RENEE Price\u2019s passion is creating imaginative experiences for children.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve done that for my own children for 12 years,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s something that I always wanted to explore more but haven\u2019t really had the chance.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was until late last year when Mrs Price and Collins Booksellers on Lydiard Owner, Tracey Willersdorf put their heads together to create Faraway Storytelling, an engaging weekly children\u2019s literary experience.<\/p>\n
Mrs Price chooses one or a selection or stories each Tuesday to take children\u2019s imaginations to another place for thirty minutes.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome weeks we\u2019ll just read a variety of books and other weeks it\u2019ll be a theme. I want the children to feel like the books are coming to life,\u201d Mrs Price said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m so lucky to have such a variety of books to choose from, and books that you can see really engage the children.\u201d<\/p>\n
Five to ten children usually attend the free session each week, which is perfect for three to five-year olds.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just like the idea that we\u2019ve got people who are regular customers to the store, but some people might come in and haven\u2019t been here before.<\/p>\n
They get to experience this beautiful space,\u201d Mrs Price said.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo have this little nook that we can take over each week, and having young kids sit and just be mesmerised by the stories is just really rewarding.\u201d<\/p>\n
The literary community is currently celebrating 30 years of Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury, and 11 million copies sold.<\/p>\n
Last week, Faraway Storytelling joined in the fun, creating an interactive Bear Hunt experience for children to swish through grass, splosh through a river, squelch through mud, stumble trip through a forest, whirl through a snowstorm and tiptoe through a cave, all inside Collins on Lydiard.<\/p>\n
Ms Willersdorf modelled this shop space on England\u2019s oldest bookstore, Hatchard\u2019s, established
\nin 1797.<\/p>\n
The iconic Piccadilly store, next door to Fortnum and Mason, has become a real landmark for London, and Mrs Willersdorf hopes Collins can be a \u201cdestination bookstore\u201d for Ballarat too.<\/p>\n
Over Easter, the shop hosted an interactive Harry Potter themed week of experiences.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor people to come into the store and feel like they\u2019re a part of the experience was really important,\u201d Mrs Price said.<\/p>\n
Recently she also facilitated Faraway Storytelling with a Wizard of Oz theme.<\/p>\n
\u201cI brought in the yellow brick road, and dressed as Dorothy, and had all the props for the children to act out parts of the story,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love doing that and they love doing that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs Willersdorf looks forward to hosting more activities like this for children and adults alike, and enticing new people into the store.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a teacher and I love reading,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019d\u00a0like everyone to be immersed in books and print.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe storytelling is such a good thing to be able to offer, that anyone can come in and have that experience in our bookstore.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just want to give every child a beautiful experience with our bookstore and with our reading.\u201d<\/p>\n
Faraway Storytelling runs from 10am to 10.30am every Tuesday during school terms at Collins Booksellers, 22 Lydiard Street North, Ballarat.<\/p>\n
Keep up to date with events at the store at facebook.com\/CollinsBooksellersonLydiard.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
RENEE Price\u2019s passion is creating imaginative experiences for children. \u201cI\u2019ve done that for my own children for 12 years,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s something that I always wanted to explore more but haven\u2019t really had the chance.\u201d That was until late last year when Mrs Price and Collins Booksellers on Lydiard Owner, Tracey Willersdorf put their […]<\/p>\n