Dianne de Las Casas SPARKLES! Her passion for reading and her bubbly personality shine and sparkle for anyone who comes in contact with her when she tells her stories or whenever a reader picks up one of her books. I first met Dianne a few years ago at an Arkansas Reading Association Conference. As a guest speaker, she drew a big crowd, drawn by her amazing books and her engaging storytelling. Not only does she write the books, she makes them come alive by presenting them to adults and children. Author and award-winning storyteller Dianne de Las Casas sparkles on stage with “traditional folklore gone fun!” Dianne adapts traditional folklore and draws her audiences into the fun.
My second meeting with her was at an International Literacy Association (ILA) Conference in New Orleans, where she had the president of ILA and two past presidents dressed as characters, using character voices and songs to help her engage and entertain a large group of educators. She shared her joy and passion for books and storytelling with everyone in that room and had all of us sparkling with her. Dianne has agreed to share her love of reading, writing and storytelling with you in The Missouri Reader.
How did you know you were meant to be a writer?
In second grade I told my teacher that I wanted to be a children’s book writer. What I didn’t know at the time was that storytelling would be the vehicle through which I would really learn how to ‘make’ a good story, both orally and eventually, in print. I honed my skills as a storyteller by telling spooky stories to my brother, and then as a volunteer at my local library. My childhood travels around the world with my father who was in the military also contributed to shaping my future as an author and storyteller. I have lived in the Philippines, Hawaii, and Spain, and traveled across Europe and the United States.
When I was in seventh grade, I had a special teacher, Mrs. Good, who was very influential. She read to the students every day. I especially remember her reading The Yearling. At first, students thought they were too mature for reading aloud, but once she was into the story, they became so engaged that they wouldn’t let Mrs. Good miss a reading opportunity. Mrs. Good inspired one of my favorite quotes I created, “You can’t build LEADERS if you don’t build READERS.”
Mrs. Good encouraged me to write and we kept in touch after I finished school. When she retired after 30 years of teaching, she sent me some of my seventh grade writing she had saved, along with a note, “I knew you would become someone someday.”
Tell us about some of your favorite books and how they came about.
When I write a book, I try to have value all around – not only pleasure of reading, but teachable moments embedded in the books. I want the books to appeal to all ages, even readers who may think they are beyond the picture book stage. I strive for relatable characters and include songs and word play.
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he Frayer model of vocabulary instruction is one method that uses a multidimensional approach to help students understand what a word means.
An Interview with Dianne de Las Casas – Motivating Readers with a Sparkling Spirit
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