My published works convey a simple theme of respect and the commonality of human experience within diversity.

 

author

Using anecdotes and "artifacts" like journal pages, sketches, photos, manuscripts etc. Norah draws from her personal experience to brings us to the very beginning of the writing project that culminated in the publication of her first picture book, Everybody Cooks Rice.  Click here or AUTHOR image above for more information.

storytelling

Norah teaches storytelling at universities, high, elementary and pre-schools. She is gifted in 1st person memoir, historical presentations and has a wide repertoire of traditional folklore. She is able to design a unique program for your event and audience. Click here or STORYTELLER image above for more information.

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EVENTS & More

Story slams, master of ceremonies, storytelling in concert and other events.  From corporate trainings, to teaching nonprofits to articulate their missions, Norah is an encouraging coach and an energizing keynote speaker. She performs with elan at any celebration: from birthday parties and weddings to funerals.

Everybody Cooks Rice, Everybody bakes bread,

everybody serves soup, everybody Brings noodles

 

Everybody Bakes Bread

Grades K-4-In this rainy-day story Carrie is sent out into her multi-ethnic neighborhood to borrow a three-handled rolling pin. She has a fine time visiting the neighbors, eating seven kinds of bread, and finding enough friends for a kick ball game after the rain stops. She samples coconut bread from Barbados, chapatis from India, corn bread from South Carolina, pocket bread from Lebanon, challah from the Jewish "old country," pupusa from El Salvador, and braided bread from Italy. Recipes are included. Thornton's richly colored, softly realistic illustrations show the diversity of age and nationality, lifestyles, and staple foods of this friendly neighborhood.

-Booklist

American Library Association "Pick of the List"

Everybody Cooks RiceGrades K-4-- Carrie travels from one house to another, looking for her brother at dinnertime. Each family invites her in for a taste of what they are cooking; thus, she samples the ethnic diversity of her neighborhood through the rice dishes they prepare. At home, her own Italian family is indulging in risi e bisi . All the recipes are included at the end of the book. Thornton's illustrations have that flat, depth less look of primitive art. Colors are strong and brilliant primaries with very little black shading. The geometric forms displayed in the multi hued houses of the street are especially nice. Yes, everybody cooks rice, and everybody eats rice--these commonalities do bring us together, a lesson worth repeating again and again. --Booklist

"Nifty neighborhood- nifty book"- NY Times Review of Books MAR, 1991

Listed in The New York Times Parent's Guide to the Best Books for Children Three Rivers Press (CA); 3rd Rev & Up edition, NOV, 2000

 

 

Illustrations by Peter J.Thornton

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Audio recordings and podcasts

Click on image above to listen as the new Greek galleries come alive with vivid myths and stories from the Ancient world.  Join storyteller Norah Dooley ( norahdooley.com) for 15 minute tales in the gallery.  Co-presented by massmouth (www…

Click on image above to listen as the new Greek galleries come alive with vivid myths and stories from the Ancient world.  Join storyteller Norah Dooley ( norahdooley.com) for 15 minute tales in the gallery.  Co-presented by massmouth (www.massmouth.org) and the MFA Boston department of education.

Music thanks to Michael Levy,lyre of, Wales, UK. In the beginning of the podcast we hear the Epitaph of Seikilos, a complete Ancient Greek Melody Composed by Seikilos, Son of Euterpe, 1st Century CE - Arranged For Replica Lyre and in the outro, the Ancient Greek Musical Fragment, Poem. Mor 1, 11f. Migne 37, 523 - Arranged For Replica Lyre. Michael Levy at: http://www.ancientlyre.com/
Pathos and Bathos: Backstories of the Ancient Greeks: The stories of Classical Greece are considered central to an auspicious canon of western literature and history.  But the backstories of events like the Trojan war, how wine came to the symposia and the death of Agamemnon read more like the headlines from People Magazine and Gawker blog.  That mother and her boyfriend killed her….what? Drunken shepherds did what? That celebrity father did what to his daughter? Master storyteller Norah Dooley explores the backstories of objects in three rooms in the new Greek galleries; from the initiating incident of Homer’s epic ( Helen of Troy ) to the fate of the inventor of wine ( Ikarios and his daughter) and Aeuschylus' depiction of the "madness" of Clytemnestra ( death of Agamemnon). Three New Galleries Highlighting Greek Wine, Theater and Poetry Open at MFA Boston

MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON All Spotlight Talks are free with Museum admission.

