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Actress Kathy Kinney, who portrays Mrs. P, explains the process of adding a new story
to the Magic Library: "We want stories that are old-fashioned." Photo: MrsP.com
Parents looking to share charming, funny, engaging and classic stories with their children needn't look any further these days than Mrs. P's Magic Library.
The free (and ad-free, too!) website has a vast collection of stories available -- all read by Mrs. P herself and accompanied by the full text, so kids can read along, and beautiful, original illustrations.
Actress Kathy Kinney, who portrays Mrs. P and is one of the cofounders of MrsP.com, says that the Magic Library team has certain criteria when looking for new stories.
First things first, Kinney explains, the story must be available already in the public domain.
Then, Kinney, along with fellow co-founders Clay Graham and Dana Plautz, track down stories that children will find amusing and interesting. “We want stories that are old-fashioned,” Kinney says.
Of course, there's still a lot of work before a story can be added to the Magic Library. First, the team plucks out any words that might be too difficult for younger readers, and finds a simpler synonym to use.
Then, through a little magic, Kinney transforms into Mrs. P.
"I think Mrs. P was just living on a cloud," Kinney says, "and she sort of swoops down on occasion and possesses me."
When Kinney, Plautz and Graham were creating the Magic Library, they combined creative forces to breathe life into Mrs. P.
"We all sort of said, 'Oh, I've got a dress, and oh here's some red hair, and I've got some shoes," Kinney explains. "And the next thing I know, Mrs. P was there sitting in that lavender chair in the Magic Library."
Once the transformation has been completed, Kinney says it's time to film Mrs. P reading the story from her chair. The elves that run MrsP.com then add the text of the story and original illustrations, many created by Portland artists.
The most recent addition to the library was Rudyard Kipling's Rikki Tiki Tavi, with illustrations by Nicholas P. Young -- but Kinney promises plenty more are on the way for 2010.
However, when asked if she has a favorite story in the Magic Library, it’s Mrs. P who responds, not Kinney. "My favorite story is The Princess and the Pea ... No! Jack and the Beanstalk ... No! Goldilocks and the Three Bears ... My favorite story changes moment by moment.”
Mrs. P may have indecision problems when it comes to her favorite story, but Kinney is certain about her passion for the Magic Library, and its mission.
"I can't wait until the world is a balanced place," she says, "where money goes towards education and making children safe and happy."
Of course, Mrs. P can't help jumping back into the conversation, adding, "I simply can't wait until everyone understands that a book is magic, and that giving the gift of a book is the best thing you can do for anything."
Read more about Mrs. P in part 1 of my interview with Kinney: Kathy Kinney dishes on the joys of reading & Mrs. P's kids' writing contest
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