Creative tales

Whenever work gets him down, Chairit Srirojrit has the perfect pick-me-up. He heads to his local kindergarten and tells the kids a few fancy tales.

"Working with adults often gives me a headache," he grimaces. "But the smile of a child is like a pill that instantly cures the pain and chases away the worries."

It's a remedy that obviously works, as Chairit has been delighting the pre-school set with his stories for more than a decade.

Phi Moo, as he's known to the little ones, started his career as a weekend storyteller for the KFC fast-food chain after earning a bachelor's degree in Children's Literature from Srinakharinwirot University back in 1997.

"It was a real challenge," says the 32-year-old. "In a restaurant, you are competing with the food and television and you need to work extra-hard to get the kids to focus on you, on the book and on the story."

But Chairit had few problems, largely he says, thanks to his time on storytelling and drama courses at university.

Three years later, he was working fulltime at publishers Plan For Kids, and his stage expanded from a small corner in a restaurant to schools and the National Book Fair.

A good storyteller doesn't just read what is written in the book. He or she also needs to act so as to capture the children's interest.

"Self-confidence is the most important qualification for this job. You may have to act clumsy just for the fun of kids - say, do a Charlie Chaplin walk," explains Chairit.

"Little children love seeing adults do ridiculous things. Their happiness comes from seeing us make mistakes."

And, even if you sing off key or can't draw to save your life, don't avoid stories that require your artistic input, Chairit advises.

"To a kindergarten child, parents and teachers never do anything wrong. So, no matter how badly you sing or draw, they'll never know," he says.

"Always bear in mind that what you must put in the story is happiness, never your anxieties."

Tricks to capture children's attention

>> Periodically asks open questions to let them interact with you and your story.

>> Never say, "No, you are wrong." It discourages kids and puts them off participating.

Watchara Saengsrisin

The Nation