Tell Me A Story, Vol. II

Mary Carter Smith, well-known American storyteller and co-founder of the Festival of Black Storytellers, performs a lively and very competent rendition of John Henry and five African tales before an audience of upper elementary level children. The Talking Skull is the best of her stories, while John Henry, surprisingly, is the weakest. She also repeatedly closes her eyes while telling Moseoatunya, a distracting mannerism which she doesn't repeat in her other stories. These problems aside, for adults who are interested in storytelling, this tape is an excellent example of the delivery and style of a master storyteller. But a video performance, even by a storyteller of this caliber, is not a substitute for a live program. The other storytellers in the series are Lynn Rubright (Vol. I), Michael "Badhair" Williams (Vol. III), and Ruthmarie Arguello Sheehan (Vol. IV). Recommended as an aid for interested adults and children's librarians. (Vivian Fetty).