When I wrote Wind Says Good Night, I was thinking about what it is like to fall asleep on an island that I visit each summer.

The island is on the coast of Maine.  It has only forty houses, no cars, and only one truck.  It is very, very quiet.  If your house is close to the shore, as our house is, when you lie in your bed at night you can hear waves lap the shore.  In the meadow in front of the house, children catch fireflies in July.  Crickets chirp.  On a clear night when the moon is full, it’s bright enough so you can go for a walk without a flashlight.  Before a summer shower, both river and meadow seem to stop and hold their breath.  That’s the kind of night I tried to capture in this book.

David Jorgensen’s pastel illustrations are the perfect accompaniment for a quiet bedtime story.

“This splendid bedtime story is perfect for a restless child, and…equally suitable for story time or classroom use.”
          School Library Journal, *Starred Review

“The writing is expertly cadenced, and by the last page you’ll find yourself whispering.”
          Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books *Starred Review

 “Exquisitely expressive illustrations”
          Boston Globe

“Gently Beguiling”
          Publishers Weekly

“That Rydell is a professional storyteller is evident in the rhythms and pacing of this fine debut, so perfectly attuned to the speaking voice as to make it a ‘can’t fail’ bedtime story.”
          Kirkus Reviews

“Preschool teachers are always looking for cumulative stories and this tale by a professional storyteller will be welcomed since it reads with the rhythm of a quiet night wind.  Great for ages two to seven.”
         American Bookseller “Pick of the Lists”

“Rydell captures the peaceful rhythms of nighttime in this witty, cumulative bedtime tale.  The colored pencil drawings present a comical cast of stubborn characters.”
         Booklist

 “A reassuring, cumulative story, extended by exquisitely expressive illustrations, is just right for a summer bedtime tale.”
         The Boston Sunday Globe

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES

Drama:
The story is perfect for dramatic re-enactment with or without puppets or props. Children can illustrate each character with appropriate movement, or sound, or both.

Art: 
Have the children draw their own pictures for the story.  Put the pictures together in sequence to create a class book.
Create wind chimes from found objects, beads, utensils, etc.

Science: What character is a bird?  An insect?  An amphibian?  What are the differences between them?  What noises do insects make and how do they make them?  What makes a cloud?  How does a cloud move?

Creative Writing:  What sounds do you hear before you fall asleep at night?  Cars?  Sirens?  A television set?  Your dog’s toenails clicking as he walks across the kitchen floor?  Create your own bedtime story out of the sounds you hear in your home.

HOW TO ORDER

Wind Says Good Night is available in hardback and paperback and can be ordered at any bookstore.  If you want to purchase an autographed copy, send an email to Katy@katyrydell.com

Hardback ISBN 0-395-60474-5
List price $16.00 plus $4 shipping and handling

Paperback ISBN 0-618-08585-8
List price $5.95 plus $3 shipping and handling

Back to TOP

A Beginner's Guide to Storytelling
Edited by Katy Rydell
National Storytelling Press, Publisher

You want to tell stories.  How do you get started?  Where do you find stories that are easy to tell?  How do you choose one?  How do you develop it?  Where is the best place for a beginner to perform?  How do you deal with stage fright?

This booklet answers beginners’ questions.  Edited by Katy Rydell, it includes articles by experienced professionals, including two by Katy herself: “Where to Get Started,” which identifies venues that are performer-friendly and some that are not, and “Eep!  I Have to Use a Microphone,” which tells beginners what they need to know about microphones.

This is a great resource for beginners and for anyone who is teaching storytelling to adults.

Paperback $10, discounts for orders of ten or more.  Available through the National Storytelling Network, www.storynet.org or call toll free 1-800-525-4514.