A Crack in the Wall: Giving Children Courage and Hope
While I was sweeping at the base of my crumbling front wall, a young boy passing by stopped to ask, “How do you get those little flowers to grow in the cracks?” “I didn’t. They just appeared,” I said. “Maybe from seeds carried by the wind or dropped by a bird, who knows? But […]
Calling all Garden Pixies: A project for children and everyone else
Yesterday, my uphill neighbors left a bouquet of kitchen herbs wrapped in nasturtiums hanging on my gate. Divided into bunches, the bouquet brightens my kitchen windowsill and my cooking. The surprise gift brightened my mood, too, and reminded me of tiny bouquets I made in childhood and left on neighbors’ doorsteps. The simple act felt […]
Like a dandelion…
A Review from Justine Willis Toms of New Dimensions “Beatrice Bowles is like a dandelion spreading seeds of wonder, respect for the planet and all creatures, and love for creation through this most marvelous collection of precious tales from around the world. These gems of delight awaken our innate capacity for awe. I highly recommend Spider […]
Children’s Favorite Tales: What They Give & What They Ask
In childhood, my favorite Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale was ‘‘The ‘Snow Queen,’ in which little Gerda undertakes a long, dangerous journey to rescue her friend, Hans. Gerda’s mission is to thaw the Snow Queen’s cold logic that froze Hans’ heart, and to set his feelings free again. The thought that a little girl could […]
Spider Grandmother’s Web of Wonders (April 30, 2020)
Green Wisdom for Children
Delicous wisdom about how to sooth and inspire children and give them hope in this heart-breaking time. Every school needs a garden so that chidren can explore and learn from nature’s briliiant web. With other storytellers on the Worldwide Virtual Storytlling Guild on Aug 1, 5:30 PM PST, I’ll be telling a story about how […]
6000 Years Or More Of Stories
Fascinating analysis of the ancient lineage of our stories today. I love the image that stories spread over time both vertically and horizontally– like tree roots! And deep where the roots touch, caring and healings between cultures can happen. Thanks, Hope. This gives me hope for our fractured world. See you on Worldwide Virtual Storytelling […]
A Ring of Riddles: Advance praise!
A Ring of Riddles: my YA eco-occult thriller Greta Grabhorn may appear to be a timid eighth grader, but she is not. Even Barbe-Tort, the evilest man in France, proves no match for her startling powers. When Greta inherits a priceless ring from Gaya, her French-American grandmother, she inherits a mission far beyond her reach, […]
A mention by Leah Garchik!
Why I tell wild stories to children…for SF Chronicle LEAH GARGIK SF Chronicle For years, Beatrice Bowles, practitioner of the ancient craft of storytelling, has been sharing tales from all over the world. She’s just signed on for the new Story Party series of audiobooks produced by Audible; one of her readings is the first tale in the […]
B’s Buzz 4: Through the Walls: A storyteller’s story
One day while reading to my children, I came across a Hopi myth of creation, an ancient Native American story of how the world was made and by what laws it evolves or declines. The tale was vast, wise, and brilliant–and radically different from the Bible accounts I had grown up with. The thought dawned […]