How to Tell Stories to Young Children (and Why)

Not everyone is a great storyteller, but everyone can tell a story. "People don't realize they have a story to tell," says Lipkin. "Children love hearing about the small details of everyday life."

Judith Black, who has told stories professionally for 25 years, encourages parents to give it a try. "You don't have to be so creative. Just review what happened during the day." For her own family, Black invented a mouse whose life exactly matched that of her son, Solomon. "The mouse shared many of my son's characteristics and daily experiences. And at the end of every story, he was the hero who solved all the problems."