Julie Pryke

Julie Pryke is a mum to 3 sons and Nana to 4 grandkids, who live in Germany and Canada. She started fine-tuning her story-telling skills when her eldest grandchild was born 16 years ago. Determined to develop a strong positive bond with him and all of them, she soon developed her IT skills too, using her computer's web-camera. She is a 'born storyteller', an avid reader, and a member of Bradford Writers Circle.

Her first 'fun' book was 'Tell Tales' which had rumbled around her head for several years whilst her friends, and their friends, asked 'How do you do that?' as they listened to Julie telling stories to her grandchildren at the drop of a hat! But the real inspiration was her eldest grandson (aged 2 or 3) answered a stranger on a train who asked her " How do you manage to tell so many stories?" by saying "I put a coin in here (touching her shoulder) and a story comes out here!" (pointing to her mouth).

Julie believes that everyone has the skills to become storytellers, they may just not know it, and this book is designed to help anyone working with children to develop their story-telling skills, and, as a result, the child's love of stories and books, whether they are family members, friends, or paid workers. Whether the adult is near to hand or absent but using social media. The book contains many examples of stories and word-games for the reader to follow and has encouraging exercises and space for notes by the reader.

Gradually she has become interested in Children's Picturebooks, over a wide age range, and now tells stories in poems, making sure she always has beautiful illustrations to go with them .