011 End of the Rainbow

012 Fast and Slow

We were off last month, but this month, we continue with an Easter leftovers theme, with a bunny. Well, more accurately a hare, as we uncover the stories based on the well-known Aesop fable, “The Tortoise and the Hare.” The Open Storybook theme was written and recorded by James P. Balcerek. “The Hare and the Tortoise” was taken from The Æsop for Children and The Fables of Æsop, both written by Æsop, the latter translated by Joseph Jacobs. “The True History of the Hare and the Tortoise” was taken from Fifty-One Tales, by Lord Dunsany. “The Persevering Tortoise and the Pretentious Hare” was taken from Fables for the Frivolous, by Guy Wetmore Carryl. The Open Storybook is a Backstage Group production.

011 End of the Rainbow

A happy St. Patrick’s Day to you all, and welcome to Season 2 of The Open Storybook! This episode, we’re celebrating the traditional Irish holiday with two stories about leprechauns, as well as discussing their history. Thanks for tuning back in for more stories! The Open Storybook theme was written and recorded by James P. Balcerek. “The Lepracaun; or, Fairy Shoemaker” was taken from Rhymes for Young Folk, by William Allingham. “The Leperhaun: A Legend of the Emerald Isle” was taken from The Old-Fashioned Fairy Book, by Mrs. Burton Harrison. The Open Storybook is a Backstage Group production.

010 The Episode Before Christmas

This month, we’re back to children’s stories, and on to the Christmas season. We’ll be reading the classic The Night Before Christmas (and discussing its controversial authorship) as well as hearing a special holiday treat. This marks our final episode of the first season, but we’ll be back at some point in 2022—be sure and stay tuned! The Open Storybook theme was written and recorded by James P. Balcerek. The Night Before Christmas was taken from The Night Before Christmas and Other Popular Stories for Children.

009 Once Upon an Autumn Dreary

In this month’s episode, we basically continue down the Halloween trail until we come, in this fall, to the house of Edgar Allan Poe. Of note, the stories contained within this episode may not be appropriate for children, as we deal with murder and its concealment in The Tell-Tale Heart and the psychological toll of lost love in The Raven. Be sure to tune in next month for our Episode Before Christmas! Past episodes and more can be found at our website, storybook.backstage.link [https://storybook.backstage.link]. The Open Storybook theme was written and recorded by James P. Balcerek. The Tell-Tale Heart, taken from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, was written by Edgar Allan Poe. The Raven was written by Edgar Allan Poe.

008 Halloween Special

We’re celebrating spooky season this month as Halloween approaches. Our story is the Washington Irving classic The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. This is a somewhat longer tale than usual, so buckle in for over an hour of storytelling! Past episodes and more can be found at our website, storybook.backstage.link [https://storybook.backstage.link]. The Open Storybook theme was written and recorded by James P. Balcerek. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was written by Washington Irving.