Dream Big… and more.

“Mark is a great storyteller, easy to work with and his book “It Ate My Sister” is a hoot.”
–Nan Pearson, Children’s & Youth Librarian Berkshire Athenaeum

Booking

To schedule an event, please call us at (401) 272-8707 or email  Beth Hellman - beth@markbinder.com

Programs

Dream Big — Adventures with Giants and (Giant) Slugs!
An author reads and tells some of his favorite stories for young (and old) listeners. Originals and classics, from “It Ate My Sister (about a giant slug) to “The Brave Little Tailor.” Includes Mark’s song, “Read a little every day.”  This program adapts based on the ages of the listeners.

Stories for Peace
When does a conflict begin? What are the consequences of violence? Can problems be solved peacefully? Combines storytelling with martial arts examples. Entertaining and discussion-provoking
Click here for more details.

A Holiday Present!
Based on my new album. Funny (and heartwarming) stories about a variety of multicultural holidays.

Omakase–Multicultural Tales – One World, Many Stories
Omakase is what the sushi chef serves you when you say, “give me what you think I’d like.”
Original and Traditional stories from around the world. Silly and fun.

Gross, Disgusting and Slimy Tales
Kids love stories that are… ecky. I’ve got stories about snakes, slugs, vomit, burps and farts. If you don’t have a sense of humor, don’t schedule this event.

It was a dark and stormy night...

Based on my new album. Some of these stories are funny and some are scary. Sometimes both. Good for Halloween or any time you want to JUMP!

It Ate My Sister (and other Family Stories)
My family was weird. Yours is too. These are the kinds of stories that will bring a smile to your face, and that kids (of all ages) will appreciate.

Tall Tales, Whoppers and Lies
I’m not even going to pretend to tell the truth here. These stories are so far fetched that they make politicians seem like saints. From Paul Bunyan and Erika P. Spunk to “The Tale of Bad Breath Bill“

Silly Stories for a Sunny Day

Stories and songs for the younger crowd. Traditional tales (like Three Pigs or Goldilocks) and fun originals (“The Little Wolf Cub” and “The 25¢ Pickle”). Perfect for all ages, but especially the youngest…

Booking

To schedule an event, please call us at (401) 272-8707 or email  Beth Hellman - beth@markbinder.com

Working to end boring and poorly attended storytelling events….
for PreK, Elementary, Middle, High School and Adults…

I’ve been calling librarians recently, and I’ve learned that almost nobody goes to storytelling events anymore. And those who do are parents with kids under the age of 5. When I started 11 years ago, there were hundreds of people showing up at libraries and a variety of ages.

Naturally I developed material that worked with a broad age range.

As much as I like telling stories to kids under 5* (and their parents), I do miss the diversity.

So, what happened?

I don’t know. It’s not just me, because I’m talking to librarians who have never hired me. They say that magicians, musical acts, animal trainers and snake handlers draw big crowds. Storytelling, not so much. My theories (and it’s all conjecture are:

Summer Reading Program Postcard

1. Storytime is targeted at the pre-reader crowd, so everybody assumes that storytelling will be the same…
2. Parents have overscheduled their kids. This is something I’ve heard from the Librarians, but I don’t really know. 10 years ago, there were just as many overscheduled kids…
3. The Internet, Cable and Video Games… Lots of kids do these things instead of reading (or going to the library). They’re exciting and fun. And the perception of storytelling is….
4. Storytelling is “educational”. This is true–sometimes. When I perform in schools, my work is educational. When I’m at a library, however, it’s just plain fun. That said, if the storytellers of the world have niched towards being “educational” do you think a kid really wants to see us at the library
5. Boring and bad storytelling that doesn’t deal with the reality of the audience. I’m not going to point names or accuse anyone here. Some storytellers (and even me at times) don’t deal with the fact that they have 20 kids under 5, 15 seven year olds, 3 nine year olds, 5 twelve year olds and 30 adults in the audience. They narrow-cast their stories to one particular age group and everybody else is (dare I say it) bored.

So, what the heck can I, as someone who loves to share my stories in libraries, do to counteract this trend? I adapt!

Now, am offering you Comedy Storytelling for Kids and Adults .

Yep. Not a bunch of knock knock jokes (Although I might throw in a few). I do what Bill Cosby used to do (before he became “educational”) — I tell stories that are funny. (Mostly).

I also have a number of other practices that help manage the crowd…

• At the start of every show, I let the older kids know that I’ll be telling some stories for the younger kids, but that I’ll be telling stories for them, too.
• I let the younger kids know that they’re going to get some stories they’ll love.
• And then I tell everyone that listening can be hard for grown-ups, so if their parents get fidgety or start to talk, please feel free to take them outside.

More to come on this subject. I’d love your feedback and ideas…. Drop me an email or call!

Booking

To schedule an event, please call us at (401) 272-8707 or email  Beth Hellman - beth@markbinder.com

 

*Let me be 100% clear… Don’t think I’m “ageist!” I do love doing programs for the younger kids. I also love telling stories for older kids. And I love sharing stories with all ages.

**Just kidding. Like I said, I’m not ageist. My grandmother was 97 years old….