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Gold medals and trophies glitter on the walls of his Parisian home, and his canine siblings are all proud athletes. But no one admires the little dachshund, Nickel, even though he's a great artist! Nickel isn't like any other dog. Jumping for balls and sticks doesn't appeal to him. Nickel has completely different passions: he paints, crafts, and potters, hidden away in his secret garden. His owners simply don't understand his art and just throw it away like holes in socks! One fabulous day in the park, Nickel spots a curious, paint-splattered group of artists and, with the help of his keen nose, sets off to track them down. The greatest adventure of his life begins: a well-behaved lapdog for his owners by day, a passionate artist among kindred spirits by night—as long as no one at home notices his paint-smeared paws.

We enjoyed a cheerful morning of stories and crafts all about Easter.

Together we will experience a current Easter story to get in the mood for the Easter Bunny.

For the four winning children of the Rorschach local citizens' Advent calendar, there will be an exclusive storytelling performance today with Katja's storytelling and Kamishibai world, complete with all the trimmings...and a little surprise at the end.

Squirrel couldn't believe his eyes when he sleepily crept out of his tree one morning: everything outside was white. No wonder, since it was winter and it had snowed overnight. Snow? Squirrel had never even heard of it. But luckily, he had his best friend, Bird, who showed him how much fun it could be. "That's right," thought Squirrel, "a snowball fight is really great." But when he woke up the next morning, excited and looking forward to even more fun games in the snow, the white splendor was already gone. Squirrel was sure of one thing: a cheeky snow thief was up to no good! Had he stolen his beloved hazelnuts too?

In winter, food is often scarce, so we learn to share and what it means to make friends.

We're getting cozy with a heartwarming story about sharing and animals in winter.

There's a fight between George the Snowman and Holm the Snow Hare, even though they're the very best of friends. What started as a great idea – a Snow Olympics! – has turned into a huge row. They both see themselves as winners! But when George and Holm sit sulking in the snow, they become sad... and realize that making up after a fight isn't so easy. With a little courage and imagination, the two manage to reconcile. And in the end, they experience a big surprise.

Far in the distance, the mouse sees a large walnut tree. She wants to go there to gather her winter stores. She travels across meadows and fields, and everywhere the animals warn her of the approaching storm. Just as she finally arrives at the walnut tree, the thunderstorm breaks loose. Exhausted, the mouse hides away. The next morning, however, the tree is bare: leaves gone, nuts gone! Disappointed, the mouse goes home. But there, a great surprise awaits her: the storm wind has blown the nuts right to her burrow; nuts, heaps of nuts.

Why are you staring like that? The bear is often asked this. He simply stares at the other animals because he doesn't know what to say to them. But ladybug, bird, and badger really don't like being stared at. Luckily, frog shows the bear that it's not difficult at all to talk to someone: A smile and a friendly "Hello!" are quite simple.

Every evening, the forest animals eagerly await the first star in the sky. For then begins story time, and everyone gathers beneath the great oak tree where Uhuwe, the wise owl, lives. His friends enjoy the stories, but Uhuwe's suggestion to teach everyone to read is met with resistance. How wonderful it is to be read to! And why learn something someone else already knows? But when Uhuwe develops a cough one day and is hoarse enough to no longer read bedtime stories, it becomes clear that something must change.

Knowing and taking one's own feelings seriously, consciously engaging with one's emotions, and better understanding one's surroundings – these are also important topics for our youngest children. This picture book, with its little Inne, invites readers to learn to pause in the hectic everyday life, to find peace, and to enjoy life's little moments together. Inne is delicate and small and depends on being noticed. But as soon as it is held, it radiates a wonderful calm, brings people together, and touches hearts. When Joni comes home, she finds a light package with air holes. What could be inside? It's a small, fluffy Inne. It must be like a rabbit; surely it needs a cage, toys, and food. But none of that makes Inne happy. It simply wants to be held...

