Episode 7 | Sep 15, 2021
It’s okay to be unsure.
Rhea Pechter
Rhea Pechter is the magical mind and versatile voice behind the top ranking children’s podcast Little Stories for Tiny People. Together, Rhea and David discuss the joys, uncertainties, and challenges of storytelling and daily life. As these two storytellers discuss their creative processes, Rhea shares her belief that there is something deeply comforting about making tangible things. They explore how the act of creating can be a way to center oneself in an often unsettled world. If we can sit with the inevitable uncertainty of life, we convey to kids that sometimes it’s okay to be unsure.
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Rhea has been regaling children around the world with her creative original stories since the podcast launch in 2015. Rhea is also the author and illustrator of the picture book Little Fox Can’t Wait to Dream, a book inspired by her three-year-old. It was born out of necessity as Rhea sought a clever way to...
More About the Guest:
Rhea has been regaling children around the world with her creative original stories since the podcast launch in 2015. Rhea is also the author and illustrator of the picture book Little Fox Can’t Wait to Dream, a book inspired by her three-year-old. It was born out of necessity as Rhea sought a clever way to get him excited about going to bed. From radio shows to paintings, these tangible creations are a touchstone for her. Starting from childhood, Rhea’s imagination never turned off. When she wasn’t filling sketch pads with her drawings, she was reading books or imagining conversations, dialogue, and scenarios. These are all behaviours that have influenced her storytelling as an adult. She compares the art of storytelling to painting: start with big strokes and big ideas, and with every layer you can add more details and flourishes.
More About The Conversation:
David and Rhea discuss the unique situation of connecting to thousands of children through storytelling during the pandemic. They contemplated what needed to be conveyed to children whose lives had been upended. Together, they delve into the concept of uncertainty and how to support children who are forced to come to terms with it at a very young age. How can we show children that it’s okay to be unsure? By tapping into the joy of the everyday and ordinary (or what we may even call boring), parents and children alike can find a sense of rhythm and stability.
About the Story:
When David asks, “What do you think children need to hear right now?” Rhea focuses on normalizing uncertainty. In this way, we can model security for children, even in the face of life’s inevitable uncertainties. Furthermore, we can use this time to learn how to simply be in this very normal space of not knowing. As the story unfolds, we meet Oakley the chipmunk. Oakley is disoriented and anxious when he encounters a thick and heavy fog for the first time. Another character, Old Squirrel, attempts to comfort Oakley by reminding him that the situation is temporary. The fog has been here before and it will eventually leave — but Oakley is not so certain. He longs to be reassured and seeks answers from his parents, his sister, Old Squirrel, and his friend the bunny. But Oakley learns that no one really knows for certain — and it’s okay to be unsure.
Explore more from the episode:
To purchase a copy of Rhea’s book, Little Fox Can’t Wait to Dream.
You can follow Rhea and her life as a podcaster on Facebook, or Instagram.
This episode was recorded on May 18, 2021.
To learn more about Rhea’s podcast, Little Stories for Tiny People, and to get updates on her upcoming book, visit her website.
Episode 7 | Sep 15, 2021
It’s okay to be unsure.
Rhea Pechter
Rhea Pechter is the magical mind and versatile voice behind the top ranking children’s podcast Little Stories for Tiny People. Together, Rhea and David discuss the joys, uncertainties, and challenges of storytelling and daily life. As these two storytellers discuss their creative processes, Rhea shares her belief that there is something deeply comforting about making tangible things. They explore how the act of creating can be a way to center oneself in an often unsettled world. If we can sit with the inevitable uncertainty of life, we convey to kids that sometimes it’s okay to be unsure.
Stream Now:
Share:
Transcript:
To learn more about Rhea’s podcast, Little Stories for Tiny People, and to get updates on her upcoming book, visit her website.
- Read More
- Read Less
Rhea has been regaling children around the world with her creative original stories since the podcast launch in 2015. Rhea is also the author and illustrator of the picture book...
More About the Guest:
Rhea has been regaling children around the world with her creative original stories since the podcast launch in 2015. Rhea is also the author and illustrator of the picture book Little Fox Can’t Wait to Dream, a book inspired by her three-year-old. It was born out of necessity as Rhea sought a clever way to get him excited about going to bed. From radio shows to paintings, these tangible creations are a touchstone for her. Starting from childhood, Rhea’s imagination never turned off. When she wasn’t filling sketch pads with her drawings, she was reading books or imagining conversations, dialogue, and scenarios. These are all behaviours that have influenced her storytelling as an adult. She compares the art of storytelling to painting: start with big strokes and big ideas, and with every layer you can add more details and flourishes.
More About The Conversation:
David and Rhea discuss the unique situation of connecting to thousands of children through storytelling during the pandemic. They contemplated what needed to be conveyed to children whose lives had been upended. Together, they delve into the concept of uncertainty and how to support children who are forced to come to terms with it at a very young age. How can we show children that it’s okay to be unsure? By tapping into the joy of the everyday and ordinary (or what we may even call boring), parents and children alike can find a sense of rhythm and stability.
About the Story:
When David asks, “What do you think children need to hear right now?” Rhea focuses on normalizing uncertainty. In this way, we can model security for children, even in the face of life’s inevitable uncertainties. Furthermore, we can use this time to learn how to simply be in this very normal space of not knowing. As the story unfolds, we meet Oakley the chipmunk. Oakley is disoriented and anxious when he encounters a thick and heavy fog for the first time. Another character, Old Squirrel, attempts to comfort Oakley by reminding him that the situation is temporary. The fog has been here before and it will eventually leave — but Oakley is not so certain. He longs to be reassured and seeks answers from his parents, his sister, Old Squirrel, and his friend the bunny. But Oakley learns that no one really knows for certain — and it’s okay to be unsure.
Explore more from the episode:
To purchase a copy of Rhea’s book, Little Fox Can’t Wait to Dream.
You can follow Rhea and her life as a podcaster on Facebook, or Instagram.
This episode was recorded on May 18, 2021.