Kim Biddulph talks to archaeologists and authors about the real stories behind the fictional books with archaeology and history as a major component.
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From the authors of How to Tell Stories to Children comes a podcast that supports parents, teachers, and grandparents who want to engage in the intimacy and excitement of storytelling at home. Our work has been endorsed by Dr. Jane Goodall, New York Times bestselling authors and parenting guides Steve Biddulph, Kim John Payne, Bill McKibben, Richard Rohr, Charles Eisenstein, and many more. Warning! This is not a collection of children's stories. It's about empowerment. It is about finding yo ...
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A Shared Story & Goodbye to Joseph Sarosy
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After three years of focused work on How to Tell Stories to Children, Joseph Sarosy is moving on. Silke and Joe tell a shared story to commemorate this shift, followed by some of the directions they'll both be taking in the next few weeks and months. Rest assured, their common interests are growing closer, not apart. In part, Joe is stepping away t…
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Willie Wichtel, the Christmas gnome, is tired and ill. He worries that no one will be able to make all the Christmas magic happen. When Randolph Roots shows up to give Willie some rest and attention, Eddie Elf takes charge. He helps all the helpful little wichtels get organized, for they have much work to do. Wichtels are helpful little creatures t…
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The Storytelling Tree has a special talent: when a story is told underneath its branches, characters and images from the tale appear in the shapes and twists of its canopy. Summer brings fantastical stories, and in fall the mosaic of colorful leaves paint scenes of incredible richness, surpassed perhaps only by the sparkling frost and prismatic col…
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Randolph and Naughty Foot wake to find a rum-tumbling witch capering through the forest. She loves Halloween and Thanksgiving, and she's a bit of a mischief maker. After turning the forest pond into a giant pumpkin pie, all the animals are invited to the feast.By How to Tell Stories to Children
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Thanks to elegant research from some of the best scientists in the world, we are finally beginning to understand why stories wield unique significance for Homo sapiens - including why our brains are able to comprehend them in the first place. If you have ever watched a child act out a story, you have observed something exceptional about the impact …
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Randolph visits a corn field, where he listens to the story told by the Corn Mother to the little seeds within the cob. He is gifted a few of the seed babies, which he takes on his journey. On his way home, Randolph comes across a house where the mother and father are arguing. Their child is saddened by their arguments, and Randolph talks with her.…
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Amalgamesh was a mid-level wizard who wished to be a great wizard. For that, he needed a crystal ball. But not just any crystal ball - one crafted by his own hands. In return for a few chickens with which to feed his family, a stone mason helps Amalgamesh polish and craft his crystal ball. Finally, after months of work Amalgamesh discovers a fatal …
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Hi everyone! We are excited to return with Season 2 of our podcast. We are doing things a little differently this season, so here’s what to expect. A story comes first, so that listeners with little children can access them easily. After the story, adults will have a chance to listen to part 2 – where Silke & Joe give a little background and perspe…
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Telling stories can be a fun way to connect with the whole family - whether that's around a campfire or your kitchen table. In this episode, we share a simple method that gets the ball rolling - so that everyone is involved. The format is simple - each person has a chance to tell a story, real or imaginary, and also to listen. The goal is short, ea…
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Children who have suffered an injury, be it physical or psychological, benefit greatly from the healing format of a story - especially from a parent or loved one. This can be as simple as helping our little ones process a tumble by telling (and allowing them to retell) how it happened. But it can also be as complicated as a therapeutic story that h…
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Imagination is like a muscle, it takes practice to make it strong. In this episode, we share some ideas and practices to help you strengthen those muscles and get in touch with your natural creative voice. The number one piece of feedback we get from adults is that it’s hard to be creative. Some say they feel as if they have no imagination at all. …
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Did your dad ever tell you a funny story, a wild story, or an unforgettable story? If so, we bet you never forgot. It's a common way for men to connect with children, and there's something about a good story that stays with us. In this episode, we celebrate the many ways dads show up in kids' lives, and how storytelling is often the doorway into th…
