Imaginations Soar With
Christine Petrell Kallevig

HOW? Christine relies heavily on her background as a former classroom teacher and music therapist when she selects material that's appropriate for various ages and settings. Teaching creative writing and simple origami techniques is a part of every Storigami session, but she also likes to donate more elaborate origami models to the schools she visits.

The Origami Dog Sled Team pictured here is a sculpture she designed specially for a school in Alaska during a visit in April 2004. She's also folded origami safari animals like this lion, giraffe, and African elephant. Other gifts to schools included falcons, wolves, bears, eagles, tigers, elk, and bison as special origami mascots for school media centers, principal desks, or lobby showcases.

The most unusual origami sculpture Christine Kallevig made in 2007 was a Ceramic for Crooksville K-8 School (Crooksville, Ohio). Their mascot is a man at a potter's wheel. An interesting origami challenge in 2008 was designing an origami Railroader for a school in Garrett, Indiana. 2009 introduced two design opportunities: a Redford, Michigan St. Valentine's Volt (she created a spinning three-dimensional flash of blue and white lightening) and a Smethport, Pennsylvania Hubber, which she constructed out of twelve interlocking origami smiles in alternating school colors.

WHY? Storigami is good for our brains! When a story is illustrated by progressive origami folds, recalling the events of the story is the same as recalling the steps necessary to create the origami figure. Short-term memory is greatly enhanced, the whole brain is activated, and everyone has fun while learning exciting, new paper folding skills. Download more information about the educational, developmental, and emotional benefits of combining origami and stories.

WHO? She presents programs and workshops at schools, libraries, museums, churches, festivals, and conferences. Although her audiences are usually young authors themselves, she loves to speak to "young at heart" adults as well, especially at banquets or association meetings. Creative writing techniques, such as how to research, edit, and develop characters are included in every school program. See photos of:

• Origami Adventures at the Akron, Ohio Art Museum
• Storytelling at an Ohio elementary school
• Christine Petrell Kallevig accepts the Florence Temko Award in New York City

WHERE? Save travel fees by booking Christine when she's in your area. She appeared in several regions throughout the country during the last few years and is currently accepting bookings for visits nationwide for 2009 and 2010.

Send your request to foldalong@.att.net immediately to reserve your preferred date! There are almost always openings for schools within driving distance from Cleveland, Ohio, especially in Western New York, Western Pennsylvania, Southern Michigan, and anywhere in Ohio. Contact her ASAP and she'll try hard to fit an author visit into her travel calendar.

Interested in Christine's new presentations about Ohio public art? She's written wonderful new student booklets and teacher guides called OUR SCULPTURES OURSELVES. They reveal the hidden and often forgotten facts about historical Ohio monuments and sculptures, such as the amazing Guardians of Traffic and Sailors' and Soldiers Monument in Cleveland. Include your children or students by purchasing classroom sets with a credit card at storytimeink.home.att.net. Need to be reimbursed? You can also download a purchase order form to send through your district's official purchasing channels.

CONTACT: Click HERE for complete descriptions
of Christine's school visits, conference presentations, and other storytelling programs, including fees, recommended ages, group size limits, and references - or keep reading and then follow the PRESENTATION DETAILS link near the bottom of the page.

Call (440) 838-4881 or send an E-Mail to foldalong@att.net for references and availability.

Christine's Amazing Fabric Origami Hat Band:
See close-up photos of the eight fabric origami models on her hat band.

Christine's Awesome Origami Crane Necklace:
She usually wears a silver crane necklace along with her fabric origami frog necklace when she tells Storigami tales during school author visits in Ohio and nationwide. It's become almost as popular as the origami stories! She's always asked where it can be purchased. Well - all you have to do is click on the Amazon.com link above to buy a similar crane charm to wear with your own silver chain.