The Second Generation from Bhutan

 The Bhutanese Nepali folktale produced by the New Hampshire Humanities Council, The Story of a Pumpkin, returned to Laconia, NH today where we first heard the story in the U.S.  What is wonderful is that the story, told by a  grandmother, Hari  Tiwari, is now with the children and grandchildren of Bhutanese refugees in the U.S. and all of us who live here.  Pictured here is storyteller Hari Tiwari's grandson and artist's Dal Rai's son, Anmol. After listening to Dal and Laconia children's librarian Gail Drucker tell the story, we had snacks.  The boys are eating a sweet Bhutanese pastry known as elephant ears since they sort of look like that. Below is Dal Rai and his newest son, Adrin, both wearing a garland.
The Story of a Pumpkin ends with the traditional words in a Nepali tale - "The teller of this tale receives a flower garland and the listener receives a garland of gold."
The Story of a Pumpkin is distributed by the    University Press of New England. 

Tell Me a Cuento, a Reading & Writing Project with English Language Learners

Tell Me a Cuento, a book of poems, is also a list of multicultural picture books.  What makes this list different is that students learning English wrote the poems  in response to each of the illustrated books included.  The little book is the last step in our Tell Me a Cuento book club in Lawrence, MA.  Readers responded to the books they read with collaborative poems of there own.


You are most welcome to create a book with other English language learners of all ages,  using "Tell Me A Cuento" as a guide.  Adults love picture books, too! Many respond with passion to the folktales and illustrated stories of their own cultures.

Franchelly Greer painted the cover portrait based on a family photograph.  His photo depicts a line in the poem "The Gift He Gave Me" by students

in the Day Care Providers program at Northern Essex Community College. One student wrote about her grandmother who sewed matching clothes for her and her doll. She was responding to Tomas and the Library Lady by Pat Mora. 

 "I Laugh" was written by teens at Lawrence High writing about their babies who stay in the school's day care while they are in class.  They had read "The Things I Love," a poem in Lissette Norman's book, My Feet are Laughing.   
Here's a link to an earlier post about Felicia and Kyle at Greater Lawrence Technical School who designed the book.

You can open the book at Tell Me a Cuento, a book of poems with a click, download it, and share it.