What's a dragon's favorite food? That's right – a princess, of course! But unfortunately, this time the dragon is only served little Oskar. No more than half a portion, the very hungry dragon thinks. But Oskar may be slight, but he's not stupid. And he's a really good cook. His dishes smell so wonderful that the hungry dragon's mouth waters. And he soon realizes: Such a top-notch chef is far too good to be eaten!

On April 4th, the Stella Maris school auditorium was transformed into a vibrant soundscape brimming with music, imagination, and childlike enthusiasm: The student choir "SingSang" from the Rorschach-Rorschacherberg Music School enchanted the audience with a wonderful concert under the inspiring direction of vocal teacher Angela Carol Command. The concert, however, was far more than just a musical performance – it was a story told through storytelling, lovingly narrated by Katja Baumann from "Katja's Story World." Entitled "The Search for Mailo," a story penned by composer, guitarist, and author Sami Kajtazaj, the approximately 30 children embarked on a musical adventure that captivated the audience. The eight child-friendly songs, seamlessly integrated into the story, were also written and composed by Sami Kajtazaj. With great feeling and musical finesse, they created numerous touching and joyful moments. The children were accompanied by an ensemble of music school teachers: Roland Diezi on piano, Heinz Furrer on clarinet, Andreas Leumann (external guest) on percussion, and Sami Kajtazaj on guitar. The audience was thrilled by the captivating performance, the lovingly arranged songs, and the palpable dedication of all involved. The applause seemed endless – and as a sweet surprise, each child received a chocolate Easter bunny at the end. A concert that touched hearts and souls – and will surely be remembered for a long time.

At the zoo, the great yawning begins at precisely eight o'clock. The tiger yawns, and then the swans join in. One animal infects the next. Finally, it's eight-thirty. Everything that crawls and flies is now yawning busily. The llama yawns, the kangaroo, the bear, the zebra, and the wildebeest. The sloth thinks to himself, "That's fine, thankfully there's finally some peace and quiet!" Yawning is contagious, is laughter too? And after the great yawning comes contented sleep. A beautifully and amusingly illustrated bedtime story.

Do you know Paddington? The most lovable bear from London, England? He experiences all sorts of things in his exciting life... including Easter with very special Easter eggs...

A 60th birthday party with a children's corner, where Katja will present her Kamishibai storytelling and a fun and adventurous tale. Afterwards, we'll do arts and crafts with colorful paints and materials. I'm really looking forward to this event!

If you want to throw the best party ever, then you should think carefully about who you invite! Never, ever, ever invite chaotic guests: The dragon will set your decorations on fire, the unicorn will demand a bath with glitter and bubbles, and the Martians will go completely berserk if they drink too much soda! But if you send your guests home, everything is totally boring, right? Because a party is only a party if you celebrate it with your friends!

Narrative theater about the weather "Thunder, lightning!"

a Christmas story ...

Niculin is a young donkey who spends his days on a pasture at the edge of the forest. One winter evening, his farmer does not come to pick him up as usual. The cold winter night is dark and threatening, and wolves are lying in wait for him. An unexpected rescuer protects Niculin from the wolves' attack and leads him into the forest. With his rescuer and an old man, he not only finds a new task, but also a new home.

Little Santa Claus is always the first to wrap the presents. But then it's the same every time: the head Santa Claus in the Santa Claus village says he can't come because he's too small. But one day Little Santa Claus makes a discovery: the animals want a Santa Claus too, and they're really angry that they never get presents. Little Santa Claus knows what he has to do. Since then he's been the animals' Santa Claus. Every year.

Surprise

Lenny Hunter and his friends Cleo and Marvin are alarmed: The Red Paw, the most dangerous criminal gang in the world, is looking for the magic hourglass. With it, you can turn back time for a moment - just imagine what will happen if Don Wuff and his two companions Ka-Tze and Messerchen get their hands on the valuable artifact! With Rusty, the old airplane, they set off into the faraway jungle - can they find the hourglass before the Red Paw and bring it to safety?

