Hello! I'm Neil Griffiths. A former headteacher and now an author.
And guess what? I love reading. I love reading anything, from a cereal box to a book.
But why?
Because I was lucky enough to be read to, by my dad.
He was fantastic!
But you can be fantastic too. Many mums and dad, and grandparents, feel 'Oh, can I do it?'
Yes you can do it.
You can be a great storyteller and I am going to prove it. Watch this next clip about a
bear that was sneezy and I will change you forever.
Oh hang on a second. *Sniff* My nose is a bit blocked.
Have you got your tissues? What do you do when you blow your nose?
*Blows nose*
Oh lovely! Because we catch all the bogies.
I've got a big sneeze coming, mind the splatter. It's alright, I've got it under control.
Come back in, you're okay.
Come on in. I did a big green one yesterday. Oh, I've had a cold for days.
Actually, I've got a sneezy story!
I knew I did, in here. Sneezy Bear!
Come closer, lovely, sit down. Lovely!
Now, are you ready for a sneezy story?
(Children) Yes!
In fact it's about a bear that's sneezy and I love it at the beginning. In fact, have
any of you seen a bear?
In real life?
Where was it?
(Girl) I saw it in France.
You thought you saw one in France?
(Boy) I've seen one!
Have you?
I've only ever seen one in the zoo. But look!
Bear! Look at him, he was lying in the cool water. Shall we just pretend we are lying
in the water.
Close your eyes. Close them tight. Oh!
Imagine that cool water, mm, in fact he would have been in the water all day but then, oh
look, can we go? *Licks lips*
He spotted one of his favourite foods, it was silver salmon!
Not just any old fish, he adored silver salmon. Well you would, because they are fat and plump,
big round salmon.
He was about to -- see that big one there? That's the one he was about to have. He was
just about to -- get your paw like this.
Get it close.
He was that close, but then something -- *sneezing sounds*
AHHHHHHHHCHOOOOOOOO!!
Oh hang on, I need the tissue, it went all over me. Oh well, he blew and no! He blew
the whole lot out of the -- just went he was going to get that lovely plump one.
Oh dear! Look at him, soaked to the skin.
Oh, but stop! Could we go *Um-hm*?
(Children) Um-hm!
(Children) Yummy Yummy!
Grumbly tummy!
Because he saw - ripe red juicy cherries, and do you know the bunch he was going for?
That one! With four big juicy ones!
And he was just about --
Get your paw close, just about -- I can feel a sneeze coming!
*Sneezing sounds*
AHHHHHHHCCCCCHHHHOOOOOOO!!
Can you believe it? He blew the birds out of the nest, he blew everyone away. The ladybird
flew! And look, he was splatted, look at the birds.
They're nude, look at them!
Dreadful!
Oh dear bear! Oh stop, can we do this?
*Nibbling sounds*
Blueberries! That fat bunch! He just got his paw -- just got it on the blueberries, he
went *sneezing sound*
Oh sorry! He didn't, get back on the blueberry -- *sneezing sounds*
AHHHHHHHCHHHHHH -- No he held it.
Thank goodness.
ACHCHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOO!!
(Children) *laughing*
Oh look! There were blueberries everywhere! Oh look he's all splatted.
Oh - Just a second! He saw his favourite food, Ants!
He loved tickly ants on the tip of his tongue. MMMM!!
He even licked it, he got so close! Mmm!
But no! I can feel one! No I can't, get your tongues out!
AHHHHHHCHHHHHOOOOOOOO!!
Oh this is disgusting! Look he was covered in ant poo!
Hold your nose and go Pee-yew!
It was disgusting, but bear thought, I've had enough of this, I've got to concentrate.
Let's sit nicely.
Concentrate on your nose, mm, look upwards, let's stop it from -- close your eyes tight.
In fact just hold your nose gently.
Now breathe with me.
*Deep Breathing*
AHHHHH ---
CHHH ----
There's one up there, in my left nostril, it's gone. Let's hold it. Phew!
AHHHHH ---
ahhhh ----
CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!
But hang on a minute, what's he covered in?
HONEY!
Where from?
The bees?
Oh he blew, look, it was a bee's nest.
He blew it out, and -- oh!
Bear went 'Yummy Yummy' - 'sticky honey!'
In my tummy!
And he went --
And it was so delicious, he actually said 'stickily delicious'!
Can you go 'Stickily Delicious'?
*Stickily Delicious*
And he was so happy!
He had all that honey, not everyone was happy.
The bees!
Who was cross?
Who else?
They were all -- the butterfly was splatted and the birds are still nude, it's terrible,
poor things.
Even the beavers had their beaver lodge blasted out of the water. But never mind!
It might have been a sneezy story but there was suspense. And I love building suspense
in a story.
Now, how did I build it?
Just by the way I turned the pages. I peered over worried of what might come next, I also
used the book.
When you're reading a story, don't just the pages "then we go to the one, then we go to
this one..."
What did I do when there was a sneeze?
Yes! Use every inch of that book. I peered, use every part that you can to build up the
story.
I encourage participiation. How could you not participate in that story?!
With enormous great tissues.
I also, in this particular story focused, not so much on the vocabulary of the story,
but the wonderful illustration.
When you get a lovely illustration like that, you've just got to stop and spend time.
Particularly my favourite, and it probably was yours, the explosion of ant poo. What
more could a child like than an explosion of ant poo. So enjoy the humour and enjoy
the illustrations.
And all I can say is have a sneezy time!