CHILDREN at a Northumberland school enjoyed a special visit from the storytelling laureate.
Year one and six pupils at Cragside Primary in Cramlington took part in workshops with professional storyteller Taffy Thomas.
The school’s literacy coordinator and year six teacher Caroline Bilton organised the event.
She said: “The children absolutely loved it, the response was terrific and they seemed captivated by Taffy.
“Since the visit they have been coming up with their own stories and riddles. Taffy told them each story has legs and it develops and the children have been saying they have walked their stories home and shared them with their families.
“It really captured their imagination.”
Headteacher Janice Craven said she was proud of the children.
“They responded really well and had thoughtful answers to questions. It was part of our wider drive to promote reading,” she said.
Taffy, who was confirmed as the first storytelling laureate in 2009, trained as a literature and drama teacher at Dudley College of Education in the West Midlands and taught for several years in the region.
He wears a “tale coat” which he uses as a jukebox inviting his audience to point to images which will then prompt him to tell a story.
