stories for children

I am always on the lookout for stories that bring something more to listeners than a clever twist of plot. Something that listeners can take away from the story. Maybe there is a message. It might give the listener a suggestion of a new direction. It might even state a moral. The name one might give to this ephemeral quality is not as important as the fact that the stories I tell actually possess it.

Even when I was growing up, I found myself deeply touched by inspirational stories. I heard similar stories from my mother and my grandfather. Once in a while, a teacher would tell a story that held profound meaning to me. I noticed that stories with a message stuck in my memory. The messages stuck in the memory, too. The Golden Rule. Honesty is the best policy. Slow down and notice the things around you. Give back to your community. I am who I am because of those messages.

I find myself using stories I heard long ago when I perform today. The stories are ageless. The messages of long ago still have merit in the world today.

What’s so important about inspirational stories? For one thing, we experience a deluge of information and news on a daily basis. Next, we live lives that leave no room for reflection. In the absence of time and reflection, we have precious little available insight to bring to current affairs. Here is the place for inspirational stories. Inspirational stories give listeners something to chew on. They give us something to consider. Something that helps us to find our personal “true north. Something that offers a little perspective to life.

Care for some inspiration? You can find inspirational stories and more at www.jaystetzer.com. Go to the “Listen” page on the site and you will surely discover a number of stories with relevant messages. Two good examples of inspirational stories are “The Egg Seller” and “Herschel and the Wedding” from my CD World Full of Stories. From the CD Parking in Manhattan, “Service with a Smile” brings a great message to the listener. I find that inspirational stories stick in the memory long after they are told. In fact, the inspirational stories I tell even inspire me!

We live in a complex, fast moving world. As we head on down the highway of life, we can all use a little direction to guide us. Inspirational stories can help us in our travels. Like having your own spiritual GPS! My recordings contain a wealth of inspirational stories. Check them out!

When I was a kid, I often heard the word “nifty” in reference to things like fancy cars and outrageous fashion. It was a word that meant a variety of things, all of them good and attractive. As time passed, I heard the word used in a wider range of conversations, including nifty evenings out, nifty concerts, and nifty songs. Later still, it cropped up in conversations about more “cultural” experiences: nifty books, nifty poems, and nifty stories.

Whenever I heard the word I assumed it meant something good, something attractive. However, it was only when I found myself using the word in my description of my own stories that I needed to define it. Actually, I hit the books when a listener said my stories were nifty. The current Wiktionary defines the word as “good; a general term for anything that is good, useful or beneficial.” The standard reference Compact Oxford Dictionary states: “particularly good, effective, or stylish.”

What’s so nifty about nifty stories? The stories I tell always have a message, a lesson, a bit of perspective, and they are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making their point. You could say that my idea of nifty stories is stories that enlighten as well as entertain. I look for stories with certain underlying values that help the listener to set their internal compass when sailing through life.

Any story with a moral at the end sends the listener a clear message. It teaches by example. On the other hand, many stories are not so obvious in the lessons they offer. The characters may act out the meaning of the story. It is up to the listener to decipher the message. And different listeners will carry away different messages. Stories such as these are inclined to be more widely popular. The subtler lessons tend to come from longer tales. One can learn many lessons from epic stories. Think of the difference between an Aesop fable and a tale from the Arabian Nights. Which one do you prefer to hear? Personally, I like to find my own message when listening to a story. Check out my World Full of Stories and Fables in Four Minutes CDs for some examples of nifty stories with more subtle lessons.

Nifty stories are stories that teach. Nifty stories are memorable. Nifty stories travel beyond the culture from which they originate. Nifty stories are always in vogue. Stories such as these hold the listener’s attention long enough to send their message effectively. Nifty stories are worth their weight in gold!

I have many memories of my life as a young parent. Not only those high points, but those exasperating moments as well. A good example is the memories I have of buying gifts for my children. Gifts for the holidays. Gifts for birthdays. Those occasional gifts rewarding good behavior. I spent some serious hours searching for something unique, something meaningful. Most of the time it was rough going. It did not take very long to realize that a good gift is rare gift. A meaningful gift is even harder to find. And whenever I succeeded in finding a gift that I regarded as special, I treasured it. And I hoped my children would do the same.

I am now a grandparent. And I am constantly seeking a unique gift children would treasure. Something that is memorable long after the gift is given. One great gift I have found is a memorable story. And it is suitable for children of all ages. Think of all the pleasurable hours an entire CD of stories can provide. Imagine the trip around the world your progeny can take on the wings of a story!

You can find three CDs listed on the “Recordings” page of my website. Fables in Four Minutes is a collection of ten stories, each one representing a different storytelling genre. World Full of Stories has a dozen stories that will take the listeners on a trip around the world. My latest project is Parking in Manhattan, and it contains a compendium of urban folktales that will tickle the funny bone. To purchase my CDs, just follow the directions on the “Recordings” page to place your order.

Looking for a unique gift children will value and cherish? A unique gift children can grow with? A unique gift children can share with their parents and friends? A memorable gift is the gift of story. The kind of unique gift children will treasure for a long time to come.

For as long as humans could talk throughout the world stories have been told and retold. They act as vital threads that weave through the fabric of a culture. In any society they define the roots and significance of the peoples. World stories spread as the culture grows.

One of the great benefits of my travels around the world is the wellspring of world stories I have found in each country I have visited. And each time I visit another country I have the opportunity to learn a bit about it. Rituals and customs. Geography and daily habits. So the world stories I hear have substantial meaning to me. In the process, I have discovered how world stories arise out of the cultures from which they are born. The more I experience a particular culture, the more I appreciate the value of their stories. My travels have taken me to Southeast Asia, Central and South America, around the United States, Canada, and Europe. I find myself amazed at both the differences and similarities of the various countries.

All cultures regard certain notions as sacred. The demonic can also be found. These notions appear regularly in their stories. They make up the mythical soil out of which the stories grow. Myth forms the basis for many world stories. Creation stories form the majority of this category, along with other stories help explain the world.

By contrast, folk tales spawn from daily village life. These stories rise out of a rural setting for obvious reasons. The world of folktales is also inhabited by fairy tales. Stories about magic and mystery were apt outlets for questioning minds of preliterate villagers. Cautionary tales abound, all of them containing messages to avert disaster. Do not go into the deep, dark woods! Keep away from wild animals! Avoid strangers! Then again, many folktales tell of reward and happy endings. Good and evil are eternal foes. One can discover the Golden Rule in most plots. Regardless of genre, any worthy world story can be applied to contemporary life. And that brings us to storytelling today. Modern society is a far cry from rural villages, yet the stories ring true regardless.

Some world stories are humorous. Other world stories are mysterious. Many world stories are full of insight. Often world stories are enigmatic. Generally world stories contain lessons. All world stories keep us amused.

Regardless of their intent, all world stories express deep bonds with the fabric of a country and culture. The experiences of people are drawn in world stories. And they have merit in worlds far removed from their origin.

To enjoy the breadth of subject matter found in world stories, listen to my CD entitled “World Full of Stories.” It is an award winning journey that will take you around the globe!