 

CLICK ON BUTTONS BELOW FOR MORE AUDIO

A few original versions of Italian folktales...

Norah Dooley performs this Italian folktale also found in the Ancient Hindi text : The Panchantantra . A tale told all over the world. Pix from June 2001 performance for Revels.Inc. and a recording 2003.

Keeping the Wolves Away ©2007 by Norah Dooley

A Giufá tale from Italy

One day Mama needed Giufa to run an errand, She called and called him   Finally she found him throwing stale bread all around the outside of their house.

"Giufa! what are you doing," asked his mother.

"Mama. I am keeping the wolves away."

"Giufa! There are no wolves near our house."

"Exactly," said Giufa.

"Exactly what?"   asked Mama

"Exactly that!" said Giufa.   "Mama, its simple.""

"No Giufa, something is simple, but not this."

"Listen mama, do wolves like bread ?"

"Giufa, do you take me for a zucchini head? I know and you know perfectly well wolves do not like bread. They like meat."

"Exactly," said Giufa. "Wolves do not like bread but birds do "

What? You know birds have nothing to do with wolves!

"Exactly!" said Giufa. Continuing to throw handfuls of bread all around his house.

"When a wolf comes the birds will fly away all at once and we will be warned"

Mama shook her head . Just then their neighbor, Bepe passed by their house on the way to market.

"Giufa! What are you doing?" Bepe asked.

"He is keeping the wolves away."

"But there are no wolves around here," said Bepe.

"Exactly.” said mama.

And Giufa said, "See mama?  It works! "

 

 

Stories and Activities for families and others engaged in PILOT (pandemic impacted learning or teaching)

Free Content - enjoy!

Let's Do Fables - click on photo for video

Let's Do Fables - click on photo for video

FABLES

Fab Fables Some ideas about how to tell and write a fable featuring the “Brave Mouse Mama” and "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" and audio version (mp3) of an original fable called "The Three Hens." The fables of Aesop have been told and retold for centuries. They are simple stories that carry timeless truths about human nature. And? They are fun to tell! Ideas on how to create your won versions of timeless tales and few stories to listen to to get you started.

Here is a link to the pdf of some background material for this presentation. Check it out after you watch and there also is a pdf with 20 Aesop’s fables to riff on! Extensions and materials to use with videos. Free content for families, students and teachers.

Heroines and Heros - tell your own adventure

Heroines and Heros - tell your own adventure

HEROs & HEROINES

Attached here are some audio versions of folkloric stories; one from Italy and a heroine story from Ireland. You may agree that Tony has pretty steep and long learning curve but do you think that Tony and the Donkey follows the hero’s Journey form that is below? How about The Egg Girl and the Leprechaun ? What story would you tell about your life if you had a heroic adventure. Listen the audio stories and watch the video which features an Imagination Journey as a prompt to help you tell your own adventure. I am sure you can create one story or maybe even a saga! saga n. - a long story of heroic achievement

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Riddles and stories -click on photo for video

Riddles and stories -click on photo for video

RiDDLES

Riddle stories from all around the world. riddle n. - a question or statement that requires creative thought to guess the answer or meaning, often offered in a playful way or as a game.

If you can't stand to wait? Read George Shannon's books: Stories to Solve, More Stories to Solve Still More Stories to Solve Learn more about George Shannon here: http://www.georgeshannonauthor.com/folklore.html FOR ANSWERS TO STORY RIDDLES AND THE OTHER 11 RIDDLES: You’ll find a link to a pdf of answers here. More Stories, Storytelling, picturebooks ,ArtsEd, writing, ElementaryEd, to come.