All language subtitles for MasterClass LeVar Burton Teaches the Power of Storytelling - 07 Case Study Reading to Children

[MUSIC PLAYING]

LEVAR BURTON (VOICEOVER): As
the host of "Reading Rainbow,"

I was able to talk to
kids in every episode

about the joys of reading.

Telling stories to children is
such an amazing thing for me

because it opens up new
worlds for them and also

to the grown-ups who
are doing the reading.

I'm going to read my
children's book, "The Rhino Who

Swallowed a Storm," and then
offer a few of my best tips

for engaging with
young audiences.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

One day, I was with my camera
crew in Central Park in New

York, and it was another
one of those days in America

where someone had gone
into a public place

with an automatic weapon
and started firing.

And there were
deaths and injuries.

And I thought, you know, if
Fred Rogers were still here,

he would be addressing in
an age-appropriate way what

it's like growing up in
a world where there are

these calamities and
tragedies that seem

to befall us with regularity.

And you know, Fred was
gone, and so I figured,

maybe I should take
a shot at doing

what Fred might have done.

And Fred always
talked about looking

for the helpers that when--

when you're in trouble,
look for the helpers.

They're all around,
and on that theme,

I came up with "The Rhino
Who Swallowed a Storm," which

was designed to be a story about
loss and recovery for kids.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

"In the middle of the
morning, Mica Mouse

trembled under her blanket.

[THUNDER]

A storm boomed
outside her window.

Rain crashed against the glass.

Window rattled the shutters.

More than anything else,
Mica was afraid of storms.

A year before, a
powerful hurricane

had destroyed her home.

'I'm scared, Papa,' she said."

And there's Mica
Mouse, and there's

Papa reading "The Gouda Times."

Get it, "Gouda Times"?

"'We are safe, Mica.

This storm will pass soon.

Would you like me
to read you a story?

I know just the one to
help you feel better.'

Well, Mica loved books,
and Papa's gentle voice

soothed in a way that made her
forget all about the thunder.

Papa opened the book and began.

'Long, long ago, before
there were words,

animals roamed in
bountiful herds.

Little Rhinoceros
lived happy and free,

exploring mountains and
meadows, rivers and trees.

His world was delightful
and chock full of magic

until out of the blue,
that magic turned tragic.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

A storm swept
through the valley,

turning bright sky to black.

A flash flood came
raging, no time to react.

Lost in the thundering, no
time for wondering, chaos

and lightning, fury
so frightening,

earth shaking, him quaking,
water rumbling, him tumbling,

raggedy jaggedy,
senseless calamity,

the storm crashed
through his world

and tore it apart, took away
everything dear to his heart.

Rhino was stunned by the
terrible scene, death

and destruction all
through the ravine.

Enraged by the pain
of such a great loss,

Rhino acted without a
thought to the cost.

Rhino look at his world, all
tattered and torn, stood out

on the ledge, and
swallowed that storm.

Inside his belly, he
felt the storm growing.

Inside his head, he heard
howling and blowing.

Like a tornado he spun as
the storm raged inside,

growing bigger and bigger
and wider than wide.

When he finally stopped,
when he regained control,

he was at the very bottom
of a very deep hole.

'What to do?'

Rhino worried as rain
dripped down his face.

'I'm lost, and I'm lonely
and in such a dark place.'

Well, at just the right moment
to comfort and guide him,

a spider dropped down
and dangled beside him.

'The world up above
is shattered and gray,

but it's where you belong.

So you must find a way to
let that storm out and move

through your sorrow.

You'll find many helpers
on your road to tomorrow.'

Oh, but that hole was dreadfully
deep, and the walls around him

were slippery steep.

Rhino tried to climb
out but was losing

all hope when Kangaroo heard
him and threw down a rope.

The Rhino was heavy from
the weight of the storm.

They towed him right up,
got him safe, dry, and warm.

'We're strong and
steady and always ready.

When danger strikes,
we hop to it.

Fire or flood, snow or
mud, when help is needed,

we'll pull you through it.'

