Brainstorming Topics...

Possible Topic: Animal Stories. I really love all kinds of animals so I think it would be really cool and enjoyable to do a storybook about a topic I am so passionate about. I think I would focus on a few different kinds of animals and show how they interact and play a part in each others lives.
Research: I found The Animal Storybook by Andrew Lang. It looks like an incredible text that could give me inspiration about my own writing. Also, it really looks like he writes about all different types of animals.

Possible Topic: Mermaids. Mermaids are something that is very fascinating to me. I think people really love to fantasize about there being mermaids out there and wondering about their origin. There are also people in the world who really do believe that mermaids do exist. This is why I think it would be a particularly interesting topic to explore for myself.
Research: Through my online research I found a lot of interesting things about mermaids. One that really stood out was the story of The Mermaid Wife. It was really interesting to see a new type of world this person created.

(Flickr)

Possible Topic: Heroes and Heroines. I chose this topic because lets face it, everyone loves a good hero or heroine. It’s someone to root for and really feel inspired by. Also of course it’s always interesting to have a villain and have someone to root against, and it creates a really simple plot line. Everyone have a favorite hero. Mine happens to be a superhero, Batman. I think it would be fun to do a storybook on a hero, and I could create my own hero that is confident and brave.
Research: During my research I found a Wikipedia page on Odysseus. He is a very important hero in Greek mythology. Also, since I’ve read the Odyssey this hero is a little more special to me.

Possible Topic: Fairy Tales and Nursery Rhymes. In my previous blog posts I have stated that I love fairy tales so it only made sense that I would think about basing my storybook on a fairy tale type setting. I think I would enjoy setting it up with a prince or princess and putting a modern day twist on it with kind of a Bachelor setting.
Research: My favorite Disney princess is Sleeping Beauty so in my research I found a website based on different variations of Sleeping Beauty. It was great to see how he changed an already great fairy tale.

Storytelling for Week 2: The Ant and the Dove

Once upon a time, there was a young ant named Steven. He was a particularly smart and amazingly brave ant, and loved a good adventure. He was far away from home visiting a friend at another ant pile. He decided to take a different route home than usual, and while he was making his journey home something completely unexpected happened.

Steven was scurrying along the long dirt road without a care in the world when he heard a sound that sent terror into his soul. There was a sudden and loud chirp coming from the sky above, and he knew there must be a dove near. All ants fear doves because usually they become the dinner meal for doves. When Steven heard that chirp, he instantly searched for the source of the noise that terrified him at that moment. Very quickly he saw the dove, and he could tell it was monstrous in size because of the huge shadow it produced over him.

Steven felt extremely exposed out in the open, and he knew he was not safe because the dove could easily target him. He darted for cover under a nearby bunch of leaves. Since he was so frantic and worried for his safety, he began to stumble and his run got really off track. His run turned into more of a disoriented scramble, and before he knew, it he was falling straight into a brook filled with raging water. As Steven was trying to escape one horrifying danger, he accidentally got himself plunged right into an even worse predicament.

Just when Steven thought he couldn’t fight to stay alive in the water any longer, he saw the dove progressing towards him. The dove dropped a blade of the straw near the ant, and he was actually trying to help save Steven’s life. Even though Steven was skeptical of this unexpected kindness, he was in no place to deny help. He was brought to safety and he was eternally grateful to the dove.

(Aesop Blog)

Just as he was about to thank the dove and introduce himself, the day became even more dangerous. A dark shadow came over them and as he looked up, he saw a man with a stone hoping to kill the dove. Steven knew he couldn’t let his rescuer die, so he did the only think he could. He ran straight for the man's foot and stung his heel. The pain in his heel threw off his aim making him miss the dove by an inch. This gave the dove just enough time to escape to a nearby tree. It was clear he was very grateful for the ant's help.

They nodded and parted ways. No words needed to be said because they knew they had started a beautiful friendship, but after all the ant was supposed to be lunch for the dove. The ant and the dove never spoke of this day to anyone. They experienced a new kind of kindness that day that would stick with them for the rest of their lives.

Author's Note: The story is a very simple tale of kindness between an ant and a dove. I wrote this story because I really enjoy the thought of how two animals who are bred to hate each other can ignore their difference and help each other in a time of need. I think it is something that a lot of people can relate to because even though you might not like someone it is your job to help that person out. You would want to be helped out if you were in their position. People in today’s society need to be more focused on kindness in general, instead of always just thinking about what they want and their individual happiness. I believe that this story really encompasses that lesson. This story could be a teaching moment for others. They both helped each other out, and the kindness was reciprocated. For my story I gave the characters a little background and personality about their struggles. By doing this is helped my readers better understand the actions of my characters. It gave the readers an opportunity to relate to either the dove or the ant. The purpose of the story is to influence the readers to react the next time that they see a person in need.

Bibliography: This story is based on a story from the Aesop (Winter) Unit "The Ant and the Dove" in The Aesop for Children, with illustrations by Milo Winter (1919).

Week 2 Reading Diary, Continued: Aesop for Children

As I continued to read and learn more about Aesop for Children I was amazed by the large variety of stories there were to tell. They were all so different and intriguing in their own ways. Once again I will share with you a few of my favorites…

The Fox and the Leopard: this story had a really great moral to it. It shows that it is not important what is on the outside because it is what’s on the inside that counts. I liked that the fox never let the leopard get to him when he tried to belittle him for the appearance of his coat. The fox stayed positive and was confident in himself, and that’s how everyone should be.

The Fox and the Monkey: I found this story particularly interesting because it is about appointing a leader. Reading this at a time when the 2016 presidential election is underway made me appreciate it that much more. It promotes a really great message that a leader shouldn’t be chosen because of their appearance or their flashy attitude, like the monkey. A leader should be chosen because of their intelligence and experience, like the fox.

The Ant and the Dove: I really enjoyed this story because it showed two animals helping each other. The dove helped an ant, whom usually would have been a meal for him, and in return the ant saved his life. This is a story of kindness and how more people need to go out of their way to be kind to other people.

Week 2 Reading Diary: Aesop for Children

When reading Aesop for Children there were a few stories that really stood out for me. Below are my personal favorites.

The Travelers and the Purse: I found this story very funny. The author took something very simple and put an interesting spin on it. It was relatable because obviously the traveler wanted part of what was in the purse but once there might be trouble he wanted no part of it.

The Dog, the Cock, and the Fox: It started out like a story I have heard many times. It always catches my attention when there is an adventure of unlikely traveling companions. It makes me wonder what will unfold.

The Mice and the Weasels: I love how much characters this story gave the animals. The author gave the mice a council and generals and commanders. People always find themselves wondering how animals live, and the author painted a picture and helped create answers for those questions. However, the ending was not my favorite because I always find myself rooting for the underdog so I was a little unhappy that once again the weasels defeated the mice.

The Lion and the Ass: Once again, I enjoyed the friendship of the unlikely pair being the lion and the ass. The story was written in a unique way because it gave the ass a much different personality than most people think. People think of an ass as being calm and friendly, but the story made him frightening and aggressive. I really liked the different take on this.