“The Land of the Moon: where sights and sounds are silver and soon”
A SENSORY STORY ABOUT THE NIGHT
Are you ready to go on a sensory journey through the Land of the Moon? Well, hold on tight because the Storybook and the Performance Edition of The Land of the Moon: where sights and sounds are silver and soon is now available for sensory storytellers! This sensory book release is not your average story, but rather an immersive experience that engages all of our senses. I’m so excited to tell you all about it.
Way to Use this Book
- Incorporate the story into a sensory meditation or mindfulness practice.
- Use the sensory mood board and scenes to create a calming sensory environment for relaxation or meditation.
- Create a sensory play activity inspired by the story.
- Use the sensory wordbook and vocabulary cards to teach sensory words and improve descriptive language skills.
- Use the story as a jumping-off point for a science lesson on the senses or nature.
- Create a sensory scavenger hunt or treasure hunt based on elements from the story.
- Teach empathy and understanding of different sensory experiences.
- Use the story as inspiration for a sensory-based performance art piece.
- Adapt the story for a sensory-friendly theater production for individuals with sensory processing challenges.
- Use the story as a tool for sensory integration therapy.
- Teach sensory exploration and self-regulation skills.
- Host a sensory story time at a library or community center.
- Teach sensory mapping or visualizing skills.
- Teach sensory memory and recall skills.
- Create a sensory art project inspired by elements of the story.
- Teach about different cultures and their sensory traditions.
- Facilitate sensory exploration and sensory play dates for children.
- Create a sensory-based obstacle course or adventure course.
- Use the story as inspiration for a sensory-themed party or event.
- Create a sensory-based lesson plan or curriculum around the story for a school or educational program.
Sensory Stories Take Us Into the Journey
What exactly is a sensory story, you may ask? Sensory stories engage all of our senses by using vivid descriptions of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures. They’re like traditional stories on steroids! They give us a lot more than just the plot and characters to think about, they paint a multidimensional picture for us.
A Chrysanthemum Story is an original sensory story that takes a realistic setting, like the ones we might find in traditional social narratives, and makes it magical with an investigative journey using nothing more than our senses to discover details and find our way through.
The Performance Edition of the newest Chrysanthemum Story takes us into an inclusive experience for everyone who participates. In the Land of the Moon, we’ll see beautiful things, hear familiar and strange sounds, stumble upon fantastic scents, sample delicious recipes, and develop them as superpowers in the story.
Not only are sensory stories a lot of fun, but they can also be used in therapeutic and educational settings to help people with anxiety, sensory processing challenges, and other conditions to relax and focus, learn about emotions, stimulate their senses, and develop self-awareness. Teachers and parents can use sensory stories and social narratives inside of dedicated sensory rooms or even simple storytelling corners to achieve focused learning goals.
Sensory Rooms and Storytelling Performances
Now, let’s talk about sensory rooms. Sensory rooms are amazing spaces that can be enjoyed by everyone, but are particularly important for those with special needs. They’re spaces designed to provide a safe and comfortable environment where people explore and develop sensory processing skills to take beyond the room and further out into the world. Sensory rooms can be particularly helpful for conditions like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), but they’re also a lot of fun for everyone!
Using a sensory story with performance prompts and storytelling supports already built in can be a total game-changer in these spaces. It saves so much time in planning and preparation and gives us a fun and easy way to reimagine our space.
The Performance Edition of Land of the Moon takes sensory rooms to the next level by incorporating effective teaching strategies, tools, toys, and equipment into the story. By using a range of sensory tools and equipment as props for the story scenes, this book will help expand the use of sensory rooms for storyphiles with different abilities and ways of interpreting the world. By incorporating a range of sensory tools and equipment already installed and available in the spaces in new and creative ways, we will create an immersive experience with sensory storytelling.
This edition includes planning tools to help create a customized story performance that is scaled for a unique audience and space. We can use popular sensory tools like aromatherapy scents, sound machines, light projectors, a balance beam, tactile toys, and visual stimulation tools like bubble tubes and blinking string lights. We’ll take an inventory and use this equipment as props for our story scenes. This means that everyone, regardless of their sensory processing strengths, will be able to enjoy an immersive guided narrative experience that is tailored to their individual needs.
Creating Supportive Learning Environments
We’ll also be considering the overall layout and design of the sensory room or space itself. A well-designed sensory room should be comfortable, safe, inviting, and allow for plenty of space for everyone to move around and explore. That’s why the Performance Edition takes into account the overall layout and design of the sensory room or space itself. It’s important to ensure that the room is free from distractions and that the lighting and temperature are appropriate for those using the space.
Everything we need to develop the story performance is included: inventory sheets and props recommendations, performance and stage setup recommendations, prop cutouts, vocabulary cards and a glossary, Recording feedback and responses from the audience during story performances can also be a valuable tool for improving future performances. We can monitor the reactions and make adjustments as needed to develop the best possible story performance over time. This edition includes a form for keeping this record.