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The method we teach is called intuitive storytelling. That means you make up the story on the spot. At first this may sound difficult, but everyone can do it and it’s not much different from having a conversation. Prepared stories, like prepared speeches, are generally harder because they induce stress. Tapping into this intuitive method is easy on…
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The long arm of the prehistoric past reaches through the millennia to grab our attention, and, in this episode, to grab us by the throat. Yes, we’re talking folk horror in this episode, and trying not to shiver as we discuss how the past intrudes in uncanny ways on the present in films, plays and books. We have a full cast of characters in this spi…
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From grass, we weave the doll. From the doll, we weave the story. What we’re doing is rooting our story in the physical earth. We touch it. We play with it. We create imaginative worlds. This is the power of story, and it creates a very rich experience. In this episode, we explore the theme of self-worth and beauty through the lens of a common blad…
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True stories of motherhood are a gift both to those who speak and to those who listen. Your story is unique. It is worth sharing. In this episode, we draw attention to the need for mothers of all kinds to share your stories and speak your truth. What is motherhood to you? What has it been like to bring life into this world? For men, this is an oppo…
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Baking bread with children can be one of the most rewarding experiences, second only to the joy of eating it. We take it one step further by drawing a story into the experience. Stories help us tie our imaginations into the web of reality at our fingertips, in this case the dough. By listening to a story and helping in the kitchen, we bake a rich e…
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The long arm of the prehistoric past reaches through the millennia to grab our attention, and, in this episode, to grab us by the throat. Yes, we’re talking folk horror in this episode, and trying not to shiver as we discuss how the past intrudes in uncanny ways on the present in films, plays and books. We have a full cast of characters in this spi…
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We’re celebrating mother earth this year by telling stories that draw attention to her beauty. There are countless ways to do this, and in this episode we give several examples as well as some guidance on how to pick and craft the right one for your child. On our website, we’ve also included a short video with a quick example of how we do it, somet…
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Stories Help Children Make Transitions More Easily
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We've all been there. We're picking up our child from school or a play date, when suddenly everything goes haywire. Or we've just thrown the world's best birthday party, and right as everyone is leaving the birthday girl has a major meltdown. Transition times can be stressful for child and parent, yet we encounter them almost every day. In this epi…
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How to Grow Fresh Green Leaves, Stories, and Kids
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There’s nothing like fresh green leaves after a long winter. Resting our eyes on lush grass can be healing, and we can make the plant world sparkle with unique presence for our kids by telling stories that draw their imagination into the growing sprouts. When we tell a story about something real we tie imagination and reality together, a process we…
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No matter who you are or where you’re at in life, your stories matter to your children. Telling stories to kids isn’t about being groovy and liberated. It’s about connecting. It’s about being real. Storytelling is something humans have been doing for thousands of years, because it works. It will work today if you're perfect, but it will also work i…
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The long arm of the prehistoric past reaches through the millennia to grab our attention, and, in this episode, to grab us by the throat. Yes, we’re talking folk horror in this episode, and trying not to shiver as we discuss how the past intrudes in uncanny ways on the present in films, plays and books. We have a full cast of characters in this spi…
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The Magic Egg - A Story-Activity for Easter & Equinox
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Spring Equinox and Easter are right around the corner. Whether you celebrate with religious festivals or your own homemade traditions, this is a great time of year to tell stories that mark endings and new beginnings. In This Episode We walk you through the steps of how story, real life, and creative activities all support one another - so that you…
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Stories create a gentler, more effective way to shift a child's attention than simply announcing, "it's time to clean up." When we draw a child's imagination and creativity into the chore that needs attention, we give them a way to bring their play and excitement into the activity. In other words, stories open a door instead of closing one. Even be…
