Whitefish storyteller writes childrens book

Storytime with Dave Spangler is everything but idle.

Singing, laughter, movement and art keep even the most antsy and distracted first-graders tuned in from beginning to end. After a long career in education, Spangler knows what it takes to connect with an audience.

“I always thought as a teacher that the art of performance was as important as the subject matter,” Spangler said. “If you can’t captivate the students, then they won’t be with you learning.”

Spangler dazzled a class of Muldown Elementary first-graders last week with a reading of his recently published book “Clamming Hods and Santa Claus.”

He started with a little harmonica and singing to warm up the class before getting into the book he wrote and illustrated. But Spangler doesn’t read aloud and turn pages for his presentations — he tells stories.

“For years I’ve told stories that were just in my head,” he explained.

That’s how “Clamming Hods” came about. He was invited to tell a story to his granddaughter’s elementary class in Virginia, and without any cues, he simply began telling the story.

“I drew two boys on the white board and started from there,” he said. “By the end I had kids up and drawing reindeer.”

At the suggestion of the class’s teacher, he turned that story into a book. It was published this year by Xlibris.

“Clamming Hods” follows the adventures of two young boys who meet one summer on the Maine coast. David discovers his new friend Sammy’s grandpa, whom he meets, is Santa Claus. The story centers on the spirit of giving and helping those in need.

Spangler has been to 18 classrooms in the Flathead this week alone to tell the story. He’s visited 80 classrooms across the country in the past year. He tailors each rendition of the story to the grade level for which he is performing.

To his surprise, Spangler has found that fifth grade classes are most receptive to “Clamming Clods.”

“I’ve found that a lot of fifth-graders believe in Santa,” he said. “At the end, there’s always a discussion about the spirit of giving and love.”

With the first-grade class last week, Spangler was in constant motion, often crouching to be at eye level with his audience.

“I don’t sit still,” he said. “I’m always moving around — that works well with the little kids.”

After the story, many of the students hang around to talk more, and others give him a hug in the hallway.

Spangler spent half of his working life as an art teacher, instructing all ages, with the last 10 years at a high school in Williamsburg, Va. He also has designed adult home and nursing facilities, and more recently, was manager of the Whitefish Performing Arts Center for six years.

Spangler and his wife Karen are now retired and live in Whitefish full time.

“Clamming Hods” is available at Bookworks, Imagination Station, Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Spangler, however, suggests the best way to purchase a signed copy is to contact the author directly at 862-3528.