Seana Kozar

Storylines Volume VI Issue 1

The Right Story at the Right Time:

Changing the Lives of Children and Adults One Story at a Time Marianna deCroes (2015, Amazon)

This book would be of greatest interest and use to individuals looking to use storytelling in an educational context, particularly if they are Steiner/Waldorf practitioners. Marianna deCroes' work is organised in accordance with Steiner's theory and arranged by age and major developmental milestones. Readers are encouraged to begin with the preliminary chapters and then move on to the sections covering material geared for specific age groups. Other language enrichment and similar activities are suggested where age appropriate.

This book is a resource for teachers and parents that provides a familiar structure for the introduction and extension of narrative learning activities. Although I am not trained in Steiner/Waldorf theory and practice, I read The Right Story at the Right Time as a storyteller, educator and parent and it struck me that this book is probably best suited for use by the latter two groups as a standalone resource. Although many stories are given in what appear to be both full and abridged form, there is little in the way of bibliographic information that would help a storyteller compare versions in preparation for a performance. However, for a teacher or parent looking for an age appropriate story on particular themes in accordance with Steiner developmental principles, the book's structure seems to have much to recommend it.

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Storylines Volume VI Issue 1

I am not qualified to comment on the author's support for Steiner's theory of personality types or temperaments and its apparently reciprocal influence on story choice, however, it seems to be drawn almost entirely from classic Greek medical philosophy. This is perhaps not surprising, given that consideration of the humours continued to influence many 20th century theories and personality testing instruments. As a storyteller and maker who has sometimes taught, I find the developmental emphasis too rigid, because in my experience the building of the wall around Asgard (the text is found in Padraic Colum's Children of Odin: The Book of Northern Myths, Aladdin Paperbacks, New York: 2004, pp. 6-12) to 16-18 year olds as the narrative basis for a college course in Story Development for Game Design. At the same time, I can appreciate that a teacher or parent using stories to help achieve a particular pedagogical or behavioural goal might need to craft their presentations within certain parameters in order to help ensure a successful, observable and, hopefully, repeatable result.

My sense is that this is neither a collection nor a how-to book for the beginning storyteller because the practical mechanics of bibliographic resources and step by step strategies and advice are

stories are capable of transforming understanding for listeners of all ages, providing that a certain amount of common sense informs selection and practice. I recently told Norse sagas over a ten-week period, including her selection describing

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