Storyteller mesmerizes students

First-grader Nessa Copley flaps her wings as she becomes part of the storytelling Friday at Brooklyn Primary School. Kathy Hunter of Wallowa used funny noises to capture the attention of her young audience. (Baker City Herald/Kathy Orr)

Funny noises are the key, and she opened her performance with a story about a snoring giant and a little African spider who managed to wedge his way into a mysterious little box.

But that spider was soon lulled to sleep by the wonderful stories. As he began to snore, those stories scuttled out the crack he’d made in the box.

“And that’s why I have stories to tell you,” she says.

Hunter came to Baker City on Friday to appear at the Literary Night event held at Crossroads Carnegie Art Center. Her appearance was arranged by the Writers Guild of Eastern Oregon, and that group also asked Brooklyn principal Troy Fisher if the school would like a visit from a storyteller.

“I said absolutely,” he said.

Hunter lives in Wallowa. Storytelling is her second career — her first was as a journalist in Alaska.

Her background includes music, acting and writing, which helps her create her own stories and adapt folktales.

“There’s nothing like performing for children,” she said.

In Wallowa, she teamed up with Fishtrap, and now produces the weekly show “Fishtrap Storytime” on the Enterprise radio station KWVR. Her stories have also been aired on public radio.

Though her stories are designed for the third-grade level, she’s found that children and adults of all ages enjoy listening.

“I started the radio show aimed at third-graders, but when we did a survey, about half (the listeners) were adults,” she said.

On Friday, the teachers seemed to enjoy Hunter’s stories as much as their students.

Then again, who wouldn’t like a story about a chicken who reads women’s magazines and wants to get married, so she heads to town to get beautiful and find a husband?

“Pretty pretty chicken, bock, bock, ba-gock!” Hunter clucks into the microphone, flapping her arms.

On the next round of that chorus, she encourages the kids to join her in making the funny noises.

And that, she says, is the secret to her successful storytelling.

“Kids like really structured stories and participation,” she said.

In addition to visiting schools around Oregon, Hunter also has three CDs available featuring her stories: “Why the Skunk Stinks (and Other Nature Stories for Children),” “Rowf! (Songs and Tales from Many Cultures),” and “Four Greek Tales (Myth-adventures with Kathy Hunter).” Each costs $15.

To learn more, visit her Web site at www.kathytales.com.