Fables and Fairy Tales Books

"The World before This One" was a motivating book for me. I wouldn't recommend this book for younger people, because the vocabulary and names are very challenging, even for me. It was also hard for me to follow what was going on in the book, so if you have a short attention span, this book isn't for you. This book is a good book for scholars in the literary area. It is a very good legend, but if you aren't interested in a novel told in legend, I would definitely not recommend this book.
The main characters in this book are a young man named Crow, and his grandmother. The setting is at a lodge, and in the forest. The climax is when grandmother asks Raccoon, Crow's old friend, to spy on him and see why he doesn't bring home hardly any books from hunting a full day in the forest. The plot is how grandfather stone tells Crow the legends of the world before this one, and it is up to him to see if his fellow villagers are ready to hear the legends.

I enjoyed this book very much. It touched my heart and mind by teaching lessons that mean something today as much as they must have in "The World Before This One." Certainly a worthwhile read - and then some.

In THE WORLD BEFORE THIS ONE a stone speaks, transporting the listening Seneca boy, Crow, and ourselves, to an older time; a world of myth and legend where integrity and nobility of action bring rewards. The stories Grandfather Stone tells Crow transform the listening boy, his people, and ultimately ourselves.

Rafe Martin, a gifted storyteller, posesses a rare ability to bring to life for adults and children alike the world of magic inherent in nature. THE WORLD BEFORE THIS ONE is partly a coming of age story, as Crow finds his true path as a tale teller and guardian of his people's wisdom. Martin's retelling of these Seneca legends reaches all of us to touch a deeper consciousness within, and imbues our present world with meaning.

If you are looking for a book to read aloud to your children, you'll love this one. The imagery and folk lore are as interesting for the parent as for the children. Because many of the Native American legends and customs are the same as my children are learning in school, this book was a great way to have fun while reinforcing learning.

This book is about a boy and his grandmother who have to move away from the village. He finds a rock that can tell stories. I like this book because it has different stories in it. I think it is part fantasy and part realistic fiction. I would recommend that other people should read it because it is good if you like realistic fiction or fantasy.

How I loved these books when I was a kid! I had both Volume 1 and Volume 2. I still have Volume 1 which I have just found in a cupboard now and which prompted me to seek out my long lost Volume 2 online! Volume 2 has disappeared in the sands of time but I have Volume 1 here!
I am 27 now and first got my two volumes when I was about 5 which would be around 1984. I was an early reader (about 3) and so my parents knew buying me them would be an investment! I devoured them and have done ever since!! I love the opening to the Little Mermaid, something like "Far far away...where the sea is as blue as the bluest cornflower" SO beautiful and poetic! And the illustrations too! I don't really have a favourite story, maybe the Snow Queen. I loved Snow White and Rose Red, and that one about the 12 dancing princesses who disappear to a secret place at night and dance with 12 princes!
I have been influenced by these volumes to the point where I now write childrens fiction!!
God bless you all Mr Andersen and Messrs Grimm!!

This large book has accompanied me through my childhood and to this day, I still read it. It's filled with the best fairy tales. The best part is that they're all still fun to read again and again. Fairy tales aren't limited to little kids, and this collection proves it. They're not all Disney either, some are downright gruesome! (The Brothers Grimm at their best!) There's so much to say about this collection of tales, yet I can't find the right words. Let me tell you that reading this as a child or an adult is a truly magical experience and I'll leave it at that.

It may have a lot to do with my childhood... This book is where I met most fairy tale characters- it is a great collection of the best fairy tales, all in one book. There are few pictures- leaving space for more stories- and your imagination!

My brother and sister and I read this book every summer. These fairy tales in their uncommercialized quality opened up a whole world of original tales that kids today are never going to find in their movies and condensed books. So beautiful.

I was looking for the big red hardback edition because I remembered it from elementary school when I'd check it out ALL THE TIME from the school library. And I stumbled on it today at a used bookstore in the SPrings. I was so excited! This is a fun, fun, fun book with all its pictures and stories galore! The absolute best, nostalgic fairy tale book and I am so excited to have it in my collection! Its just like I remembered! I love these stories, Bluebeard STILL freaks me out! Love, LOVE this book, if you only get ONE fairy tale book for you, your kid, or someone else, get this one!!!!

I just love this version of how Anansi--with the help of his cunning wife--becomes the owner of stories. The illustrations in this book are wonderful and unique in the realm of Anansi tales for children. The spiders look like spiders--though with gentle, chubby-cheeked human faces as to show their emotions and expressions. Their clothes are colorful and seem culturally appropriate for their setting. It's quite clever how the illustrator shows recognizably human gestures with spidery legs.

