About the Author

The Author’s Tale 

Reg Down grew up in Canada, Namibia, South Africa and Ireland. After studying architecture at the Architectural Association in London under Keith Critchlow, he encountered the work of Rudolf Steiner. He attended Emerson College in Sussex, doing the foundation year and first year of his eurythmy training. He completed his training in Nurnberg, Germany, under Margarete Proskauer-Unger. 

The father of three, he has taught in Waldorf schools in Australia, Canada and the United States for many years. In addition to teaching and performing eurythmy he is the author of ‘Leaving Room for the Angels’ (AWSNA Press 1995 & 2004) a book on eurythmy and artistic pedagogy, and many articles on eurythmy, Waldorf education and anthroposophy. Currently writing a book on color and gesture, he teaches at Rudolf Steiner College, Sacramento, California.

The Tales' Tale

These tales, for the most part, arose out of my eurythmy lessons in kindergarten and grade one. The wonderful expressiveness of eurythmy, an art of movement and gesture using speech and music as its basis, lends itself to vivid, nature- and spirit-filled stories. These stories were accompanied by live music which wove in and out of the spoken word and living gesture. Eventually they begged to be put down on paper. The first ‘book’, The Bee who lost his Buzz, was quickly followed by six others, and soon thereafter one of our teachers read many of them throughout the year to her first grade children with great success. 

The initial three ‘books’, The Bee who lost his Buzz, Pumpkin Crow, and Lucy Goose and the Half-egg, are found in ‘The Tales of Tiptoes Lightly’. The next two, The Festival of Stones, and The Christmas Star, centered around autumn and winter nature moods and their accompanying festivals, is published as ‘The Festival of Stones’. The final two books, Ompliant’s Owie and Big-Stamp Two-Toes the Barefoot Giant are mostly spring tales. They are published under the title ‘Big-Stamp Two-Toes the Barefoot Giant’. 

Although Tiptoes was ‘born’ at the Monadnock Waldorf School in Keene, New Hampshire, the setting is, rather loosely, in California. This is where, following my stint in the East, I taught for five years at the Camellia Waldorf School in Sacramento. When I imagine Tiptoes and her friends they are sitting in the branches of the Great Oak Tree outside my eurythmy room, rowing down the Sacramento River to the Pacific shores, or sailing upstream to the snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains just visible in the distance. The little children often asked me as I passed by their playground “Where’s Tiptoes today?” or informed me, with the utmost seriousness, that they had seen her sitting in the flower garden, or that Pine Cone and Pepper Pot had definitely been spotted near the swings. And what wonderful smiles I got when they discovered that Pins and Needles slept in a pin cushion (how else?) and that you could so easily pass them by because they looked just like all the other pins and needles when they were asleep. 

These characters took on a life of their own and, quite literally, populated the school. I have received many, many drawings of Tiptoes and crew, given to me for my birthday, for Christmas, or ‘just because’. Which brings me to a delicate point, a secret I have kept for quite some time: Tiptoes is real! This is not a confession made lightly – nevertheless, it’s true. Without her these stories could not have been written, or even imagined. Hopefully some of her magic has rubbed off on you and your children, and made the world a better place. 

Reg Down

Praise for Tiptoes Lightly

“I wish there was something like this (Tiptoes Lightly) when my two children were growing up.
It’s a wonderful book.”
Louise Riveiro-Mitchell – author of ‘Autumn Sky’
Book Review Cafe

“Our preschooler hasn’t been a big chapter-book fan, but she routinely asked for another Tiptoes Story.” “Borrow or Buy?: Buy!  It’s a great way to introduce the chapter book concept to young readers and will be a book that middle-readers will enjoy a second (or third) time around.”
The Reading Tub Review

“I read these stories to the children in my class every week for a whole year – they loved them! Their faces shone with obvious delight – I recommend them highly.”
Miki Higashine - grade school teacher

“Copies of Tiptoes Lightly and the Festival of Stones are flying off the shelves of our school bookstore! We will be ordering more soon, and would love to include Big-stamp too if he’s ready for his debut!”
Rebecca Dawson – Enchanted Caravan Bookstore - Cape Ann Waldorf School

“For five years the children in my kindergarten delighted in experiencing the adventures of Tiptoes and her many friends. These tales are filled with wonder, magic and joy.”
Susan Rice - kindergarten teacher

“Reg Down has created a magical world where children can be nurtured through storytelling.”
Margarita Cervantes - kindergarten teacher

“Reg Down is a masterful storyteller…”
Paula Mandella - teacher & musician

“I’ve fallen in love with Tiptoes.”
Donella Jean - mother of two