To brighten up the fall and winter seasons, the Vaka Studio Society is presenting an album of children’s stories read by Paula Foot and featuring original music by Thomas Kuecks, titled Moments with Miss Paula: Stories for Fall and Winter.
Recorded in the Cowichan Valley, the stories will appeal to six-, seven-, and eight-year-olds, and listeners of any age, who still live in imaginative worlds.
“These stories are intended to awaken a child’s sense of adventure — secure in the realization that they will return to a place of love and security,” says storyteller Foot. “Courage and kindness are the underlying themes.”
Moments with Miss Paula features the following stories:
• “Crossing the Sea” — A child who wants to make the world a happier place embarks on a perilous voyage, aided by the Knight Michael.
• “Spindlewood” — Mother Earth calls all the elemental beings of nature home for the winter, and a girl journeys into the dark wood to find out where they have gone.
• “The Cat and the Pumpkin” — The two titular characters befriend each other and set out to find the right home.
• “Little Red Cap” — A family who fight and quarrel, find peace and joy, thanks to a visiting angel in disguise.
• “The White Bird” — The discovery of a magic bird helps a lonely couple to discover what is needed to have their wish come true.
• “The Anna Angel” — Magic happens on Christmas eve, and a dream becomes reality.
Thomas Kuecks provides the Vaka Studio for recording and plays the background music on guitar. Four-year-old Bellamy Kuecks introduces the stories, most of which are sourced from Autumn and Winter from Wynstones Press publications, with their permission. The Halloween story comes from a 1911 story book, Tell it Again.
Foot is a highly respected teacher and storyteller who taught for over three decades in the Cowichan Valley at Sunrise Waldorf School and Evergreen Independent School.
The album is available on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play and other online streaming services and retailers.
