libraries Unlimited.
Dianne is available for dynamic professional development seminars & keynotes for conferences. She has
presented at the International Reading Association conference, the American Library Association conference, the International
Association of School Librarians conference, as well as numerous statewide literacy, education and library conferences.
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The Story Biz Handbook: How to Manage Your Storytelling Career from the Desk to the Stage (Libraries Unlimited; 2008)
ISBN: 9781591587309
Professional Book for Storytellers, Authors & Children's Performing Artists
This dynamite book merges the yin and yang of storytelling and business. Beginning with wonderful tips and
advice about the art and presentation of storytelling, it is a complete resource about how to build a storytelling career.
Storytellers come to their careers centered on the stories they love and soon realize that in order to make a living at what
they love, they must build a business. This in-depth book tells them just how and what to do in every detail from choosing a
sound system to building a website to using podcasts and setting up an office. There is even a chapter on how to plan for
retirement. Each chapter is a story in itself, beginning and ending with different traditional folktale openings and closings.
Resource lists and tried and true ideas abound as the author shares her marketing and business success story throughout.
With 30 chapters and nearly 400 pages, The Story Biz Handbook is a useful tome jam-packed with ideas,
information and resources you can apply to your storytelling career this very moment. This book is the must-have book for
every professional storyteller as well as artists and authors making their living presenting for children!
Order from Libraries Unlimited.
Dianne is available for dynamic professional development seminars & keynotes for conferences. She has
presented at the International Reading Association conference, the American Library Association conference, the International
Association of School Librarians conference, as well as numerous statewide literacy, education and library conferences.
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Handmade Tales: Stories to Make and Take (Libraries Unlimited; 2007)
ISBN 9781591585367
Professional Book for Educators, Librarians & Story Practitioners; Grades PK-5
Handmade Tales offers more than 25 original tales and stories from around the world that use hands
as an active way to tell the stories. This book includes:
- String Stories
- Draw and Tell Stories
- Cut and Tell Stories
- Paper Tales (fold and tell, roll books, paper fortune teller tales)
- Hand Stories
- Finger Plays and other "handy" tales
Educators and librarians will love these fun "make and take" tales, with easy projects they can do, take, and
implement in their work with children. Easy reproducible, step-by-step instructions accompany simple illustrations. Dianne de
Las Casas has shared these innovative tales in professional development workshops with teachers and librarians worldwide.
Order from Libraries Unlimited.
Dianne is available for dynamic professional development seminars & keynotes for conferences. She has
presented at the International Reading Association conference, the American Library Association conference, the International
Association of School Librarians conference, as well as numerous statewide literacy, education and library conferences.
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Kamishibai Story Theater: The Art of Picture Telling (Teacher Ideas Press; 2006)
ISBN: 1591584043
Professional Book for Educators, Librarians & Story Practitioners; Grades 2-6
Dianne de Las Casas adapts 25 folktales from across Asia for whole classroom use, borrowing a Japanese method
of storytelling through pictures. Kamishibai theater harkens back to itinerant storyteller (Kamishibai Men) who conveyed their
tales by means of illustrated cards slid into slot in wooden stages built on the back of their bicycles. This book includes an
introductory chapter describing in detail the methods to use in coaching students in the art of Kamishibai Story Theater. It
offers tips on rehearsing, and detailed discussion and background of the Kamishibai processes, and it describes to coordinate
grade-level story presentations. Reproducible tales can be distributed to each member of the class to aide in creating
illustrations. Spot illustrations for each tales give students an idea of the flavor of the drawings for their stories.
The tales in Kamishibai Story Theater will delight children in grades 2-6, enticing them to participate in their own story
fest.
Order from Libraries Unlimited.
Dianne is available for dynamic professional development seminars & keynotes for conferences. She has
presented at the International Reading Association conference, the American Library Association conference, the International
Association of School Librarians conference, as well as numerous statewide literacy, education and library conferences.
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Story Fest: Crafting Story Theater Scripts (Teacher Ideas Press; 2005)
ISBN: 159469009X
Professional Book for Educators, Librarians & Story Practitioners; Grades 2-6
An invaluable guide for teachers in developing a storytelling classroom, this book contains 25 tales from
around the world adapted into story theater scripts along with in-depth discussions of specific lessons and ideas for building
the trust necessary in a storytelling classroom. Designed to accommodate whole classroom participation for grades 2 through 6,
the scripts concentrate on verbal and physical expressions while keeping the necessity for props and costumes at a minimum.
Dynamic and fun drama warm-up activities ready the students for their story theater experience. The process culminates with
the students creating a school "Story Fest." Dianne de Las Casas' signature story theater method is designed so that minimal
time is invested in the process and everyone has a part!
Order from Libraries Unlimited.
Dianne is available for dynamic professional development seminars & keynotes for conferences. She has
presented at the International Reading Association conference, the American Library Association conference, the International
Association of School Librarians conference, as well as numerous statewide literacy, education and library conferences.
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Children's Audio Recordings |
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Jump, Jiggle & Jam: A Rhythmic Romp Through Story Land
Winner of 2006 National Parenting Publication Award (NAPPA) Honors.
"Listeners looking for a revved-up storytelling session will find one here, as de Las Casas infuses a
selection of favorite folktales with 'rhythm, rhyme and rap.' ...audiences will surely be enthused by these
entertaining retellings, which exploit de Las Casas' pleasant style and incorporate many crowd-pleasing elements."
— Publisher's Weekly
"Award-winning storyteller Dianne de Las Casas has given familiar folktales a modern twist by remixing them with
rhythm, rap, and rhyme. Energetic and commanding, de Las Casas convincingly performs these tales, repeating rapping
refrains and encouraging listeners to join in." — School Library Journal
Order from the Story Connection Store
Dianne is available for fun author visits and school presentations.
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Winner of 2005 Children's Music Web Award
"Storyteller Dianne de Las Casas and jazz musician Betsy Braud collaborate in this
delightful fusion of storytelling and music. De Las Casas' commanding voice, unique
characterizations, emotive vocalizations, and creative methods of reaching out to her
audience are most engaging. Braud's upbeat music and a dose of good humor also stand
out in this entertaining, high-energy CD."
— ALA Booklist
"Dianne de Las Casas tells six traditional stories from different cultures in her
enthusiastic and winning style. Betsy Braud & the Jazz Nurse Prescription provide wonderful
background music, mostly jazz in style, that greatly enhances the stories. A welcome addition
to multicultural storytelling collections."
— School Library Journal
Order from the Story Connection Store
Dianne is available for fun author visits and school presentations.
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Winner of iParenting Media Award, Children's Music Web
Award, & Storytelling World Honor
"Dianne de Las Casas narrates with a clear and sincere voice.
Refrains, songs, and sound effects embellish her storytelling.
Southern style music adds its own spice."
- AudioFile Magazine
"Dianne de Las Casas has cooked up a delightful dish
of folktales. This is a welcome addition to units of Louisiana
study as it truly captures the flavor of the area."
- School Library Journal
Order from the Story Connection Store
Dianne is available for fun author visits and school presentations.
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