I Am a Story

"I am a story," begins the narrator of this simple but powerful picture-book, going on to enumerate the various ways that stories have been shared and told, from campfire circles to cave paintings, from clay tablets to woodblock prints. Preserved in hieroglyphic inscriptions, ornate tapestries, illuminated manuscripts, and finally, in printed books, stories have been accessed through stage performance, through private book collections, and through public libraries. Though they have been censored, banned and burned, stories do not die. No, the narrator assures us, stories live forever...

A lovely tribute to the power of stories, Dan Yaccarino's I Am a Story highlights the various means by which they have been transmitted throughout human show more history, covering a temporally and culturally diverse range of storytelling methods and mediums. As someone who loves stories of all kinds, someone for whom the library was a home away from home, I thought that the simple narrative here - there is no more than a few words per page - was quite powerful, and found the conclusion immensely moving. Stories do indeed live forever. The artwork, done in India ink on vellum, was absolutely beautiful, with a vivid color palette that highlights the intensity and importance of the storytelling being depicted. I appreciated the inclusion of so many iconic works of art and literature - the cave paintings at Lascaux, cuneiform inscriptions being created in front of the Ziggurat of Ur, Hokusai's The Great Wave of Kanagawa, a Shakespearean play being performed - in the illustrations, and think that watchful readers will enjoy identifying many of them. I also appreciated the diverse range of libraries depicted, from a biblioburro to a Little Free Library. Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories about stories, and the history of storytelling. show less

Appallingly sexist. Every opportunity is taken to put men and women into the most stereotypical roles possible. Every storyteller is male, except for a modern pregnant mother, and just about the only active female is, you guessed it, a librarian. There aren't even any grannies, nannies, or nursemaids telling stories!

But even if it weren't flawed that way, I'd still only give it two stars. It panders. Of course we all are excited to read a story about stories. We're readers. But this doesn't enlighten or enrich us, it doesn't add anything of value to the collection of either a home or a library.

I do have to admit I liked the cave painting scene, as the children were behaving in such a timeless manner... they could have been yours. But show more then I saw how the woman was so servile & awed, looking very close to Neanderthal, and the man, the Creator Artist, looked much more Modern Human.

Too bad. show less

A great and simple story about the evolution of story, from oral to hieroglyphics to print to digital. No matter the format, the story is the heart. Fantastic.

This beautifully illustrated picture book goes throughout he history of how people have been documenting stories though the ages. The longevity and importance of a story is an idea that is emphasized.

I love how this book brings together all the contexts in which stories are important. From how we have historically saved these stories like in tapestries or cave walls, all the way to the modern conveyors of stories we all use--handheld device, stories are so important to people. Stories really will live forever.

I loved this book so much. Although it wasn't innovative on a heavily impressionable level, it's main theme and message makes up for it. This book is a simple portrayal of a brief history of stories. Humans hear stories constantly. Therefore it is easy to take for granted the importance that stories plays in our lives. This book shows the reader just how much of an impact stories had, and continue to have, on our lives. It also shows how stories are told by people from all over the world, and although the stories may be different, they're all capable of making us feel happy, sad, excited, frightened, and inspired. I also loved how there were a few pop culture references that I spotted, which further reinforced the idea that stories play show more vital functions in all of our lives every single day. As long as there are people, there will always be stories. show less

This picture book is about stories in all of their forms and how they have affected people. I love how the author takes readers from the past with the campfire stories all the way to the present, where stories are now published books at our libraries. The author uses simple language to invite readers to think deeply about the power of stories and how it can affect us.

I pretty much have to love this. It is the story of stories: they are ancient, they are important, they are everywhere.