One of the best images is the prideful Anansi standing "nose to nose" with the Sky God as he boldly announces that he has come for the stories. Viewers can even see the spider's cocky shadow carefully included on this page.

A nice touch in this book is the little "Glossary" near the front of the story, which gives pronunciations and definitions of the names and terms used in the tale. Example:pesa (PAY-suh): The breathy sound of whispering. // The glossary is of great benefit to readers who share the story out loud.

This book would be worth sharing with classes and with young family members. Even adults can appreciate the resourceful spider couple as they plot to do the impossible. Overall, I was impressed with this tale, and I recommend it for school and home libraries.

This book was such a delight. My first grade class could not wait to hear what Anansi would do next. For the first time, Anansi uses his trickery to help someone other than himself! It was refreshing to have the author show how Anani's wife, Aso, helped him to reach his goal. I think my readers learned a lot of valuable lessons from this story.

Both of my children, ages 2 and 5, love this book. The two-year-old, normally wiggling and wandering around the room during story time, stays put for this one. They can't wait to see what tricks Anansi and Aso will be up to next!

The Anansi series are a great read. As usual the author keeps us in suspense as to who and how Anansi will trick. My first grade class loved it. They were at the edge of their seats. I can't wait to read more to them.

I found this book in my public library when I was in my 'Zilpha Keatley Snyder Phase.' I had just read The Changeling (another excellent book by this author) and saw that this was set in the land of Green-sky (which is mentioned in The Changeling.) Not expecting much, I picked this up-and was totally overwhelmed when I begin reading it. Please, buy this book. You'll never regret it.

I read this book when I was in grade school and it has haunted me ever since. I have been on a quest - literally - since I was 11 years old to find this book again, along with the other 2 in the trilogy - for those of you who are also still looking the other two books are: Below the Root and Until the Celebration

This book overlaps the first book in the series, BELOW THE ROOT. It is told from the point of view of Teera, the Erdling child who was rescued by Neric and Raamo and taken to Green-sky. The book starts back at Teera's home in the caverns below "The Root" and shows how their society is marred by strife and hunger. The food allocation committee decides her pet lapan (something similar to a rabbit) must be killed and eaten for food. Teera, desperate to keep her pet, runs away from home and wanders down the endless corridors until she is hopelessly lost, then squeezes through an opening in the root into the forest above.

At first Teera is enchanted by the green forest and the abundance of food, but soon is full of homesickness. Just as she is about to give up hope, she is found by Raamo and Neric, novitiate Ol-zhaan priests from the cities of Green-sky high in the trees. Raamo can hear her telepathic cries for help, and also through telepathy (pensing) calms her enough for the trip up into the city of Orbora. There they place Teera in the care of Raamo's family, where she immediately forms a deep bond with Raamo's sister of the same age, Pomma.

Teera tries to keep the secret of her origins, but her hosts soon find out she is not a child from their city who fell, but was born and lived below the root. Raamo's fellow initiate, Genaa, learns that her father is not really dead, but was imprisoned below the root by the evil machinations of the secret society within the Ol-zhaan priests called the Greets-kel. When Genaa leads a party to the forest floor to make contact with the inhabitants of the caverns, chaos is let loose in Green-sky.

This is a sophisticated, intricate, and very well-written series. It is too bad the author's works are no longer available, because everything she writes is gold.

I ordered 5 of copies of the this book. We used it in a mother-daughter book club this summer. We visited a bee keeper, tasted many types of raw honey and honey comb. We learned many new things about the health benefits of honey.
Some discussions that this book sparked:
Are bees our friends too?
Living things that are transformed in nature
What animals transform food they eat into foods for people
What is the difference between being magically transformed and being transformed through growth?

The illustrations are beautiful. The Disc that comes with shows the artistic process. My children and myself found that very interesting.

I agree with the above reviews completely! As an aspiring children's book writer and illustrator I can not praise JP Lynch's masterful ability to weave his illustrated visions with verse. I was so deeply taken by the detail of the illustrations of the book, that I was even more spellbound when I watched him share his process in the DVD. His journey into the illustrations is a wonderful accompaniment to the story, and not only that but the music that (he?) chose for the background make the adventure into his 'medievil world' all the more breath taking. I felt like I was there in the world of the story all the more as I watched the DVD & artwork unfold. I highly reccomend both the book and the DVD for aspiring artists and story lovers! As for children, or the child within any adult, it is a precious story of being true to who you already are!

Stockton outdid himself with this amazing story of the Bee Man - my all-time favorite picture book character.

