Donna.L Washington author page

Donna.L Washington biography

Donna L. Washington is a professional storyteller, recording artist and children’s author. She performs at festivals, schools and libraries, and she gives workshops for parents and educators. She graduated from Northwestern University with a BS in speech. Her storytelling recordings have received Gold and Silver Parents’ Choice Awards, Storytelling World Awards, iParenting Awards, Children’s Music Web Awards and National Parenting Publications Awards Honors.

Washington’s first book was The Story of Kwanzaa, illustrated by Stephen Taylor and released on 30 October 1996. The picture-book nonfiction title explains the seven-day festival of Kwanzaa, including the seven principles, African and African-American heritage, a brief history section, a glossary, instructions for making a cow tail switch and a recipe for benne cakes.

A Pride of African Tales, illustrated by James Ransome, is an 80-page children’s collection in which Washington retells six traditional stories from African nations including Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon and the Congo. The collection includes an Anansi trickster tale and a story called The Wedding Basket.

Li’l Rabbit’s Kwanzaa, illustrated by Shane W. Evans, is a 32-page picture book for ages 4 to 8. The story follows Li’l Rabbit as he tries to help Granna Rabbit celebrate Karamu during Kwanzaa, and the book includes two final pages about the Nguzo Saba, the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa.

Boo Stew, illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler, is a 32-page picture book that reworks Goldilocks through Curly Locks, the Scares of Toadsuck Swamp and a repeated storytelling refrain. The paperback edition of Boo Stew was published by Candlewick Press on 27 August 2024.

Donna L. Washington teaching resources

• Donna L. Washington’s official website provides information about her books, storytelling performances, virtual programs, educator workshops, school visits, videos and booking arrangements.
• Donna Washington’s virtual-storytelling page describes recorded and live school programs organized for grades K-2, 3-5, middle school and high school, with sets featuring folktales, literary stories, personal narratives and age-specific themes.
• Donna Washington’s workshops and residencies page describes professional learning and student workshops covering language and literacy, creative drama, oral storytelling, story development, vocal technique and using storytelling in classrooms and libraries.
• Durham Arts Council’s Donna Washington workshop lesson plan is a 13-page high-school resource with background on oral traditions, storytelling techniques, vocal control, pacing, pitch, sound effects and an imagination game for developing original narratives.
• Durham Arts Council’s Donna Washington performance lesson plan is a 19-page guide covering the history and purposes of storytelling, narrative structure, folklore, persuasive storytelling and activities for preparing students for a live performance.
• The Kennedy Center’s storytelling collection provides lesson plans, videos and classroom activities exploring oral storytelling through theater, music, dance, writing and visual art, including a storytelling presentation by Donna Washington.