Everything we need to develop the story performance is included: inventory sheets and props recommendations, performance and stage setup recommendations, prop cutouts, vocabulary cards and a glossary, Recording feedback and responses from the audience during story performances can also be a valuable tool for improving future performances. We can monitor the reactions and make adjustments as needed to develop the best possible story performance over time. This edition includes a form for keeping this record.
Creating enriching environments and experiences is about more than just the tools and equipment used. It’s about creating an environment that is supportive, inclusive, and empowering for everyone. By working together, we can create sensory spaces that are engaging, inspiring, and truly life-changing for those who engage them.
But it’s not just about the tools and equipment used in sensory rooms. It’s also about creating an environment that is supportive, inclusive, and empowering for everyone. By working together in a visceral sensory story performance, we can create sensory space installations that are inspiring and truly life-changing for people who engage our environment in exceptional ways.
INTRO TO THE LAND OF THE MOON
Welcome, dear friends, to this sensory tale,
A journey of wonder, where senses prevail.
With characters and props to guide your way,
And production notes to lead the play.
First, let us start with the script in hand,
A guide to the story, a path to command.
Read it through and practice with care,
For a smooth performance, is all we dare.
Next, the characters, they must come to life,
With illustrations to aid in the strife.
Use the cutout cards as props to hold,
And bring the story to life, as it’s told.
Sensory words, their meanings to know,
Will help in the journey, a path to show.
Use the cards provided, for easy reference,
To aid in the telling, with eloquence.
Production notes, a guide to the scene,
With special effects, the story to glean.
Read through them before, to understand,
The ambiance and atmosphere, to expand.
With all in place, and all in command,
Begin the performance, with a steady hand.
Lead the audience through the Land of the Moon,
A sensory journey, a wonder to boon.
Announcement
Available Formats
Releases
Story Book Edition release: 76 pages; (printed book on Amazon); (PDF download on TPT); (PDF download on the Chrysanthemum Stories Shop)
Do you like the idea of going on a journey through the senses? That’s exactly what this sensory story is all about. It’s a specially designed narrative that uses vivid descriptions of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures to engage all of them. Along the way, you will see things that look beautiful, hear things that sound familiar, stumble upon fantastic scents, sample recipes that taste delicious, and discover how to develop and use them as superpowers in the story.
Sensory stories are like traditional stories on steroids – they give you a lot more than just the plot and characters to think about, they paint a picture with words that engage all the senses. This makes it a lot more fun to tell and to participate in. Think about it, wouldn’t it be cool to feel like you’re walking through a field of silver grass, smelling the sweet scent of chrysanthemums, hearing the soothing sound of a stream flowing, and feeling the sensation of the lush fur on your fingertips?
And it’s not just for fun, it can also be used in therapeutic and educational settings to help people with anxiety, ADHD, sensory processing disorders, and other conditions relax and focus to learn about emotions, stimulate their senses, and develop self-awareness. Teachers and parents in these realms use sensory stories and social narratives inside of dedicated sensory rooms, or even even simply sensory spaces, to achieve sensory-focused learning goals.
It can be exhausting to come up with new and exciting ways to use your sensory space. Using a published sensory story with performance prompts already built in can be a total game changer. It saves you so much time in planning and preparation, and gives you a fun, easy-to-implement way to immerse your students or children in a sensory experience. Plus, it’s a great way to breathe new life into an existing room or setup. So, if you’re looking for a fun and easy way to shake things up in your sensory room, give a sensory story a try. You won’t be disappointed!
Storytelling Performance Edition release: 112 pages; (printed book on Amazon); (PDF download on TPT); (PDF download on the Chrysanthemum Stories Shop)
This Performance Edition takes the storytelling experience to an extra level by adding live story-telling special effects and Story Cue Options written alongside the Story Script, Characters and Technical support list, an Observation Feedback Record for assessing reactions, Discussion Questions to explore at the end of the story with End Scene Recipes to enjoy. It includes a Sensory Mood Board and Beat Sheet to illustrate the Sensory Path Design as well as recommended support materials pulled from an extensive list of Sensory Room Equipment for setting up the sensory path for the journey. Prepare for your performance by reading through the Performance Notes and setting up your sensory path as the stage. Use the Vocabulary Cards and the Sensory Wordbook to improve comprehension during Act I. If you are keeping it simple, cut out and use the Props in place of additional performers in a small-group setting. Use the Dialogue-only for Text-to-Speech devices for read alouds.
Are you ready to explore a place where your senses come alive and magic is in bloom? Join a curious maven in the Land of the Moon, where a symphony of nature unfolds and silver glow casts a spell. From the petals of chrysanthemums shimmering like diamonds in the moonlight to the fireflies that dance in the night creating a galaxy of stars, this story is an invitation to explore a place where the symphony of fragrances, the melody of the stream, and the composition of textures will leave you with memories of enchantment. This method of storytelling becomes an event unto itself and makes it absolutely memorable.