Exquisitely illustrated by P.J. Lynch, the story comes to life to tell of the Bee Man, aptly named for the swarms of bees he keeps as company. A sorcerer comes to reveal a life-changing secret to him, so he sets out on a journey to confirm its truth, and therefore his own origin.

The living watercolor illustrations are positively luminous and as visually enchanting as any I've had the pleasure of witnessing. Impressive work by Lynch once again...he's truly one of the best in the business. The big bonus is the accompanying DVD highlighting Lynch's work in progress on this project. If you want to be awed, check it out.

Frank R. Stockton first wrote "The Bee-Man of Orn", a strange blend of folktale and original fairy story back in 1964, with illustrations by Maurice Sendak. Although good, Sendak's illustrations were bright and kooky, high-lighting the comic aspects of the story, rather than the deeper more thoughtful elements. On the whole, I prefer this new edition, with new illustrations by P. J. Lynch that create a more realistic and folktale-like setting.

The Bee-Man lives in a small hut in the countryside that has been so covered over by the honeycomb of his friends the bees that it resembles more of a hive. He's happy there, but is instantly alarmed by the arrival of a young Sorcerer, who informs him that his strange way of living has come about due to the fact that he's been *transformed*. Transformed from what? The Sorcerer doesn't know, but now the Bee-Man is determined to find out. Gathering a small hive of bees that he wears on his back, he begins his journey to find out what he once was, eventually coming to the mountains that hold the caves of dragons...

Meeting up with a Languid Youth who wants to be more energetic, the two enter the caves and find something there that will solve *both* their problems. The story ends on not one but two notes of the laughable actions of Fate and inevitabilty, leaving the story with a satisfying ending and a topic open for more discussion. How many children's books do you know that do *that*?

The story is charming and P. J. Lynch's illustrations are fantastic. His watercolours brilliantly convey the glorious green world of Orn and the expressive lined faces of the people within it. The pages of the book are large and glossy - giving his work their best chance to shine, and do so to their full effect in the scenes of open country and lofty caverns. If anyone has seen his illustrations in "Catkin", they'll know how good he is at underground scenes, and here they're even better: misty depths, fiery walls and rocky textures all seen real enough to touch.

Although the Languid Youth looks a bit too droopy to me, the Bee-Man is perfect in both his incarnations, and on the whole, Lynch's work better matches the text. Together, the story and the illustrations have an almost Tolkien flavour to them: the story could easily belong to "Tales from the Perilous Realm" or one of Middle-Earth's folktales, and I always recommend people to P. J. Lynch if they like the art of Alan Lee and John Howe. A big, beautiful book that has pictures that match the text perfectly - what more could you want?

This is a lovely collection of classic fairy tales, made wonderful by Michael Hague's illustrations. Like all of his earlier books, the illustrations just leap off the page and make it hard to turn the pages. I literally marveled at these illustrations and bought it even though the stories were geared for a younger child than I was buying it for. It is hard to imagine anyone not loving this book.

One could as easily buy this book for the illustrations as for the stories. Either one justifies the purchase price while the other makes this book a prize. While I was trying to read the book, my 12-year-old daughter kept taking it from my desk to read a story at bedtime, and my best friend, who is an artist, wanted to borrow it to study the drawings and paintings.

"The Book of Fairies" begins with an excerpt from "Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens" by J. M. Barrie. "Lock-out Time" is a charming story which introduces readers to the fairy world. As Mr. Barrie says, "One of the great differences between the fairies and us is that they never do anything useful." He goes on to explain the origin of fairies, "When the first baby laughed for the first time, his laugh broke into a million pieces and they all went skipping about. That was the beginning of fairies." I had heard that saying before but never knew from where it came. This story is about the fairy ball that goes on in Kensington Gardens once the gates are locked. The story came alive for me because of its references to things one might find today in Kensington Gardens. One such reference is to "the boards which tell at what time the gardens are to close today." The story tells of how the fairies change the times written on the boards to confuse people. Some 15 or so years ago my husband was visiting London and took an afternoon off to read and sun himself in Kensington Gardens. He fell asleep (perhaps he was sprinkled with fairy dust) and missed lock-out time. When he awoke the gates were locked, and he, along with a few other enchanted ones, had to scramble over the fences. If only he had stayed for the ball.

The book includes stories the reader may know, such as the oft retold "Thumbelina" by Hans Christian Andersen and the eerily sensual "Goblin Market" by Chistina Rosetti. There are also less familiar ones such as "The Fairies" by William Allingham, which must have influenced the contemporary "Mogwogs on the March" by Olivier Dunrea, and "The Brownie o' Ferne-Den" retold by Virginia Haviland, whose premise may be recognizable by Girl Scouts. My daughter's favorite was "Fairer-than-a- Fairy" by Charlotte-Rose Caumont de la Force.

