The Kamishibai Classroom

Written by a professional storyteller and artist who has studied with kamishibai artists and practitioners in Japan, this book is a practical "how-to" for creating and performing original kamishibai stories with students of all ages and across disciplines. Kamishibai is an interactive storytelling form that allows students to develop mastery of multiple literacies, while also learning to combine these literacies effectively. The Kamishibai Classroom: Engaging Multiple Literacies Through the Art of "Paper Theater" introduces innovative ideas for using kamishibai performance and story creation as a teaching tool. The hands-on, interactive workshops outlined here were all developed in public school classrooms and other venues in the United States and are perfect for getting students involved in the fun and learning that occur when they create and perform original stories. This elaborately illustrated guide provides step-by-step instructions for implementing kamishibai workshops in the classroom and integrating them into interactive performances across the disciplines and for all ages. It covers a broad range of techniques used by kamishibai practitioners in Japan past and present, showing the connections from early traditions of picture-storytelling in Japan up to present-day manga and animé.