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How can we help our children cope with death or illness in the family, or the grief and loss that comes in its wake? Silke Rose West has been present for families in her school who lost children, mothers, and other family members. She has been at the side of elders as they died. Through it all, she has helped siblings, parents, her kindergarten cla…
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Birthday stories present a unique opportunity to celebrate the life of your child. Done briefly and lovingly, they can be a blessing for both parent and child. Using flexible examples and a simple method, Silke and Joe take you through the steps of creating this special moment for your own family.By How to Tell Stories to Children
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Stories, Brain Science, and the Transformation of Fear
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As parents, we all encounter a child’s fear from time to time - often from a scary story or a movie. It’s a terrible feeling, right? It’s one thing to deal with your own fear, but seeing it erupt in your child can make you feel powerless. In this episode, Joseph Sarosy draws upon the work of neuroscientists to explain how a well-placed story can ea…
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Keeping Distant Relatives Close During Covid - With Stories
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Storytelling is a tool for connection. During covid, or at other times, we may not always be able to visit distant relatives or loved ones. Yet, we yearn for ways to connect. Zoom, telephone, and mail are one way, but anyone with a 3-year-old (or a 15-year-old) knows how this can be taxing for a child. Alternatively, simple stories are often a grea…
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Join Kim as she talks to Professor Chris Gosden of Oxford University about the historical and prehistorical links to Christmas books we all know and, perhaps, love. We take in an ambitious collection of four books from Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, to John Masefield’s Box of Delights, Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising and Terry Pratchett’s The Hogfat…
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How Storytelling Builds Attachment & The Science Behind It
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Any parent, grandparent, or teacher who has told stories to their children will recognize that at the end of a good story, you don’t just walk away with a good story – the two of you feel closer. Why? What scientists have pieced together over the last seventy years is that storytelling is a principle component of how we think, speak, and make meani…
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An Introduction to the Science of Storytelling
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Storytelling should be thought of as a relationship with your child. The psychological and emotional benefits to both speaker and listener are well-researched and documented. In this episode, Joseph Sarosy, co-author of How to Tell Stories to Children, explains: The science of storytelling A simple method to help get you started The social and glob…
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Storytelling is a gift that belongs to every human on the planet. Yet, many of us experience self-doubt when it comes to telling stories - even with our own children. What causes a person to claim the role of storyteller in their life? Is it a natural gift? A learned skill? The answer may surprise you.…
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Kim talks to stone tool specialist and experimental archaeologist Dr James Dilley about the film Iceman, a dramatic reconstruction of the last days of Ötzi the Iceman. We consider such important questions as “What was the social structure of Chalcolithic society?”, “Did they not have mittens?” and “Which 80s blockbuster was that actor in?”. James -…
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Ghosts, magic, witches and sacrifice, just in time for Halloween! Kim talks to Sue Greaney and Joana Valdez-Tullet about folklore and prehistoric sites in Europe. Sue is working on. PhD about Neolithic sites in Britain and Ireland and is responsible for interpretation at Stonehenge for English Heritage but got into folklore due to a chance find in …
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I talk to Dr Rena Maguire about On Raven’s Wing by Morgan Llywelyn. This book is a retelling of part of the Ulster Cycle, especially the life of Cuchulain, the Hound of Ulster, and the Tain Bo Cuailhge, the Cattle Raid of Cooley. It is mainly set at Emain Macha which is known to be Navan Fort bear Armagh. How much of the story reflects the Irish Ir…
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Kim talks to Erin Kavanagh, a poet and geomythologist based in Wales about the old Welsh “Book of Taliesin”, especially the recent translation into English by Gwyneth Lewis and Rowan Williams. How much can we learn about the post-Roman period of Britain from the literature of the time? Links https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/274601/the-book-of-talies…
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Viper's Daughter by Michelle Paver - Ep 25