And then, there are the pictures. There are paintings with rich vibrant colors and details which are a feast for the eye and an inspiration for the imagination, and there are pen and ink drawings with both the detail and precision of fine etchings and the whimsy of fairy tales. Click on the link at "Look inside this book!" on the book's ... page to see a couple of the paintings, although bites and pixels don't do justice to the artist's paper work.

Michael Hague also selected and illustrated "The Book of Dragons". That book does for dragons what this book does for fairies. I strongly recommend it as well and for much the same reasons as I do "The Book of Fairies".

Linda Murphy
Children's Editor of the Writers Hood
...

VERY INTENSE. YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK , YOU WILL ALSO NEED TO GET MICHEAL HAGUE'S MAGICIAL WORLD OF UNICORNS. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPOINTED.

I bought this book for my 10 yr old niece who still can see the faery magic and I now plan to buy one for myself.
Wonderful stories and descriptions of different faery are surrounded buy enchanting artwork.
This book is appropriate for any age!

This was a book we read in my Children's Lit class while profiling books that featured strong female protagonists and/or stories that feature strong female characters. This book was chosen because it's unique portrayal of a woman saving a knight (not the other way around) in a classic fairy tale/fable. This book really stuck with me (for so many reasons) so I had to go out and buy it.

This Irish folktale features Margaret, a beautiful maiden who lives on a farm on the Irish coast, who's life was changed forever when a man (the captain of a ship and a King of the East) comes to her farm and asks for supplies for his voyage. Margaret who's yearning for a life of adventure agrees, on the condition that she is taken on the ship's journey, to which the King agrees. She works on the ship like the rest of the men, and she proves herself as strong and courageous. As the story progresses, Margaret repeatedly shows her strength and fearless nature, culminating in a fantastic battle with a mythical beast that Margaret must win in order to free herself from the magical curse a strange old woman and save her beloved King (who, if you couldn't figure out, she'd taken a fancy to). Margaret beautifully embodies a beautiful, feminine woman who also can stand up for herself and those she loves.

While this is a children's book, I'd say it's not for young children, not because of the content, but because there is a fair amount of reading in this book. I don't think, for example, my preschool class could sit through this without getting squirmy. However, for those children who love stories or have the ability to sit and listen for a longer story, they're going to love this book. The girls in the class may especially enjoy the unique twist that the King needs saving by a beautiful woman, not a beautiful woman needs to be saved by a King. The girls in our Kindergarten class loved reenacting this story, and it has quickly become a big favorite.

One thing I thing this book offers that I don't think gets enough praise is the spectacular illustrations. This book has, hands down, some of the best illustrations I've ever seen in a children's book. There are some pictures which quite literally glow. One picture in particular (the picture of Margaret on her knees, weeping) caught my breath. The pictures are vivid, hypnotic, and really capture the feeling of faraway lands, mythical beasts, and perfectly capture the mesmerizing beauty of Margaret and her incredible strength. It's not often I find books that visually portray beautiful women not as "girly-girls" but strong, courageous, and very real, without sacrificing her femininity. And I'm sorry, this gal has the most gorgeous hair (though being a bottle redhead, maybe I'm a teensy bit biased... But it's honestly nice to see a non-blonde female heroine/ lead).

The pictures in this book are so beautiful that the story could have been garbage and I'd still have bought it. The illustrations are just that amazing.

This book is wonderful for so many reasons. Beautiful pictures, strong female character, breaking of the typical fairytale/folk tale stereotype of women who need saving from their knight... This book is a can't miss.

Heck, I bought it and I don't even have kids and my husband, who doesn't read children's books, asked this to be a coffee table book so he could see the illustrations. :)

The title "Brave" does not do Margaret justice. She is fearless, powerful, intelligent, kind Margaret. The fable, set in the one place on Earth I would love to live, Ireland, is wonderful. Margaret meets her prince...but who will save who? The illustrations are as beautiful as Margaret. (I love the opening stained glass.) If you have daughters, or a classroom with girls, are a girl, or just know a girl, grab this book for a good read. Highly recommended.

Brave Margaret is a the classic fairy tale, but with a twist. In Brave Margaret, the hero is Margaret and she must save the Knight in shining armor and slay the dragon. A must have for all parents with girls AND boys. Story is reminiscient of classic greek tales and Aesop fables. The story itself is excellent the artwork is magnificant.

