NEW PODCAST AIMED AT THE LITTLES LAUNCHES
Parents looking for a way to entertain their toddlers, preschoolers and young children as they shelter in place have a new resource by the name of Tiny Toreros Story Time, a free podcast that’s “designed to be listened to throughout the day, or as you get ready for bedtime.”
Stories are narrated in English and Spanish by Director of International Engagement and Alumni Outreach Claudia Gonzales ’99 (BA), ’03 (MA), and started streaming on March 28, 2020. New episodes will be going up every week. Gonzales, who travels quite a bit for work, kept connected with her nieces — age 2 and 5 — while she was on the road by narrating and recording stories for them using her iPhone. “That way, if we were in different time zones, they could still listen at bedtime.” Now that so many are hunkered down at home, she thought, “Why not read these stories for all of the Torero kids?”
In her online introduction to the podcast, Gonzales says, “the Alumni Association, like many of our alumni, is looking for ways to stay engaged and connected with each other.” With just a minimal amount of promotion on social media in the past week, the podcast already has listeners far beyond the U.S., ranging from Australia to Canada to Italy to Germany to the Philippines and beyond.
Gonzales warmly welcomes listeners at the beginning of the first episode by asking, “Are you ready for a story? Great! All right little ones, get comfy, get cozy. Sit back, relax and enjoy. Today’s story is The Gruffalo’s Child, written by Julia Donaldson.”
Her warm, engaging voice invokes the very feelings of coziness that a story told by a beloved family member would. And the tale unfolds: The Gruffalo’s child encounters other creatures in a perhaps misguided quest to find the whereabouts of the Big Bad Mouse they had been told about. There will be no spoilers here, but suffice to say, the Gruffalo’s child finds more than they bargained for.
Gonzales closes with a cheery, “Be sure to check back for more stories, read just for you. Take care, tiny Toreros.”
And that, as they say, is the end. — Julene Snyder
Listen to Tiny Toreros Story Time
Have a story to share about Toreros responding to the COVID-19 pandemic? We’d love to hear from you!
Social: #TorerosTogether
Email: dcim@sandiego.edu
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