Bob combines his expertise an educator with his experience as an entertainer to present dynamic “edutainment” performances.
School Assembly Programs
Bob has presented more than 2,000 school assembly programs throughout the United States since 1982. These programs are typically 40-45 minutes in length. All programs include storytelling, juggling, magic, and audience participation. They are suitable for elementary and middle school audiences.
Talk to an Author
Bob has had six award-winning children’s books published, produced several collections of original stories, and writes web-based history. In this interactive presentation, Bob discusses what it’s like being an author, how and why he became an author, where he gets his writing ideas, and the importance of editing. He also shares techniques children can use to creatively come up with their own ideas for stories and writing. Children will have the opportunity to ask Bob questions about writing and being an author.
Literature Comes Alive!
Get your students excited about reading by letting them see literature come alive. In this reading motivation program, Bob acts out contemporary and classic literature while introducing students to many “celebrities” including Frog and Toad, Amelia Bedelia, Max and the Wild Things, Alexander and his Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day, The Cat in the Hat, and many more beloved literary characters.
Read! Read! Read! It’s Magic!
Reading can provide children with information, spark their imaginations, and nurture a love for language. In this fast-paced reading motivation program, Bob, a Professor of Reading Education and author of six children’s books, creatively uses storytelling, juggling, and magic to inspire kids to read. Bob promotes books related to birds and nature, history, biographies, magic, juggling, poetry, and fiction. Kids are guaranteed to want to read the books highlighted in this program.
Tales of the Amazing Dr. Seuss
It took Dr. Seuss nine months of failed efforts before he stumbled upon the two rhyming words that launched The Cat in the Hat. When he forgot to close his window, the wind blew a doodle of an elephant on top of a drawing of a tree which resulted in the idea for Horton Hatches the Egg. Hear inspirational tales about the life of Seuss, delight in his play with language, and find out where many of his ideas originated.
Shel-a-Bration: A Silverstein Extravaganza!
Celebrate the rich life and playful poetry of Shel Silverstein with this blend of biography and verse. Hear tales about the man who was interested in everything and created for the sheer joy of it. Listen to poems about Homework Machines, Hippo Sandwiches, Crocodile’s Toothaches, and stories about Runny Babbits. Find out about the “what if” principle behind Silverstein’s creativity.
An Outrageously Good Time
If you want to reward children and bring laughter into their lives, host this show. Drawing material from thirty years of experience performing comedy as a family entertainer, Bob presents an entertainment extravaganza guaranteed to tickle audiences’ funny bones and spark their imaginations. Bob uses storytelling, juggling, magic, and everything but the kitchen sink to “make em’ laugh.” Like the termite who was a comedian, Bob guarantees this performance will bring the house down.
MaGicEnergy™
MaGicEnergy is a live, 30-minute energy/environmental education program for elementary and middle school students. The show is adaptable for both elementary (K-5) and middle school (6-8) audiences. The fast-paced program combines a strong environmental and energy message with juggling, humor, magic, special effects, storytelling and plenty of audience interaction. MaGicEnergy was created in 2002-2003 by Madison Gas and Electric in collaboration with Bob Kann. “We Need Energy” is the major theme of the program with environmental subthemes woven throughout it to demonstrate the relationship of responsible energy use and environmental quality.
Earth Care: Every Day is Earth Day
How do we help to preserve the planet? Take care of the land, don’t pollute, protect endangered species, recycle, and believe you can make a difference. This program will help kids to think about ways in which their personal behaviors can positively affect the environment, and how one person can make the world a better place to live.
No More Bullying
Bob presents a storytelling program designed to prevent bullying and help kids to make positive choices. Students will learn what to do if they are being bullied or see someone else being bullied, and how to recognize the similarities they share with other kids instead of focusing on the differences that often lead to bullying behaviors.
Celebrate Differences
People are different, and isn’t it wonderful that we are different? This storytelling program is designed to teach kids to recognize the similarities they share with other children and to accept and respect their differences. The stories highlight people who have responded in a positive fashion to their own physical differences and those of others.
On Wisconsin!
Celebrate Wisconsin’s rich history through tales of America’s Dairyland. Hear stories about Dr. Kate Newcomb, the Woodruff “angel on snowshoes,” Wisconsin inventions like the ice-cream sundae, Appleton’s Harry Houdini, Eric Heiden’s Olympic gold medals, the Racine Belles women’s baseball teams, the Ringling Brothers, and more. As the ancient Wisconsin proverb says, “the world is your cow, but you’ll have to do the milking.”
Character Counts: Responsibility
Responsibility means do what you are supposed to do, try your best, persevere, be self-disciplined, and if you make a mess, clean it up. Bob tells true stories to teach audiences’ to embrace responsibility that is positive – and not with guilt. Hear about Thomas Edison’s 25,000 unsuccessful experiments before finally getting the storage battery to work. Find out how nine-year-old Melissa Poe’s assuming responsibility for the care of the planet led her to form the world’s largest environmental activist organization of children. Learn to think before you act and consider the consequences of your actions.
Library Programs
Bob has presented more than 1,000 library performances throughout the United States since 1982. These programs are typically 40-45 minutes in length. All programs are designed to motivate children to read and include storytelling, juggling, magic, and audience participation. In advance, libraries will be provided with a list of books Bob will promote during the performance. Each year, Bob designs new programs to support the Collaborative Summer Library Program theme (CSLP) and individual state library program themes.