A great story, for boys and girls alike, the artwork is rich, and unique. This would make a great gift for a child from quite young to teenagers, or even for adult collectors of great illustration.

This book was great! It was a lot of fun to read and it exposed my students to some monuments and features of the US that we might not get to!

What a lot of people don`t know is that Paul Bunyan had a wife and two kids .His wife`s name is Carrie and their kids are Little Jean, the boy, and Tenny, the girl. The Bunyans have lots of adventures . They make a lot of landmarks along the way like the Big Sur and the Rocky Mountains. I love the book. I like the book because they keep on making landmarks. I also like how the pictures show proportion.

I think that is was a really good book and if you would like to get it, you should. Because if you have read Paul Bunyan before, then this would make it very interesting and fun to read

It's a short book...great to read to kids.

Just when you thought you'd heard it all about Paul Bunyan you find out about the accomplishments of his wife and children. For example: you've heard of Mammoth cave? Well.......... And what about when the kids are grown and Paul can retire??

And please. Don't look at the last page until you've read the whole book especially if you're interested in astronomy.

My second graders enjoyed this book very much. It's an enjoyable tale that lends itself to great discussion and writing.

I liked this story a little and i think you did a very good job with the words and i think you are the best kid writter that i have heard so far. thats all i wanted to say!

If you like star gazing then you will like this book because it is about a coyote and he wants to go to the moon and find the sars secret.So he goes to the moon and he places the stars in the shape of animals.He foes back home and tells allthe animals about what he did.All the animals like what he did and through him a great feast.After the feast he told the animals:I will always be your friend and the friend of your children and your children's children.If you listen carfully at a full moon you may here Coyote.He is telling you to look out ypur window to see what he has made and to dream.I like Harriet Peck Taylors books.I really hope you injoy this book.Because I really,really did.So I hope you do too.

One evening, crafty Coyote climbs to the moon to discover the secrets of the heavens. Instead he finds a way to make the most wonderful pictures for all the world to see. When the other animals of the canyon look up at the sky the next night, they're in for a big surprise.

Based on a Wasco Indian legend, this story about the origin of the constellations is joyfully retold and vibrantly illustrated by Harriet Peck Taylor.

Harriet Peck Taylor's interest in coyote lore began with a young coyote who lived in the foothills near her home. "It used to follow me on hikes with my dogs," she says, "and once even touched noses with them."

Ms. Taylor received her B.F.A. in painting from the University of Colorado. In her paintings, which are in public and private collections, she tries to capture natural beauty because "if people can appreciate the beauty of the land, they will perhaps want to protect it."

Harriet Peck Taylor lives in Boulder, Colorado, where she is a full-time artist and enthusiastic stargazer.

This is a good book that can be read to or by children ages 7-15. This book could be read in 2-3 hours and has natural breaks that allows you to return to the book a number of different times. The story is interesting and keeps the listeners or readers attention. I teach special education for behavior disorder students and this book is useful in teaching a variety of different social skills. I also have to sons that have enjoyed the story line and the messages that the story contains. The illustrations are colorful and add life to the books content. I highly recommend this book for any youth library.

I have given more copies of Crow and Weasel away than any other book in recent years. It is the most beautiful portrait of male friendship available in any genre for children or adults. I most often give copies to young men facing some important transition in their own lives...graduation from high school or college when they too will be asked to go beyond what is familiar, and in doing so, will learn more about themselves. This is a story to share with those you love again and again. As Lopez says, "If stories come to you, care for them. And learn to give them away where they are needed..." This is just such a story.

This is a good book that can be read to or by children ages 7-15. This book could be read in 2-3 hours and has natural breaks that allows you to return to the book a number of different times. The story is interesting and keeps the listeners or readers attention. I teach special education for behavior disorder students and this book is useful in teaching a variety of different social skills. I also have to sons that have enjoyed the story line and the messages that the story contains. The illustrations are colorful and add life to the books content. I highly recommend this book for any youth library.

...and a crow, and many other insightful characters within "Crow and Weasel" have stayed with me since I first read it almost 10 years ago. The story itself is vibrant, almost to the point of actual narrative. Beautiful landscapes and dialogue throughout lend themselves to the imagination; I feel very much a part of what I'm reading-a true escape. And I like that it teaches me by surprise. Everytime I finish this book, I find that my joy in diversity, my desire to be kind, and my reverence for the natural world have grown. Tom Pohrt's illustrations are each works of art, and complement the story perfectly. I wish they were available as prints. Share this book with the young, and then go share it with everybody else.