A story and a song: musical stories for children
Performance storyteller Tanya Batt and Musician Peter Forster share a collection of musical stories for young children from the Batt Cave.Tall tales of friendships, food and fun that are guaranteed to delight and have you singing along with their catchy refrains. Quirky, wholesome stories that fill you with hope that perseverance will be rewarded, friendship is paramount, vegetables can save your life and even great sadness passes. A story and a song - because words and music they belong!
Episodes
This Taiwanese story tells why the mountain called Ban Pin Shan – the half faced mountain is the shape it is. It all starts with an old man who arrives selling delicious dumplings but the dumplings prove to be more than a yummy treat.
As usual Tanya weaves her story magic (in a slightly forgetful way!)
You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop
Or join the live monthly Ba...
In this big double bill episode, Tanya, with a lot of help from Batt Lamb (and Pete), tells a story that centres around the Japanese celebration, Setsubun - the Japanese bean throwing festival. In early February, in anticipation of Spring, people drive out bad luck and the oni (demons) associated with it, to welcome in the new. This version of the story comes from storyteller Cathy Spagnoli, who has now passed, and w...
This story is an adaptation of a Chinese story about Grandma Bear, who is not feeling well and has taken to her bed. All her friends: Fox, Pig and Uncle Frog come to help her and she share her dream of a healing rainbow.
Then Tanya and Pete finish off by singing a lullaby in te reo Māori called 'Moe Moe Pēpē'.
You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop
Or join t...
In Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand we have just had the ANZAC day commemerations (25th April). In the spirit of peace we're sharing a story and a song all about 'building bridges' where two 'waring' brothers find help to reconcile their differences from an unlikely source.
You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop
Or join the live monthly Bat...
Staying on the bridge theme, Tanya and Pete share the old English nursery rhyme, 'London Bridge in Falling down' with all it's verses, documenting the many different faces of this famous bridge.
Then they tell the story of a Pedlar (poor seller of second hand things) who has a recurring dream that if he travels to London Bridge great riches will be his.
A story about what happens when you are brave and c...
Join Tanya, Pete and Bat Lamb for stories and songs about rainbows.
The story today is from the First Nations, Chumash people who are the original people of the Californian coastal area. It tells of a magical Rainbow bridge created by the earth goddess Hutash that once stretched between the island of Limuw/Santa Cruz (where the Chumash originated from) and mainland California.
Tonight Tanya and Pete tell a story from The Seneca Native American Nation. It's the story of how in the beginning there were no stories... until stories began to be told from an unusual source.
You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop
Or join the live monthly Batt Cave storytelling club at https://ko-fi.com/tanyabatt0027/tiers
Or if you are an educator for c...
It's St David's Day and the Batt Cave are celebrating with a dragon story from Wales about a mean Ruler and a Father-less boy. Dragons will be involved for sure!
Also Tanya is celebrating the release of her new book Seasonal storytelling, with a hat song from one of the many songs and stories in the book...Enjoy!!
You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop
Or jo...
Continuing the Snake theme it being the year of the snake... Tanya and Pete start off by introducing Samuel the Snake, and they sing a snake song with some rhyming questions.
Then Tanya tells a cute story about a baby snake and a baby mouse who meet by surprise.... What will Happen??
You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop
Or join the live monthly Batt Cave story...
It's the first Batt Cave of the New Year, in fact it's two New Year Celebrations... The Gregorian and the Chinese New Year as well.
As it is the Chinese year of the Snake, Tanya and Pete share a story that has snakes in it from Korea about a man who has a sack full of stories but is reluctant to share them... I think the Stories have other ideas!
You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagine...
It's New Year in the Batt Cave and Tanya, Pete and Batt lamb start off with a Thankyou song to remember all the things we are grateful for.... then members of the Batt Cave share what they are grateful for over the past year.
Tanya then tells a lovely story about a king who decides to hold a competition to find the most beautiful sound there is.... there are many contenders.....
The festive stories continue. In Italy, January the 6th is when La Befana, the Christmas witch appears, Batt lamb has plenty of questions about La Befana and her meeting with the three wise men/Kings as they travelled over 'field and fountain, moor and mountain' through Italy, following the Christmas star.
You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop
Or join the ...
With Christmas nearly upon us we in the Batt Cave bring you a New Zealand take on the Classic Gingerbread Man story... of course Bat-lamb manages to get a starring role! It's a rocking and rolling story to move along to.
Then we finish off with a Christmas song we wrote last Christmas "Waiting for this day to begin".
Merry Christmas!!! Tanya, Pete and Bat-Lamb
We're on the countdown to Christmas and Tanya, Batt Lamb and Pete start off the Batt Cave with presents of the imaginary kind - a fun musical game for everyone.
Then Tanya tells a story about magic decorations on the Christmas tree that come to life when no one is looking. It's an upbeat musical story that the children will have fun dancing to that is featured in Tanya's new book for teachers/parent...
Fresh from the Batt Cave comes the fun story of Lulu who is visiting her Grandmother and is having difficulty getting to sleep... so Grandmother has some very interesting ideas to help her sleep.
Batt Lamb plays a cameo role in the story!
You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop
Or join the live monthly Batt Cave storytelling club at https://ko-fi.com/tanyabatt002...
Tanya and Pete, along with children on Waiheke, have just been celebrating the arrival of Migratory birds on our shores. These include the Bar-Tailed Godwit/Kuaka which has made the loooong journey from western Alaska to New Zealand for a summer holiday and the Shining Cuckoo called the Pīpīwharauroa, which has flown from Indonesia/Bismarck Archipelago to have it's young. Like all cuckoos the Pīpīwharauroa lays i...
Tanya and Pete have been celebrating Mad Hatters Day at a friends Birthday party, and decided to tell the Popular Indian story about a hat seller and his meeting with a group of very mischievous monkeys.
They brought along a selection of colourful hats ... and a song to go with the story too.
You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop
Or join the live monthly Batt Ca...
Here it is.. the second and final part of the Firebird story: a Wonder tale from Russia
....Enjoy!!
You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop
Or join the live monthly Batt Cave storytelling club at https://ko-fi.com/tanyabatt0027/tiers
Or if you are an educator for children 0 - 8 years subscribe to 'Batt on the Mat' - a monthly online, professional d...
This week in the Bat Cave Tanya , Pete and Bat lamb present part 1 of a Russian story about an Old man who discovers a magical feather.
He has a great friend in his horse and together they face many challenges the Tsar (who is not a very nice bloke!) puts to them.
Be sure to tune in next week for the exciting conclusion to this Wonder Tale!!
You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-wo...
Tanya bought some felt butterflies in Australia and got inspired to sing this butterfly song and tell the story of the magical transformation butterflies undergo.
You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop
Or join the live monthly Batt Cave storytelling club at https://ko-fi.com/tanyabatt0027/tiers
Or if you are an educator for children 0 - 8 years subscribe to &apo...
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