Kamishibai

When the doors of the Kamishibai open and the picture cards become visible one by one, a very special atmosphere is created, along with the story that the storyteller presents in their personal way. The storytelling theater captivates both young and old audiences and invites them on a journey into the world of stories.

Picture and storytelling theater

The Kamishibai – literally translated as “paper theater” (kami = paper, shibai = theater) – originated in Japan. The picture theater or “storytelling theater” has a long tradition here and is a special form of storytelling.
It consists of picture cards that illustrate the individual scenes of a story. The picture cards are presented in a stage-like frame. Throughout the narrated story, one picture is shown after another. Each still image can be viewed calmly on its own. Meanwhile, a person tells the story. The focus is on the pictorial representation of the spoken words. The storyteller stands next to the frame and addresses the audience directly. They engage in conversation about the picture cards, and the audience is actively involved in the events.
Telling stories with Kamishibai has great value for child development. The illustrated stories stimulate creativity and imagination and contribute to an extensive vocabulary. While television and movies confront children with rapid sequences of images, they have plenty of time with “cinema without electricity” to take a close look and engage with the events of a story.
The Kamishibai is used for creative language and reading development in nurseries, kindergartens, and schools. It helps to learn holistically, to tell stories based on images, to develop one’s own imagination and personality, as well as to structure and visualize content, and it promotes concentration and communication skills.

Kamishibai "The Gruffalo's Child"
The dark forest, the Gruffalo warns his child, is full of dangers, for there lives the big, bad mouse.

For children aged 3 and up. Registration required.

Time: 3:30 p.m.
Cost: Free admission
Location: Central Library Prüm
Info Tel.: 06551-965812
E-Mail: buecherei@pruem.de