 Once you're ready to read the book in front of an audience, be sure to introduce yourself. Make sure that the children are comfortable and that everyone can see the book. And I used to read this to my son all the time and he loved it. Usually I do some kind of a little bit of chatter about what's happening and why I've brought this particular book for them to share with them that day, whether it's a topic, something that's happened in the weather, or it just happens to be a favorite story of mine. Just to connect with them and let them know that we are beginning to start the story. And the story I'm going to tell today is How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Mark Teague, who likes dinosaurs. Before you begin reading, it is important to tell the children who the author and illustrator are. By highlighting who created the book, you can give the author and illustrator the credit they deserve, while also giving the children the opportunity to seek out other books by the same people. As you begin to read, there are a few things you need to remember in order to keep the audience engaged in the story. Show the book to the audience. When I'm reading a story, I always hold the book up and I always move the book around to the entire audience to make sure that they can all see it. By moving the book from side to side during the story, you not only make sure that everyone can see, you also add action and movement to the story. Make eye contact. Don't just look at the book and what you're reading, turn to your audience from time to time and make eye contact. Check to make sure that the children are still engaged and change your pace or inflection if you seem to be losing their attention. Invite audience participation. Involve the children in the story, whether it's through the repetition of a phrase in the book or a sound effect you add yourself. I know with one of the stories that I've told, there's some chanting that goes on and that was really fun for the kids. Danny counted. Six ducks, another duck. Seven ducks, another duck. Eight ducks, another duck. Use your voice. Use inflection and emotion while you read. I like to vary the pacing of the stories so you're not going reading at the same pace all the time. When things get a little tense or a little scary you want to slow down your reading and then when it gets exciting you're going to speed things up. When you read with excitement and you read when you change your voice, when you read like you really love the story, then the children are going to notice that and they're going to, you're going to get them interested in the story and hopefully you'll get them to love your story also. Use character voices. Try to use a different voice or tone for each character. This helps the children understand that there are different characters that inhabit the story. And the little dog said, how come? How come you are so fat? And the greedy old fat man said, well, I ate a hundred biscuits. Be alive and enthusiastic. The children will catch your enthusiasm. They will live the story as it is read. Be as dramatic as you possibly can be because the story is alive for children listening to it. It's not just a printed words on a page. They are actually living that story as you're telling it.