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It’s been two years since we published the last episode, and it’s been ten years since Michelle Paver published the last of her Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series of Mesolithic set books that had started with Wolf Brother. But we’re both back! We kicked off this podcast with Wolf Brother back in 2015 and now I get to talk to the author as she pu…
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Prehistories Promo - Starting Soon on The APN
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Prehistories is back and to celebrate its return, the show goes back to its roots. Kim sits down to talk to Michelle Paver, author of Wolf Brother, who has now relased another book called Viper's daughter. Here is a snippet of their chat - stay tuned to the APN for the full episode! Twitter: @prehistpod Links: https://www.michellepaver.com/…
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BONUS - 5 Year Message From Kim Biddulph of Prehistories
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To celebrate the APN turning 5, we have asked some of our hosts what the network means to them. Kim Biddulph of the Prehistories podcast talks about her experiences of the APN, her show and why podcasts are important part of outreach. You can find more info about Kim on Schools Prehistory website and her own website…
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I give Early Man the Prehi/stories treatment with James Dilley, an ancient technology specialist, and Erin Kavanagh, who is interested in how the past is represented whether that's the prehistoric past or the footballing past. The film is just a bit of Aardman fun, of course, but it opens up wider topics for discussion about how the past is discuss…
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Boy with the Bronze Axe - Episode 23
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The Boy with the Bronze Axe by Kathleen Fidler is set in the Neolithic Orkney settlement of Skara Brae. Though written for children this book is also really interesting for adults thinking about how interpretations of Skara have changed over the years. Kim talks to Orkney resident and specialist Caroline Wickham-Jones about the archaeology behind t…
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Warrior Scarlet by Rosemary Sutcliff is a book set in the transition from Bronze to Iron Age, but that's the least interesting thing about it. I talk to Dr. Helen Chittock of the University of Oxford and Dr. Julia Farley of the British Museum about the history of archaeological theory as demonstrated by this book written in 1958.…
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One Million Years BC to The Last Hunter - Episode 21
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Take a few archaeologists who think they're film buffs and what have you got? A prehistoric film special! From fur bikinis to inter-species rape, we look at the best that we could find of a very small film genre with a sometimes critical and sometimes fond eye.By Host
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A Night in an Iron Age Hillfort - Episode 20
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Kim Biddulph and friends spent the night in an Iron Age Hillfort sharing food, exchanging stories, and discussion ideas. It was an amazing night full of fun and excitement. The audio is a bit challenging at times, as you would expect it to be in this situation, but we've cleaned it up a bit and most should be OK.…
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Archer, Journey to Stonehenge - Episode 19
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Jane Brayne has written and illustrated a comic strip style picture book on the journey of the Amesbury Archer, and kindly appears as a guest on the podcast to talk about it. The original excavator of the early Bronze Age burial the book is inspired by, Andrew Fitzpatrick, also talks about the background evidence for the book.…
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Mezolith is a graphic novel set loosely in the Mesolithic period (with shades of the Palaeolithic) somewhere in northern Europe. Written by Ben Haggarty, a storyteller steeped in legends of many cultures, which all come through in the book, and drawn by Adam Brockbank, an artist who has worked on X-Men and the Harry Potter films, it packs a punch s…
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Kim talks to three archaeological comic writers and artists - John Swogger, Hannah Sackett, and Katy Whittaker - about their work and the current and potential uses of comics in archaeology. Comics are obviously a great way to engage children in archaeology, but can they be used beyond that?By Host
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The First Drawing and Stone Age Boy - Episode 16
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Two children's picturebooks are the subject of episode 16 of Prehi/stories. Picturebooks may be the first contact children have with prehistory, so we're looking at how two of the best, The First Drawing by Mordicai Gerstein and Stone Age Boy by Satoshi Kitamura, represent the remote past. In this episode my guests are Ghislaine Howard, a painter o…
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Matthew Pope of UCL and Beccy Scott of the British Museum shed light on the extraordinary tale of the Neanderthal Lok and his extended family written by William Golding. Given the topic of Golding's more famous work, Lord of the Flies, it's not surprising that things get a bit vicious in this book too when some other kind of humans turn up. But wer…
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