This is a fantastic project that started a few years ago in Peru using Arpillera Storybooks (storybooks made of tiny bits of fabric hand stitched together). That can be replicated anywhere, fostering awareness of different cultural traditions, allowing for creativity during storytelling time and supporting motor skills for the little ones.
Rosana Reategui, a professional storyteller works with 22 women that migrated to Lima (capital of Peru) from the countryside escaping from the poverty and violence terrorism brought to Peru in the 80’s. They started a workshop creating these storybooks and now are an integral part of the project. Their hands, tell the stories and the children add details or re-create the story drawing ideas from their daily lives.
Even though there are no “Arpilleras” in the US or other countries, we can certainly, with some patience and time, create a little storybook for our kids, including little characters or using finger puppets. Let them create a story for you and share a bit of what’s going on in their minds!
Hope you enjoy the video, it is in Spanish but you can certainly see the storybooks and the interest the kids show when browsing through the colorful pages!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnjnZNCTjng
Gigi Pedraza