About
Genres:
Children’s; Epic Fantasy; Fairy Tales and Mythology; Fantasy; Fiction
Juvenile Fiction; Fantasy & Magic; Fairy Tales & Folklore
Pages: 76p (Storybook Edition); 112p (Performance Edition)
Series: Chrysanthemum Stories
Setting: a night garden landscape
Characters: NARRATOR, AUDIENCE, PECKISH RABBIT, SWIFT DEER
Written and Illustrated by: Autumn Rennie
Released: March 17, 2023
Editions: Storybook; Performance; Hardcover; Paperback, eBook, PDF
Weight : 8.8 ounces
Dimensions : 8.25 – 8.5 x 0.37 x 11 inches
Discussion Questions
- What kind of journey are we invited to embark on in our sensory story?
We are invited on a sensory journey through the Land of the Moon, under the night moon, where time is elusive and sleep seems far away.
- How does the NARRATOR invite the AUDIENCE to join her on the journey?
The NARRATOR invites the AUDIENCE to join her on the journey by using sensory language to describe the Land of the Moon and the various challenges and delights she encounters along the way. She encourages the AUDIENCE to use their own senses to imagine the sights, sounds, and smells of the journey and to immerse themselves in the story.
- How long does our journey last?
Our journey lasts the whole night, from dusk, when we see the sunlight fading away, to dawn, when the sun rises again.
- What are the main sensory elements described in our story?
We can experience the STARS, silvery MOONLIGHT, prickly TALL GRASS, FLORAL SCENT of chrysanthemums, GURGLING sound of the STREAM, the twinkling of FIREFLIES, MUNCHING of a soft PECKISH RABBIT and his soft FUR, a EARTH SCENT of the HIDEY-HOLE tunnel, a HOOTING and RUSTLING of leaves in the DARK FOREST, the SWIFT DEER, glowing jumping STONES, and a thick warm FOG by the REFLECTION LAKE.
- What are some of your favorite sensory words from the story?
Use the Glossary and Vocabulary Cards as a reference for reviewing words and their meanings.
- How do we navigate through the Land of the Moon using our senses?
We use our sense of smell to guide us back to the PATH OF CHRYSANTHEMUMS, our sense of touch to navigate through the HIDEY-HOLE, our sense of balance space through the FOG, and our sense of hearing to find our way back to the STREAM.
- How does imagery help describe the setting and sensory elements? Give some examples.
We use imagery like “petals shimmering like diamonds” to describe the chrysanthemums, and “a galaxy of stars” to describe the FIREFLIES.
- What is the climax of our story?
The climax of our story is when we find our way out of the HIDEY-HOLE and reach the DARK FOREST, the storm is at bay, and we can enjoy our journey through the night.
- Do we face any challenges during our journey?
Yes, we face challenges like a storm that makes it difficult to see and hear, a thick FOG that envelops the land and makes it difficult to see. We overcome these challenges by using our other senses to guide us back to the PATH OF CHRYSANTHEMUMS, our sense of touch to navigate through the FOG and TALL GRASS, and our sense of hearing to find our way back to the STREAM.
- What is the role of the chrysanthemums in our story?
The chrysanthemums play a key role in our story as they serve as our guide throughout the sensory journey. Their scent guides us back to the path, and their beauty is a crucial element of the Land of the Moon. The chrysanthemums also symbolize the wonder and beauty of the sensory journey we are on.
- What do the chrysanthemums know?
As our journey guides in the story, the chrysanthemums know the way through the NIGHT.
- What could the color silver represent in our story?
Silver could represent purity and innocence, as well as the MOONLIGHT, which is the main source of light in the Land of the Moon. It could also symbolize mystery and magic, adding a touch of enchantment to our journey.
- What could the fireflies represent in our story?
The FIREFLIES could represent magical wayfinding markers, illuminating the way back to the PATH OF CHRYSANTHEMUMS and the SANCTUARY.
- What could the PECKISH RABBIT represent in our story?
The PECKISH RABBIT could represent innocence, childhood, and naivety. It could also symbolize nature, the environment, and the balance of nature in literature. Additionally, it could represent trickery, deceit, and wit.
- What could the SWIFT DEER represent in our story?
The SWIFT DEER could represent grace, beauty, and poise. It may be used to represent grace, beauty, and poise. Deer are known for their speed and agility, and so they can represent quick thinking, adaptability, and resourcefulness.
- What do the glowing jumping STONES symbolize in the story?
The STONES symbolize a challenge that we must overcome on the journey. They represent the obstacles that we encounter in life and how we must face them head-on and use them to guide our way. They add an element of magic and wonder to the story, making it even more enchanting.
- What is the overall theme of the story?
The overall theme of the story is the power of sensory experience and the beauty of nocturnal nature. The story encourages us to use our senses to appreciate the world around us and to take the time to slow down and appreciate the beautiful experience that surrounds us. It also reminds us that the journey through life is full of challenges, but with determination and an open mind, we can find our way and enjoy the ride.