Stories for Children

The needs for stories for children rose with the number of children, first with our own children, then the foster children, and then the grandchildren. The approach was not original with either Joanell or Fred. We both come from families with rural origins at times when entertainment options were quite sparse. There were books and magazines, but no television and few concerts. Major league sports did not arrive in our region until the year before we were married in 1962. And yet, there was story telling -- especially in the rural communities. Elderly members of extended families were quite good at it. In addition, some were woodcarvers, and some of these carved characters evolved into the major characters in some stories. Characters like Ponderosa Pete, Slippery Sam, Amazing Alice, and Baron von Rattlesnake all have their origins in the informal anecdotes of pre-television rural America.

If you look closely, though, there are hidden elements of moral teaching and hidden instruction. At one time, our five-year-old son Hans exclaimed with some indignation, "This isn't a story. This is a lecture." Could be.

About forty, or so, of these stories written down. Many more are long ago dimmed from our memory. Here are a few that are left, if you are interested.