Kearney Public Library, (Brian Neben, Central Nebraska Today)
KEARNEY — Celebrate the Kearney Area Storytelling Festival with national award-winning storytellers Mo Reynolds and Joe Hayes at the Kearney Public Library!
- Thursday, Feb. 8 at 7 pm. Join us for an evening of Stories for Families with Mo Reynolds. She is a professional storyteller who weaves folk tales with personal narratives, drawing connections along the way and inviting listeners to be part of the story. Mo has been telling stories for many years, performing for audiences since 2016.
She earned the Diamonds in the Dust Diamond Award Scholarship in 2020 to help build her YouTube channel, where she spreads the art of storytelling to a broad audience around the world. Mo shares stories to foster connection, encourage confidence, and invite compassion. Based in Idaho, she travels the country weaving personal stories with folk and fairy tales, while throwing in a tall tale here and there. Mo was a Featured Storyteller at the 2023 National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee. All ages are welcome.
- Friday, Feb. 9 at 10:30 am. Joe Hayes will share Stories for Preschoolers and their families. He has traveled the country telling stories for over 40 years. This pioneer of bilingual Spanish/English storytelling has published over 25 books, many in both English and Spanish. Born in Pennsylvania, he moved to Benson, AZ with his family at a young age. It was there that Joe picked up the Spanish that would become an integral part of his storytelling and writing.
He feels his bilingual approach to storytelling helps Spanish-speaking children feel proud of their heritage and helps non-Hispanic children appreciate the Spanish language and Hispanic culture. Someone has said that enemies are just people whose stories we don’t know. Joe sees a lot of truth in that. The more other peoples’ stories are hidden from us, the easier it is for us to view them as enemies.
When we learn their stories, we recognize all we share in common, and we delight in how the unique beauty of their traditions enriches our own lives. Stories are geared for preschool/early elementary. However, patrons of all ages are invited to enjoy the program! See you at the Kearney Public Library, 2020 1st Avenue, for stories and more! Additional information is available on the festival website: www.kearneystorytellingfestival.org
