This captivating form of Japanese storytelling excites young authors and illustrators into creating stories of their own. While I?ve presented from a wide variety of literary genres over the years, the favorite of my students has always been the kamishibai. Kamishibai are Japanese stories told in a picture card format. The story is presented with only the picture facing the audience. The cards are large and the group can see the illustration the whole time the story is being read. The text for the first illustration presented is on the back of the last card, where it is printed in Japanese and English. As the tale unfolds, the front card slides off and is placed in the back, revealing a new illustration to the audience and providing the matching story text on the back of the last card to the reader. The kamishibai cards are stored in a simple but formal envelope, decorated with its own illustration and the title and author of the tale.