The little unicorn Hornbert has the hiccups. But these are no ordinary hiccups! With every hiccup, something spooky transforms into something sweet – Count Vurm into a beautiful butterfly, the spooky castle into a pink fortress... Now there's no time to lose! And who better to help than Rufus? After all, the little pumpkin is an expert in sweet and sour emergencies. Can Hornbert and Rufus save Spooky Land?

Mia has what many dream of: a real mermaid as her best friend! Molly lives just a pebble's throw away in the small bay, where the two of them dive for hidden treasures or swim with dolphins. But Molly has never been on land. Until the night of the Magic Moon, when all sea creatures can swim through the festively decorated streets as if by magic! How proud Mia is to show Molly her home for the first time and to swing high into the sky with her! But before the moon touches the sea, Molly has to be back in the sea, otherwise the magic will be gone forever. When Mia gets into trouble, the little mermaid has to make a decision

Drake can hardly believe it: while Mrs. Goose goes on vacation, he is allowed to look after the pond. What a responsibility! With great enthusiasm - and a little too much ambition - he takes on the task. Soon the beautiful pond is peppered with countless prohibition signs: from now on, swimming, flying and splashing around are strictly prohibited! Will the other pond inhabitants put up with this?

Drake can hardly believe it: while Mrs. Goose goes on vacation, he is allowed to look after the pond. What a responsibility! With great enthusiasm - and a little too much ambition - he takes on the task. Soon the beautiful pond is peppered with countless prohibition signs: from now on, swimming, flying and splashing around are strictly prohibited! Will the other pond inhabitants put up with this?

Everyone loves Sam, the little sloth. No wonder he gets invited so often. Sam would be very happy about it too, if only he didn't have this big problem: he's slow. Extremely slow. No matter how much Sam hurries, he always arrives at the party when all the cakes have been eaten and all the fun is over.

Every Saturday, Hoppel's forest book club meets in the library. There, he and his friends not only find loads of exciting books, but also another bookworm: Jose is just as crazy about stories as the rest of the club and quickly becomes her friend. But one day Josie is unhappy because she is changing schools and is scared because she doesn't know anyone in the new class. No problem, thinks Hoppel: Then he, bear, porcupine, raccoon, squirrel, mole, bird, frog and mouse will just come along, because that's what friends are for after all? When they want to accompany Josie on her first day of school, the friends unfortunately miss each other and a crazy search through the school begins. What there is to discover there! But where is Josie? The second volume of Annie Silvestro's "The Forest Book Club" gives an insight into the different rooms and subjects that Hoppel and his friends love. While Bird enjoys chirping in the music room, Porcupine is busy making things in the art studio and Raccoon is hanging out in the media room, Squirrel is doing acrobatics in the gymnasium... everyone will find something that is fun.

Dad and Mika are on a beach holiday: setting up a parasol, swimming, reading, playing badminton. Until the ice cream truck rings. Mika runs off to get ice cream, but is stopped - and the truck is already gone again. So let's go after it! The hunt for the ice cream truck is an exciting and very funny story involving a donkey with a yellow summer hat, a vegetable lady, a bus driver, a water ski operator and a pilot.

Enno, the duck, feels dissatisfied, stubborn and grumpy, even though he is usually so nice and helpful to everyone. He must have got up on the wrong side of the bed. His friends decide to help him and are just as nice and polite as Enno usually is. After all, everyone can have a bad day. So they don't get upset, but are there for him together. They are silent with him, play with him and give him a shoulder to lean on. This friendship is exactly what Enno needed. Eventually the dissatisfied expression disappears and Enno is back to his old self. A colorful story about bad moods and good friends. Because: Everyone of us can have a bad day and it's wonderful to have friends who are there for you.

