The Magic of Stories
Stories are magical! They are gateways to new people, places, and ideas … and they help children to build empathy and understanding — allowing them to see the world from different perspectives. As kids step into the roles of different characters, they gain insights into emotions, relationships, and the diverse experiences that make up our shared world. This helps them grow into compassionate and thoughtful individuals! Stories also have MANY other amazing powers — like helping children build language and literacy skills and helping to grow the bond between parents and children.
In this episode of Little Kids, Big Hearts — The Magic of Stories — three children (Olivia, Anusha, and Moses) explore the power of stories. They discuss some of their favorite stories and characters and then they travel to the Land of Qook-a-lackas to help a Qook-a-lacka friend, Quimmel, write a story that they title “The Cat Gets Wet” to meet an upcoming deadline for the Qook-a-lacka Summer Story Festival!
The guest star in this episode is Nick Blaemire, an actor, director, writer and producer based in Brooklyn, NY. The original song in the episode, “Cat Gets Wet,” was written by educator/composer Benjamin Weiner and performed by our multitalented podcast host, Todd Loyd. Sound design and mixing is by Ahmed Ashour, and the ukulele music you hear is by actor and composer Bill English.
Guest Star: Nick Blaemire
The guest star in this episode is Nick Blaemire, a writer, actor, and director based in Brooklyn, NY.
Fun fact: at 23, Nick became the youngest person to ever have written a Broadway musical (Glory Days) while also performing in another Broadway musical (Cry-Baby). He has since written six more original musicals, and he has a long list of acting credits on Broadway, Off Broadway, and nationally, as well as roles on TV and film. He has also released three EPs of original songs. Read Nick’s full bio on his website.
Bonus Interview: Todd Parr
The special bonus interview is with Todd Parr, a three-time New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of more than 50 books for children, including The Thankful Book, The Earth Book and The I LOVE YOU Book, as well as The Kindness Book and the recently released The Spring Book and The Activity Book, all from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
He has inspired and empowered children around the world with simple, hopeful and powerful messages such as “be kind,” “love yourself,” and “be who you are,” all set with vibrant images utilizing eye-catching primary colors. His books have received numerous awards and are available in nearly 20 languages. He also is the co-creator of the popular three-time Daytime Emmy©-nominated animated TV series, ToddWorld with Gerry Renert of SupperTime Entertainment. Several short films for Sesame Street have been based on Todd’s work.
A flight attendant before becoming a full-time author/illustrator, Todd’s first book, The Okay Book, was published in 1999. Todd devotes time to numerous philanthropic causes supporting pet adoption, children’s hunger, health, and literacy. He is a frequent reader and fund-raiser for The Ronald McDonald House, and he also currently serves on the board of directors for the Virginia Children’s Book Festival.
The Wyoming native lives in Palm Springs, CA, with his adopted pit bulls. He enjoys cooking. He is often whipping up macaroni & cheese, tacos, and grilled cheese recipes, which he regularly shares with fans. For more information on Todd visit his website.
“The Cat Gets Wet” is an original song from the Little Kids, Big Hearts podcast. It debuts in the episode “The Magic of Stories.” The song is a musical retelling of the song the three guest kids (Olivia, Anusha, and Moses) write together in the Land to help their Qook-a-lack friend, Quimmel, meet a deadline for the Qook-a-lacka Summer Story Festival. The song is written by educator/composer Benjamin Weiner and performed by our very own multitalented podcast host, Todd Loyd.
Educator Resources: Stories!
Explore the topics the episode to learn and build your children’s resilience skills:
- Story Building Blocks: Work together to brainstorm story building blocks and then pick from bags to build silly stories
- Comic Story Artist: Talk about the elements of a story and then draw your own comic story!