Reviews of Rocking Chair Tales. Story telling will engage children and develop their love of reading. Creative writing workshops help children to significantly improve their writing skills.

Dear Mr. Cain, Thank you for reading to our class. Your story made us laugh! You are a great reader! Your book was so funny. It was a great Christmas story! Santa was fat and happy. We loved your story. Please come back to read to us if you can!

Ms. Bellini's 1st Grade, USA

"Mr. Cain is an amazing storyteller. My students were completely entertained and would have sat through many more stories. His use of different voices for each character was engaging for my first graders. I would welcome him into my classroom anytime."

Kristine Carlisle – 1st Grade, USA, Ulis Newton Elementary, Henderson, Nevada, USA

"Brilliant. Children were involved and loved being part of the stories. Thanks!" - DK

Reception teachers

"The stories were appropriate for the age of the children. The children enjoyed taking part in the stories. - AR

Year 1 teachers

"The children were completely focused and really enjoyed the stories. After studying The Great Fire of London this session really consolidated their learning. - RL

Year 2 teachers

"All of the children were engrossed in the storytelling and enjoyed the opportunity to join in. They especially liked the disgusting parts of the storytelling. - SG / CJ

Years 3&4 teachers

"Good to have props and puppets and involve children in acting. The children liked the story teller acting and found it really amusing."

Nursery & Reception teachers

"Children were engaged from the very beginning. They really enjoyed the hands on nature of joining in ie. making the noises. Made you feel like you were in the story. Really good because it catered for all different learning styles."

R. Barrett - Y1 - Weymouth

"STORY OF GANESH: Well pitched and linked to Y5&6 RE curriculum. Children gripped by the drama in the story. WOLF BROTHER: Great to introduce ne author and series of books. Inspiring for the children. LICKED: Boys particularly liked this one! They all liked helping with the noises. Great! Disgusting but great! A great way to end our World Book Day - Thank you."

E. Roberts - Y5&6 - Dorset

"An excellent hour of reading which provided the children with inspiration and enthusiasm for reading some of the material. All were enthralled and I am sure that many of the children will go searching for these books. Thank you for the variety."

P. Harman - Y5 - Grantham

"Children were mesmerised by the sound effects and actions involved in the stories. Super selection of children's' tales. Thank you."

Mrs. Bell - y2 - Lincolnshire

"Fabulous! The Christmas display was beautiful. Your Christmas rug engaged them straight away. It was lovely to see them enthralled with stories in our modern 'high tech / gadget' world! Having a knight in a Christmas story certainly grabbed our 17 boys' attention. Lovely to have different stories that they have not heard before. Also, a visitor, especially male, in our totally female environment was very special."

A. Lawes - Y2 - Northants.

"Cyclops - great choice of story. Great to listen to! Good example of how children can use a book to prompt good storytelling. Rocking chair added to relaxed atmosphere. Interesting to see how children reacted without visual aids to engage them. The Toad & the Snail - children mostly attentive - some agog! Overall they listened very well to a wonderfully told poem. "Licked" by Paul Jennings - disgusting! Just what children love - should be on BBC Radio 7! A very enjoyable session - many thanks!

Year 5/6 teacher

" Excellent delivery of the stories. The children loved the sound effects and voices. Good use of props."

S. Williams, Reception

"Telling a story, without a book, really captured the children's imagination. They also enjoyed huffing and puffing!"

J. Harrison, Reception

"It was good for the children to just listen to the stories (rather than seeing pictures too). We enjoyed the sound effects!"

H. Jarvela, Year 1

Really good range of artefacts. Children really became involved."

Year 2 teacher

"Children really enjoyed it, especially characterisations (voices, actions etc…). Paul Jennings story particularly captured their attention."

Year 3/4 teacher

"Excellent. Children were all interested."
"Using children to act was good."
"All enjoyed stories and found it funny."

Year 1 teachers

"You had their attention as soon as you got the sword out! The children really enjoyed the storytelling. Thank you"

Mrs. White - Y2 - Derbyshire

"Lovely resources. Children loved the visual interaction, really brought the stories to life for them! Stories were age related and very interesting to them. They were 'spellbound'! Thank you."

Mrs. Edwards - Y2 - Church Gresley

"Fantastic interactive stories. Wonderful to hear the old stories told in different ways. Thank you!"

Miss Travis - Reception - Derbyshire

"The children have really enjoyed the activities and were absorbed by the storytelling. The loved making their own rings and discussing what it might do. All the children were inspired to write their own stories, they'd had lots of ideas to use and enjoyed the discussions as a class and with each other."

Y2 - Northants.

"The children were enthralled by the story and enjoyed joining in with actions. I liked the particular attention to correct vocabulary for the tools etc... Liked the bit where they got the chance to mime."

Rec/Y1 - Blakesley

"Loved how interactive the experience was. Children were fully engaged. I thought the timing was spot on."

C. Wain - Y2 - Devon

"Lovely set up, good nature with young children. Children listened really well. Encouraging children to join in with actions worked well!"

L. Jewell - Reception - Torbay

"A good selection of stories from around the world and great visual aids. I feel very Christmassy now! Thank you!"

Miss Clark - Y 3&4 - Cambridgeshire

"Some lovely props and resources - set up beautifully. Thank you very much for including some Danish stories for us! Calm, purposeful atmosphere with lots of questions to keep the children entertained and amused."

G. Pearson - Y2 - Harrowgate

Children enjoyed the narration of 'Wind in the Willows' and the different voices used helped to sustain their attention and enthusiasm. Great to see the historical resources / artefacts – prompted some good responses and discussion (particularly from children who are reluctant to participate). 'Machine Gunners' was particularly relevant as this is a book Y6 have been using as part of their work on World War 11. Lovely atmosphere. We all really enjoyed and appreciated the Storyteller's visit.

Karen Brown (year 6)

"Lovely reading - nice to have a story just to enjoy. Thank You."

G Ragg (year 2 Teacher)

"Loved 'Horrid Henry' and 'Licked'."

Year 2 teacher

"They enjoyed Beowulf and the Paul Jennings story (Pink Bow Tie)."

J Taylor (year 3 teacher)

"Artefacts were a good idea. The Strap Box Flyer was a good choice."

S Smith (year 4 teacher)

"They were all on task and excited to create their own version of a traditional tale and a storyboard to go with it. A great afternoon. Thank you!"

C. Adnitt - Y2 - Barnet

"Extremely enjoyable session which built upon the work we've been doing about description/sentence improvement. Great mixture of stimuli."

J.F. Bennett - Y3 - Croydon

"I thought the range of stimuli (objects/sounds/video clips/ photographs) were very good, and it was clear the children were really interested and motivated to write. The handouts were good too."

K. Ingrams - Y4 - Independent School

"Selection of stories was very good. They were interesting and age appropriate. Very entertaining delivery. The children remained engaged for the whole session."

J. Marsh - Y 3&4 - Leamington Spa

"Wonderful for them to have such a gentle male storyteller. Great humour too! All totally engaged. Many thanks."

P. Cheelham - Y1 - Kent