Ben is a great climber, always has a thousand ideas in his head and lets everyone play at daycare, even the little ones. Ben likes strawberries and spinach. But not together. Ben thinks peas are stupid. Almost as stupid as the fact that he is always the last to be picked up from daycare. Every day. Everyone else goes home before him. Erik and Stella and Janosch and Nina and Anton and Neele and Max. But Ben knows why that is. Dad has to work longer. And because Ben has an imagination and is fed up with the looks of the other parents, he tells them about all the adventures that his big, strong dad has. He is the ruler of a big kingdom where there is everything your heart desires: chocolate, lemonade, ice cream, pasta! And knights are constantly coming by to plunder the kingdom. Sometimes giant queues even appear out of nowhere. But no one is allowed to leave the kingdom without going to Ben's dad and paying. The other children are amazed! Ben can tell such great stories. And actually, it's stupid to always be the first to be picked up...

Anton has broken Jette's fire engine. But he doesn't dare tell her. Then a voice speaks to him: his conscience. It wants to help him make amends. Anton tries to get rid of the voice: he covers his ears, runs away, hides. But his conscience cannot be shaken off and it cannot be bribed - even strawberry ice cream doesn't help. Anton notices that the voice is a part of him. With the support of his conscience, he plucks up the courage and apologizes to Jette. That feels really good!

What a special Easter: Lilly's little brother Lillebror gets to be an Easter bunny for the first time! Of course, Lilly still has a lot to explain to him. But in the middle of his "training" Huhnrike bursts with terrible news: the egg with the Easter chick has disappeared! Easter Bunny Matter of Honor: Lilly and Lillebror decide to save the chick and a wild search begins. Will the two of them find the egg in time before the little Easter chick hatches?

A winter day like this can be pretty gray and uncomfortable - but is it really that? While a girl only notices the gray tones, her friend sees orange berries and fluffy grass-green leaves growing on licorice sticks. And even the snow has purple stripes with light gray curls and glitters like a thousand diamonds.

The little frog wakes up from hibernation and is eager to swim. He immediately puts on his red swimming trunks, dives headfirst and lands on the ice of the frozen lake! That's strange, he thinks. No, this is winter, the other animals explain to him. And then they show the very amazed frog what great things you can do in winter!

As everyone knows, little Santa Claus brings presents to the animals in the forest. But one day the city animals want to know why he doesn't come to them too.

The children used to hang golden paper stars in the windows so that the Christ child could find them. But today, between all the neon signs...? The old man does not allow himself to be discouraged and soon the shine of the star tree causes everyone to come.

It is autumn. The leaves swirl in the wind and the nuts are finally ripe. Where will Squirrel hide the supplies?

Who is sitting there in Frosch's pond? It's Bear! A storm destroyed his cave. Now he is looking for a new home. It's good to have a friend like Frosch! A tender story about an unlikely friendship and great happiness!

In a distant island paradise, Goldi, a little gecko, has big plans. He thinks he is very special and will definitely become a star one day! Without considering others, Goldi pushes herself to the foreground. Until he suddenly finds himself alone. Is there perhaps another way to be happy? A dazzling story about what we have to give to the world - and the wonderful things that come back to us.

What could be nicer than relaxing by a beautiful pond on warm sunny days. This peace and harmony is severely shaken when Mrs. Gans decides to leave her beloved pond to Mr. Erpel to be in charge of the pond during her vacation. An impressive story about rules and peaceful coexistence.

Spring is here again, flowers are sprouting in Henri's garden and Henriette is happily laying eggs. Everyone is looking forward to Easter, but suddenly Henriette's eggs disappear. Who do you think stole them? We'll definitely find out together!

Let yourself be enchanted by a warm-hearted and lovingly drawn winter story. What are the mouse, rabbit, fox and bear up to in the snow-covered forest? Come and find out...

Christmas is getting closer. A magical time, this Advent season... Candlelight, the smell of cookies, soft sounds and funny stories... An atmospheric afternoon is waiting for you.

Santa Claus story with a surprise guest at Café Gönn Dir

Look forward to another immersion into the world of stories together...

As part of this year's storytelling night, I'm telling the funny bedtime story about Russell the sleepless sheep.