Hello, I am Neil Griffiths a former headteacher but now a passionate storyteller, and why
am I a storyteller, why did I write 36 children's books?
Because, I was lucky enough to have a dad who knew that one of the most important things
he could do was read aloud to me.
And tell me silly stories. He filled my mind with imagination and all sorts of language.
And that's the reason I am here with you today, because I've got the gift of talking.
But could you do it? Yes you can!
Everybody has a storyteller in them.
And if you listen to this short clip about a little baby roo who found there was no room
in his mum's pouch, I guarantee you will want to tell your child a story tonight.
I'm in the mood for a story. Are you in the mood for a story?
Children - Yes!
What should my story be about? Should it be about a rat?
Girl - (screams)
No not a rat! Shall it be about a squirrel? Oh no.
Girl - Maybe a kangaroo?
Okaaayyyy, you want the baby kangaroo one again?
That's our favourite isn't it? You love it! Where is it? There is a baby kangaroo.
"No room for a baby roo!"
Has anybody ever seen a kangaroo? Where did you see it?
Boy - Australia!
Did you?
Boy - I was born in Australia!
He was born in --? We've got an Australian expert! Brilliant! You're going to know loads
of answers, thank goodness we've got you! (Whispers) Australian expert!
Kangaroos do live in Australia. Girl - They like hot places!
Do they? (Nods) I'm glad you know this!
(Girl) That's in Australia!
Is it?
Can you see baby all snuggly? Should we get all snuggly?
You snuggle there! And you snuggle with him!
Hang on a minute!
Let's put you inside the pouch. Around it goes. Hold on to that then. It's coming around.
Get in all snuggly. You in?
Let's tuck you in properly! That's it, you all warm? Lovely!
Okay, so! We are snuggly inside, it looks like you're in a pouch.
Girl - yes we are!
Because, where does the baby live?
Girl - in that pouch.
In this pouch! Oh come on! Let's find out what this story is about!
Oh! Look! My mum's pouch is comfiest, cosiest snuggliest pouch in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD!
Thought baby roo. Look he's snuggled all warm.
But he was looking outside and he thought to himself 'I want to tell some of my friends
how snuggly it is.'
You can help us - what creature did he?
Boy - A koala!
It was! And the koala lives high, can we look up high? Even higher!
He lives in high in the eucalyptus tree. Little roo had to shout! He said, 'Koala, my mum's
pouch is the comfiest, are we comfy? the cosiest, are we cosy? The snuggliest pouch in the whole
wide world.'
And do you know what he said to koala? Why don't you go and try it?
Did koala, can you see? He went off!
But then little roo thought - hold your nose like this - I am going to tell pink nosed
possum!
And pink nosed possum lived by the woods, and he said,
'pink nosed possum, my mum's pouch is the comfiest cosiest snuggliest in the whole wide
world!'
So off he went! To find out whether it was!
Goodness! They both went!
Who else did he tell?
Do you know what that is?
Boy - Platypus!
You are unbelievable! We have an Australian animal expert! He knows that's a platypus!
Can I tell you something?
Girl - Platypuses are my favourite!
I bet you don't know this! They lay eggs!
Girl - I knew that!
Boy - Me too!
There's nothing I know that you don't! You're so good!
Platypus was in the river, where its all cold. Can we shiver? Brrrrrr!
He said, you should try my mum's pouch! Because it's so snuggly! Cuddly! And warm!
He said, go try it!
But then he thought, hang on a minute! I haven't told Kookaburra - look up in the tree!
Where is she? She's on that branch!
Kookaburra! Come down from that tree it's shivery up there! And try my mum's pouch!
It's so cosy, snuggly ohh! And warm!
He's told everybody! Oh wait, no he hasn't!
What's that one called? Do you know?
Girl - I forgot!
It's a wombat.
WOMBAT!
Oh yes, and look that wombat, he lives down by the cold rocks, and it's freezing down
there, he said don't stay down there!
My mum's pouch is - what?
Cuddly!
And...
Soft!
And what...?
Gorgeous!
Let's try it! Off he went as well.
Soon it was night time, the moon began to shine and at night time in Australia where
the roo lives, it's really cold.
Can we shhhh-shiver!?
Can we do this with our teeth? Brrrrrr!
Can we blow on our hands! Puff Puff Puff!
Do this! Warm your hands up. Brrrrr!
He started to shiver! And he thought, this is no good I am going to have to go and
OH NO!
This is disastrous - there's no room! Why is there no room?
Girl - because he told all his friends! Too many! He's got too many in the pouch!
How many is in there?
FIVE!
What about roo? He's going to freeze!
Let's shiver again! BRRRRR!
Thank goodness! Just at that moment, somebody started to snore, he had to get out! Get out
snorer!
But then, koala was too hot! He said, I'm not staying here it's too hot, then pink nosed
possum kept wriggling and jiggling. So they threw him out!
Then, duck billed platypus stuck his beak into someone's bottom! He said we're not having
you in here! Get out!
Kookaburra started singing, in the middle of the night!
And all that was left was wombat. Wombat said 'I don't want to stay here on my own.' Well
you wouldn't, because you'd be all lonely!
So wombat said, 'I'm going!'
Within a minute, Roo was back in - SNUG - do the snuggle!
CUDDLY
and WARM
Do your warm, he was back in his mum's pouch and do you know what he said?
"I'm never going to tell my friends ever again" And he never did! Let's get back inside our
snuggly pouch.
Come in snugglier! Cuddlier! Back in your pouch!
Curl up.
And we're all in!
And little roo went fast asleep!
Well the story about this little baby kangaroo was wonderful for general knowledge, there was
such a lot of opportunities for me to ask questions, about the things that they knew about
Australia and the animals, and take every chance you can when reading a story, to ask
the children things that they know or perhaps don't know.
It's a nice chance to extend their knowledge.
But it was also a lovely intimate story. And I love snuggly stories, they're perfect for
bedtime. When you can all snuggle up!
So make the most of stories that are intimate, quiet and comfy and cosy.
And also choose a time to do that type of story when you know that you can be quiet.
You'll have noticed that through this particular story, I was constantly asking questions and
some stories lend themselves to just that.
So if you see a chance to say 'well what is a koala bear? and where do they live? or I've
never heard of a kookaburra?' Have you?
Lots of chances to ask questions!
Again you'll have noticed I didn't read every word of the story, that's okay! Children quite
like it when you ad lib and throw little bits in and sometimes is makes the running of the
story that much more smoother.
So don't feel you have to read every single word.
And of course where ever I could, I involved the children, participation is so important.
So we couldn't possibly a snuggly story without getting all snuggly ourselves.
So have a 'hoppy' time with 'No Room for Baby Roo'