Album Notes

Olive Hackett-Shaughnessy has been a storyteller, curriculum consultant and writer in San Francisco since 1986. She performs and teaches in classrooms from pre-k through college. As adult educator she presents workshops for parent education,literacy development,and writing workshops.
Released in 2006,this collection of stories
has a devoted following of children and adults alike. It has become a road trip companion, a bed time tradition, and a classroom favorite. Grateful parents have expressed their thanks for a children's recording that is rich enough to be heard as many times as the children ask for it, without driving the adults crazy. Both voice and text are deeply respectful to the value of the stories and the intelligence of the listener.

“Imagine you way home with OLIVE” includes the following stories;

The Queen Bee, Mother Holle, and The Seven Ravens, all from The Brothers’ Grimm.
Teeny Tiny and the Witch Woman. A Turkish Folk Tale collected and written by Barbara K. Walker. All rights reserved. Pantheon Books: 1975
A Bed Just So. Retold by Jeanne B. Hardendorff. All rights reserved.
Four Winds Press: 1975

Olive’s comments.
The written text of the first three stories can be found in large collections of The Grimm Fairy Tales and each one has been rewritten in many versions that can be found in the children’s picture book section of public libraries.
My retellings have been shaped by lively interaction with audiences of all ages. The main characters are as familiar to me as good friends for whom I have a deep affection. As with any story that has lasted for generations these will be understood differently through the age and experience of each listener.
Barbara K. Walker first heard Teeny Tiny and The Witch Woman in 1967 while she was in Turkey. The teller was a 94 year old grandmother who swore she had heard it from her grandmother. Ms. Walker had the story translated into English and then “let it cook” as stories do until she wrote her version in 1975. With her enthusiastic permission I also “let it cook” for my own retelling. This story can be pretty scary to little children who are both relieved and proud when Teeny Tiny’s wits and courage save the family. Ms. Walker has 38 published works and is a good resourse for Turkish Folk Tales.
The origin of A Bed Just So remains a mystery to me. Ms. Hardendorff’s son Eric said his mother spent a tremendous amount of time in The Library of Congress finding obscure stories which she brought back to life as a librarian and storyteller. Both humorous and a lullaby in spoken word, this story is delightfully smart. Out of print as it is, I am so happy to have the permission to bring this little story to new audiences.

Notes on copyright. The three stories from The Brothers Grimm are in the public domain. If my interpretations remind another storyteller of the riches in these tales, I hope you will pass them on to other audiences with your own unique voices.
However, rights for use of Teeny Tiny and the Witch Woman and A Bed Just So are not mine to share. Copyright permission remains with Ms. Walker and the estate of Jeanne B. Hardendorff.

Olive’s stories entranced me. Her resonant voice and
stunning images animate plots full of life questions and
exotic circumstance. The pleasant feeling of being in a world that
is both familiar and richly challenging lingers like the memory of a
great feast."

Rick Foster, co-author
How We Choose to be Happy

First of all...another GREAT session. The kids will
be missing you every Monday. The moment you left, I
put on the CD and have not been able to take it out.
They have listened to the stories over and over and
LOVE listening to you tell them....When
it is on, the kids become very quiet and lots of work
gets done. It is amazing.

Kristi Martin
Teacher. Second Grade
Meadows Elementary School
Millbrae, CA