Heroes: Stories about the Kids Who Saved the World
You don’t have to be big or strong to be a hero. And you don’t have to be a grown-up either. Join the fun and learn about kids- that’s right, kids – who have saved the world. Many of these exciting tales of fact and fiction are drawn from two online curricula Bob has written about real-life heroes. Join the fun for heroic adventures with storytelling, magic, juggling, and audience participation guaranteed to inspire and entertain you, and check out the stories in Bob’s curricula:
- It’s Our World, Too! Community Service Projects for Young People to Make a Difference
- The Milwaukee Heroism Project
Be-Bop-a-Lula Fun
Music is a language the whole world speaks. Celebrate the iREAD “Read to the Rhythm” theme and join the “Be-Bop a Lula” fun as storyteller/juggler/magician Bob Kann shares musical tales from around the world, including Abiyoyo (South Africa), The Bremen Town Musicians (Germany), Coyote’s Song (southwestern USA), and much more. Feel the beat as Bob gets kids readin’ to rhythm, juggles “on top of spaghetti,” and mixes mesmerizing magic and melodic music. What do you call a musical fish? A piano tuna.
Read! Read! Read! It’s Magic!
Reading can provide children with information, spark their imaginations, and nurture a love for language. In this fast-paced reading motivation program, Bob, a Professor of Reading Education and author of six children’s books, creatively uses storytelling, juggling, and magic to inspire kids to read. Bob promotes books related to birds and nature, history, biographies, magic, juggling, poetry, and fiction. Kids are guaranteed to want to read the books highlighted in this program.
Tales of the Amazing Dr. Seuss
It took Dr. Seuss nine months of failed efforts before he stumbled upon the two rhyming words that launched The Cat in the Hat. When he forgot to close his window, the wind blew a doodle of an elephant on top of a drawing of a tree which resulted in the idea for Horton Hatches the Egg. Hear inspirational tales about the life of Seuss, delight in his play with language, and find out where many of his ideas originated.
Shel-a-Bration: A Silverstein Extravaganza!
Celebrate the rich life and playful poetry of Shel Silverstein with this blend of biography and verse. Hear tales about the man who was interested in everything and created for the sheer joy of it. Listen to poems about Homework Machines, Hippo Sandwiches, Crocodile’s Toothaches, and stories about Runny Babbits. Find out about the “what if” principle behind Silverstein’s creativity.
An Outrageously Good Time
If you want to reward children and bring laughter into their lives, host this show. Drawing material from thirty years of experience performing comedy as a family entertainer, Bob presents an entertainment extravaganza guaranteed to tickle audiences’ funny bones and spark their imaginations. Bob uses storytelling, juggling, magic, and everything but the kitchen sink to “make em’ laugh.” Like the termite who was a comedian, Bob guarantees this performance will bring the house down.
MaGicEnergy™
MaGicEnergy is a live, 30-minute energy/environmental education program for elementary and middle school students. The show is adaptable for both elementary (K-5) and middle school (6-8) audiences. The fast-paced program combines a strong environmental and energy message with juggling, humor, magic, special effects, storytelling and plenty of audience interaction. MaGicEnergy was created in 2002-2003 by Madison Gas and Electric in collaboration with Bob Kann. “We Need Energy” is the major theme of the program with environmental subthemes woven throughout it to demonstrate the relationship of responsible energy use and environmental quality.
Bob Kann Recent Library Performances
Wisconsin
Athens, Bangor, Cassville, Cedarburg, Colby, Cobb, Cuba City, Deerfield, Dickeyville, Elm Grove, Edgar, Elroy, Fall Creek, Fitchburg, Fond du Lac, Fort Atkinson (Dwight Foster), Glendale (North Shore), Green Bay (Brown County), Greenfield, Hatley, Holmen, Lake Geneva, Lomira, Lone Rock, Madison (Hawthorne Branch), Manawa (Sturm)Menasha, Merrill (T.B. Scott), Middleton, Monona, Monticello, Mosinee, Neillsville, New Berlin, North Lake, Norwalk, Onalaska, Orfordville, Oshkosh, Palmyra, Plainfield, Port Washington, Poynette, Randolph, Rothschild, River Falls, Shorewood, Shullsburg, Soldier’s Grove, Spencer, Spring Green, Sun Prairie, Trempealeau (Shirley Wright), Union Grove, Vesper, Waunakee, Wausau (Marathon County), Whitewater, Wild Rose, Wisconsin Rapids (McMillan), Wilton
California
Berkeley: Claremont, South, & West Branches; Castro Valley, Fremont, Newark, Pacific Grove, Sunnyvale, Woodside
Illinois
Alpha Park, Alsip, Antioch,Arlington Heights, Bartonville, Bolingbrook, Brookfield, Chicago Public Library Tour, Colona, Dunlap, Elk Grove Village, Farmington, Galesburg, Glendale Heights, Hampshire, Hanover Park, Harwood Heights, Hodgkins, Hoffman Estates, Indian Trails, Johnsburg, Lake Bluff, Lake Villa, Libertyville, Lincolnwood, Lombard, Loves Park, Naperville, Oak Lawn, Oak Lawn, Oregon, Paw Paw, Palatine, Poplar Creek, Princeville, Roscoe, Sandwich, Schaumburg, Wheeling, Yorkville, Waterman, Zion-Benton
Iowa
Decorah, Dunkerton, Estherville, Grinnell, Lansing, Waukon, Williamsburg
Minnesota
Austin, Fairmont, Grand Meadow, Lake Crystal, LeRoy, Mankato, Mapleton, Rochester, Sherburne, Truman, Winona, Zumbrota
