Princesses, Dragons, and Helicopter Stories

Storytelling and Story Acting in the Early Years

Covering everything from introducing the idea of storytelling, to scribing children’s words and bringing their ideas to life through acting, this second edition of Princesses, Dragons and Helicopter Stories provides a practical, step-by-step guide to using the Helicoper Stories approach with young children.

Storytelling and fantasy play are central to how young children make sense of their world, build relationships, and express themselves. Developed and championed by MakeBelieve Arts, Helicopter Stories is a simple yet powerful way to harness these natural impulses. Rooted in the storytelling and story acting work of Vivian Gussin Paley, and adapted for UK classrooms by theatre director Trisha Lee, this inclusive approach is now used in thousands of early years settings across the country, and increasingly in classrooms around the world.

Tried, tested, and proven to have a significant impact on children’s literacy, communication, confidence, and social-emotional development, Helicopter Stories offers a unique combination of creativity and structure, allowing every child to become a storyteller, an actor, and an engaged member of a collaborative classroom community.

This second edition of Princesses, Dragons, and Helicopter Stories provides a practical, step-by-step guide to using the approach with young children. Covering everything from introducing the idea of storytelling, to scribing children’s words and bringing their ideas to life through acting, this book includes:

• Clear guidelines for scribing stories, creating a stage, and acting out children’s narratives
• Support for exploring taboos and sensitive themes in children’s stories
• Strategies to engage children who are reluctant to speak or act
• Advice for supporting children with English as an Additional Language
• Reflections on how the approach supports holistic child development across the early years

Full of real-life examples and practical ideas, and featuring a foreword by Vivian Gussin Paley, this updated edition also includes new insights, photographs, and lessons learned over a decade of practice. It is essential reading for anyone working with young children who believes in the power of stories to unlock language, imagination, and connection.

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• USA: 7 to 15 working days
• Rest of the World: 9 to 21 working days

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