Annette Harrison - Storyteller, Educator and Author!
Meet Annette
A multi-talented storyteller, performer, author, and educator, Annette draws her listeners in with her amazing dramatic abilities. Her high energy, sometimes over the top and always-heartfelt delivery has earned her the title of "kid-magnet." The children shout "You're funny!" and she is, but serious and important messages are hidden within the stories. Annette feels strongly about teaching through storytelling, whether it be character education, important events in history, or giving insights into the diverse cultures of the world. She has traveled throughout the United States performing, teaching, and giving keynote addresses. She has written two highly acclaimed storytelling resource books and was co-host of Gator Tales, a children's television program on CBS promoting literacy, responsibility, and self-esteem.
"I am speechless! Your performance was absolutely exquisite..." - Springboard to Learning
"Annette Harrison is gloriously, emphatically alive!" - Missouri State Teachers Association
Annette Harrison - Career Highlights
- Gator Tales, CBS Television, St. Louis
- Young Audiences, St. Louis, 30 years
- Resident Storyteller in Early Childhood Centers, 30 years
- Storytelling Residencies in MO and IL, 30 years
- Author: Award-Winning "Easy-to-Tell Stories for Young Children," National Storytelling Press and "storytelling Activities Kit" with Jerilynn Changar, Ph.D., Prentice Hall
- International School, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Catholic Grieving and Bereavement Conference, Montana (Keynote)
- Wyoming Early Childhood Conference, (Keynote)
- Young Author's Conferences, (Keynotes)
- St. Louis Storytelling Festival, 25 years
- St. Louis Storytelling Festival Board
- Storytelling Course at University of Missouri, St. Louis, 15 years
- Crucial Early Years Conference, 20 years
- Literacy Workshops for Missouri Humanities Council
- Storyteller for Music!Words!Opera!, St. Louis Opera Theatre
- Eighth Grade American History Teacher, Baltimore, MD
Annette Harrison - Educational and Community Programs
Find Your Ideal Program!
- Be All That You Can Be
- Leaping Literacy
- A Celebration of the Earth
- Voices: Multicultural Tales
- No Bullies Allowed!
- Fabulous Fairytales
Shows especially for the young ones
- Animal Folktales and Fables
- A Celebration of Silly Stories
- Kindness is Catching
- Bugs and Butterflies
- Princess Tales
Be All That You Can Be
This energetic, interactive character education storytelling program addresses responsibility, respect, honesty, compassion, conflict resolution and more!
Leaping Literacy!
Meet musical snakes, unhappy kings, talking giant caterpillars and much, much more as Annette shares stories from the different genres of literature. This journey into books and stories uses laughter, chanting and singing to encourage reading.
A Celebration of the Earth
A high-energy, fun-filled storytelling tribute to all our fellow inhabitants of this great Earth. Annette's stories will help us rejoice in our environment and at the same time reflect on ways to rejuvenate and conserve it.
Voices: Multicultural Tales
Where would you like to go. Africa? Asia? The Middle East? Europe? Would you like Jewish and other ethnic tales? You pick the place and the stories will take us there! We will enjoy the wit and wisdom of the worldwise folk. Stories help us understand cultures of the world from the inside out.
No Bullies Allowed
This humorous, fast paced storytelling program presents ways to diffuse the power of the bullies.
Fabulous Fairytales
Annette brings alive these wonderful traditional tales with humorous characterizations, new insights, and interactive surprises.
Animal Folktales and Fables
Annette will share folk tales, fables and fabulous literary tales that will make us laugh out loud and also stop and think. The animals are our teachers in this lively, interactive presentation.
A Celebration of Silly Stories
If your children like to giggle, bark, cluck and sing, this is the program for you! Annette's playfulness and high-energy make this very popular with the young ones.
Kindness is Catching!
These stories reinforce, nurture and encourage kind and compassionate behavior.
Bugs and Butterflies
Children fly, sing, and dance as they "act out" caterpillar, spider, and butterfly stories. Perfect for Spring!
Princess Tales
Annette transforms into a second grader, teachers become princesses, and children breathe dragon fire.
Annette Harrison - After School Programs
Storytelling à la Matisse
Combines storytelling with the visual arts by using "language and Image" to create a Matisse-like cutouts masterpiece.
Language & Laughter
Annette gets participants telling stories instantly! Through language, games, and music, Annette works her storytelling magic.
Annette Harrison - Living History
Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial: Stories of An Amazing Man!
Two hundred years ago a pioneer child was born in a log cabin in Kentucky. He educated himself, became a lawyer, served in Congress, had seven famous debates, and became the 16th president of the United States of America.
We have been fascinated with this gentle giant ever since! Listen to his jokes, learn about his love for his family, how he pardoned the first Thanksgiving turkey, had iron-will determination to keep the Union together, proclaimed the Emancipation Proclamation, and still took time to answer a letter of an eleven year old girl!
The students will laugh, love and learn from the stories of this amazing man!
(45 minutes, ages: elementary - middle school)
St. Louis's Fabulous 1904 World's Fair
Annette Harrison becomes 10 year old Evelyn Percy and transports her listeners back to 1904 St. Louis for the exciting, amazing, awe-inspiring World's Fair. See the sights! Experience the adventure! Listen to the music! (K-6)
The Orphan Trains
Chronicles the saga of 100,000 orphan children transported from the streets of New York to the rural farms in Missouri. (1854-1929) Experience their journey through heartbreaking and heartwarming personal stories. (3-8)
Annette Harrison's Keynotes
Young Authors Conferences
A published author and dynamic speaker, Annette will get your conference off to a fun, energetic start.
Early Childhood Conferences: Story-Playing with the Young Child
Annette believes Story-Playing with young children is one of the most exciting and important things she does. Connecting with children in this meaningful way encourages them to explore and expand their world. Annette will show how telling stories interactively and playfully reaches and teaches our most precious resource, our young children! Ideal for Early Education Conferences.
Annette Harrison - Workshops
Catch the Storytelling Bug!
Learn how to tell stories. Annette will take you step-by-step through the basic storytelling fundamentals. Fitting stories into the classroom curriculum will also be addressed. Come ready to tell stories and catch the storytelling bug!
Let the Stories Do Your Talking
In this fun-filled, high energy, hands-on storytelling workshop Annette will demonstrate how stories can be an effective teaching tool in the character education of our children, Instead of knocking them over the head with do's and don'ts, TELL A STORY. The messages come through loud and clear in a very entertaining way.