Well, watching
those heroes do what

they did best gave
Rhino the strength

to set off on his quest, but
that storm he was clutching

made him buzzy and blurry.

It kept his brain foggy.

It filled him with worry.

'What to do?

Where do I go?

How will I ever
make it through?'

'After every dark night,
there comes a new day.

Be kind.

Do your best, and
you'll find a way.

Up comes the sun.

There are steps to complete.

There isn't a map.

Just follow your feet.'"
Those were the bees,

if you couldn't tell.

"'Well, Rhino followed his feet
to a wallowing spot where he

plopped on a rock and
had a deep thought.

'I'm tired of caging
this wind and this rain,

exhausted from holding
this anger and pain.'

'We are all on this Earth to
learn and to grow,' a wise old

tortoise chimed in from below.

'Allowing yourself to
start feeling your feelings

is the very first step on
your journey toward healing.

It doesn't much matter if
you're fast or you're slow.

If you want to move forward,
just trust and let go.'

Well, Rhino shook,
and he shimmied.

And he stomped in the muck,
and just as he'd hoped,

that storm came unstuck.

And at first, one little
teardrop leaked out of his eye.

Then Rhino let go
and had a good cry.

And his tears formed a
river that flowed to the sea

where a pod of whales
swam, happy and free.

'I do feel better,' Rhino
thought as he drifted.

Then up swam a whale,
and Rhino was lifted.

'If you ever feel blue,'
the whale said with a spout,

'remember to breathe,
breathe in, and breathe out.

Sing your own song and
take it deep, deep, deep.

Then rise above
with a joyful leap.'

[MUSIC PLAYING]

As he floated home
on a gentle wave,

Rhino felt calm and
strong and brave.

His vision was clear
like the sky above,

and he looked at his world
through eyes filled with love.

So he thanked the kind
spider and the brave kangaroo

and all of the others who
had helped him through.

He was glad to know that
if he ever lost hope,

they'd lend him a hand
or throw him a rope.

He had journeyed his journey a
very long way to find the light

in a world turned gray.

He'd swallowed a storm with
no thought to the cost.

He'd felt all alone.

He'd been tumbled and tossed.

Life would bring changes,
beginnings and ends,

but he had faith in himself
and faith in his friends.

And as they curled up together,
he felt loved and protected,

and he dreamed of a world
that was safe and connected.

Rhino understood now, it
was love that mattered.

Love could never be lost.

Love could never be shattered.'

Papa closed the book
and gave Mica a hug.

'I know it was scary when the
storm destroyed our home last

winter,' said Papa.

Bad things happen sometimes, and
we can't always control that.

'But we had lots of
helpers,' said Mica,

'just like Rhino did.'

'That's right, little one,'
Papa said in his gentle way.

'You're never really alone
when bad things happen.

There are always
family and friends,

even people we don't know who
are always there to help us

through the tough times.'"
And just like every story with

a storm, this one
ends in a rainbow.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

We worked really hard
with psychologists,

child psychologists, and one
of the things I'm most proud of

is at the back of the book,
there is a page of props

that caretakers and adults can
use to engage the child on--

on issues and themes that
are brought up in the story.

So some of the prompts
include questions like this.

"At the beginning of
the book, Mica Mouse

is scared by a thunderstorm.

Can you think of a time when
you've been frightened?"

And of course, we all
can think of a time

when-- when we've
been frightened,

so it's easy to relate
to Rhino and what

Rhino was going through.

"Did you notice that after
Rhino swallows the storm,

the illustrations turn to
gray to show Rhino's sadness?

And how does Rhino learn to see
the color in the world again?"

Now, that's a real
subtle difference

that we included visually.

And the first time you read the
story, you might not notice,

but once you hear that question,
you-- you'll see it every time.

As Rhino gets deeper
into the story,

his world does indeed
turn gray, and the color

returns once he finds
his-- his balance,

once he finds a circle
of love in which he

feels safe and protected again.

And finally, "Mica feels
better after reading a book

with her papa.

What books or activities comfort
you and make you feel better?"

Well, I think that's a
question we can all answer--

a piece of pie, [LAUGHS] a
favorite song, a best friend.

