simon brooks

Under the oaken Bough

This little jewel of a book contains seventeen loved, and some lesser known tales retold in Simon's unique, and slightly irreverent voice. These are all stories Simon tells, and each includes notes about the tale. For those who want to become storytellers there is a Tips on Telling section. If you want to read more, there is a suggested reading list. If you want to learn about Simon and what he does, there is a Q & A. If some of the words confuzzle you, there is a vocabulary list.

I wrote this for young people, to get them excited about folk and fairy tales. I wanted a source for teachers, librarians, parents, and grandparents. I want you to enjoy the old, ancient stories as much as I do!

The fairy godmother of American storytellers, Elizabeth Ellis said this about Under the Oaken Bough: "A delicious collection: a tempting mix of old favorites and rare gems, all shared in Simon Brooks' engaging style. Parents, teachers and tellers will all want this for their libraries. It is made more useful by his informative notes that include folktale index motifs as well as sources and variants. His insightful Tips for Telling is an added bonus."

ARTWORK BY Rob Brookes
https://www.brookesdesign.co.uk/

Published by Parkhurst Brothers, Publishers, Inc
Marion, MI.

Can be purchased from all good brick and mortar bookstores (or on-line), and can be purchased directly from Simon right here: https://simon-brooks.square.site/

The Epic of Gilgamesh, a retelling (for ages 10 and up)

This audio recording is designed for people aged 10 and up. Using for my source material two direct translations from the Cuneiform, and two other versions, I retold the story in a way that I hope is engaging to middle-school audiences, whist staying appropriate for that age range. I have created an authentic although modern rendering of the epic which, I hope, will keep young people interested in this sort of story and encourage them to explore other epics, such as Beowulf, The Ramayana, the Volsungs, the Mahabharata, et al!

Winner of a Parents’ Choice Gold Award - " masterful narrative"

 The Tracks:
Opening Credits & Introduction
Part One: Enkidu
Part Two: The Battle of the Cedar Forest
Part Three: Eternal Life
Closing Credits

Written and retold by Simon Brooks, © & ℗ 2017
All music and sound written and created by Simon Brooks, © & ℗ 2017
Recorded and produced by Simon Brooks in New London, NH 2017

Can be purchased directly from Simon right here at the digital shop!

Second-hand Tales & More Second-hand Tales

Released in 2006 and 2008 respectively.

Second-hand Tales

(Suitable for those aged 4 and up) presented an Honors from Storytelling World for the story The Three Feathers.

The Stories:
How Ananzi Received Stories (from Africa)
Death In a Nut (from Scotland)
The Three Feathers (from Austria) This story was awarded Honours by Storytelling World in 2012
Jaguar and Hare (from South America)

Running time: about 60 minutes.

The Players:
Rick Barrows - Mandolin, tenor banjo
Maureen Burford - Violin
Steve Glazer - Guitar
Simon Brooks - Storyteller, bodhrán

(Music by Barrows, Burford, Glazer and Brooks, © 2006)

ARTWORK By Rob Brookes
https://www.brookesdesign.co.uk/

Second-hand Tales can be purchased directly from Simon right here at the digital shop!

More Second-hand Tales

(Suitable for those aged 5 and up) awarded a Silver Honors by Parents’ Choice

The Stories:
The Dragon and the Monkey's Heart (from India)
The Shape-shifting Girl (a retelling of a Norwegian tale)
The Goat From the Hills and Mountains (an Hispanic tale from Alma Flor Ada)
One Wish (an Irish tale remembered from childhood)

Running time: about 60 minutes.

The Players:
Rick Barrows - Mandolin, tenor banjo
Steve Glazer - Guitar
Greg Gundlach - Guitar
Simon Brooks - Storyteller, bodhrán

(Music by Barrows, Glazer, Gundlach and Brooks, © 2008)

ARTWORK By Rob Brookes
https://www.brookesdesign.co.uk/

More Second-hand Tales can be purchased directly from Simon right here at the digital shop!

A tangle of Tales & Moonlit Stories

Released 2011 and 2015 resepectively.

A Tangle of Tales

(Suitable for those aged 8 and up) awarded a Gold Award by Parents’ Choice and this CD was awarded Honours by Storytelling World in 2012

The Stories:
The Song Unsung, the Story Untold (from India)
The Fly (from Vietnam)
The Piper's Revenge (from Scotland)
The White Trout (from Ireland)

Running time: about 70 minutes.

The Players:
Rick Barrows - Mandolin, mandola
Rachel Clark - accordion, whistle, Irish flute
Steve Glazer - Guitar
Simon Brooks - Storyteller, bodhrán

(Music written by Rachel Clark © 2011)

ARTWORK By Rob Brookes
https://www.brookesdesign.co.uk/

A Tangle of Tales can be purchased directly from Simon right here at the digital shop!

Moonlit Stories

(Suitable for all ages)

The Stories:
The Devil and the Blacksmith (from Ireland)
Tam Lim (from Scotland)
Falling Leaves (music)
The Selkies Gift (from Scotland)

Running time: about 50 minutes.

The Player:
Simon Brooks - Storyteller, bodhrán, penny whistle and drums

(Music by Simon Brooks, © 2015)

ARTWORK By Rob Brookes
https://www.brookesdesign.co.uk/

Moonlit Stories can be purchased directly from Simon right here at the digital shop!

A Flight of Stories

(Suitable for all ages)

The Stories:
Jack John (from England)
Stone Soup (from Eastern Russia)
Issun Boshi (from Japan)
Fly Eagle, Fly (African)

Running time: about 65 minutes

The Players:
Rick Barrows - Mandolin
Steve Glazer - Guitar
Marek Bennett - Banjo, oil drum bass, violin
Simon Brooks - Storyteller, bodhrán, cajone

(Music by Brooks, arrangement by Barrows, Bennett, Brooks and Glazer © 2020)

ARTWORK By Rob Brookes
https://www.brookesdesign.co.uk/

A Flight of Stories can be purchased directly from Simon right here at the digital shop!