Everybody has something
that makes us feel

better when we're feeling blue.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

The things that
you really can do

to make sure that
kids are-- are engaged

and to keep them engaged
with the flow of the story

is to discuss or make
comments about what's

happening in the pictures.

And again, they love
those little details,

and-- and if you're in
a group, not everybody

is close to the illustrations.

So you know, pointing
something out

is-- is sometimes valuable
for the kids in the audience,

and they love those details.

They're just such a
great audience, kids are,

and I think that's mostly
because they have easy access

to their imaginations.

And when telling a
story to children,

it's great to be more on their
level, as much on their level

as you can.

The older I get,
the harder it gets

for me to sit on the floor, so--

so a stool, a low stool is
the right tool for the job.

And again, what you want
to do is establish rapport

with your audience, and
proximity and eyeline

are really essential.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

I've read to, you know,
rooms full of children,

and it's daunting
because, you know,

there is a lot of energy
in a crowd of children,

in a room full of kids.

But they're also--
they're very easy to read.

And if you approach the reading
with energy and enthusiasm,

it really does help to-- to
sort of corral that energy

and get the kids
focused, everybody

being in the same moment.

Unless you're incredibly
good at cold reading,

take a pass through
the book yourself

first, so you know where the
story is going, especially

if you're reading a picture book
to children, because they love

seeing the pictures, right?

So a part of your job
is to keep them engaged

with the art in the story.

And so a familiarity
with the story

kind of helps you
keep your place.

People ask me all the time,
well, do I need to do voices?

No, you don't need to do
voices of different characters,

but kids love it when you do.

And it's an opportunity
for us to step out

of our comfort zone,
right, and take a chance,

because our experience
in the world

is that not everybody
speaks with the same voice.

So it's just a reflection of
the world that we live in.

And its own way,
trying different voices

for-- for characters makes the
storytelling real for kids.

It helps engage
their imaginations

because you're providing
them with clues that

differentiate the characters.

It's easier for them
to follow the story

when the different characters
speak in different ways

with different voices.

Well, it's funny.

In writing the book and-- and
choosing the characters, I--

I paid no attention.

I had no thought of
what the voices were

until I started reading
the book out loud to kids,

and the voices just came.

They presented
themselves, really, to me.

I-- the kangaroo, I sort of--

I modeled on Jimmy
Stewart for some reason.

The spider-- just his
voice just came to me.

"The world up above"-- it
just sounds like a spider

to me, some--

this old, wizened creature.

The whale-- I don't know why
the whale has a Scottish accent.

I have no idea, but that's what
the whale wanted to sound like.

For me, reading aloud is--
is a performance piece,

and every time I do, it's--

it's a different experience.

Now, here's the thing.

The writer gives
you so many clues

as to pace, as to tone
and tonality, right?

The writer has left you a road
map, and all you have to do

is follow it.

It's really a matter
of interpretation,

and in the interpretation of a
story, you can't get it wrong.

Why?

Because it's your
interpretation.

The most important
component is your engagement

in the telling of the story.

If you're engaged, the
audience will be engaged,

and that is absolute truth.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

So a couple of major takeaways
for anyone interested in--

in storytelling to
kids or-- or maybe

improving your storytelling
skills to kids, if possible,

familiarize yourself
with the material

before you begin to read.

Don't be afraid to take chances
with voices of the characters.

Pay attention to the
response that you're

getting from the
audience and then just

be willing and able to
adjust yourself accordingly.

Do I need to speed up?

Am I losing them?

Do I need to use more voice?

Do I need to be louder,
or do I need to be softer?

And by the way, all of
those changes that--

that you make in the
telling of a story,

all those adjustments that you
make-- louder, softer, faster,

slower--

those are also engagement tools
for your audience as well.

Have fun.

Enjoy the moment yourself,
which increases the likelihood

and probability that they're
going to enjoy it, too.

So enjoy the moment.

Allow yourself to be sort
of a kid for a moment

and remember what it's like to
have somebody spend the time,

take the time to spend with
you, and read a story or two.