Fables and Fairy Tales Books

This is a book for all ages that will not only inform but entertain. I felt that I really knew Leif Ericsson. The romance of the stowaway in the Norwegian court, and other personal challenges of the crew keeps the reader up all hours.

Book is being read for my Norwegian Literature class. Received the book in new condition. We are enjoying story.

I really did enjoy this book. The book was interesting, entertaining and educational. The book describes places I have not visited but now I would enjoy seeing. The Viking history was fascinating.

Celia's descriptions of Greenland, the Hebrides and Norway in the 10th Century created a vivid historical background of these places for me. The character development made me think I really knew these people! I felt their pain and joys as she etched their characters and adventures. I can definitely see this book being made into a movie.

The amount of research the author talks about is impressive. I liked the following statement by the author: "During the six-year journey of writing, rewriting, taking breaks and returning to the story, I had a lot of questions outside of the usual research. They were always answered graciously, so I appreciate all those I approached -- a priest with a knowledge of Latin, librarians in the Hebrides, a customer in a weapons shop, to cite a few."

I found all this very fascinating. I'm so glad I read the book!

I baught this book for my daughter who will be four years old in August and she loves it.

This is a GREAT read-aloud book. My 6-year-old has read along with me each night since we've had it. From the SQUEEEEEEAK of the door to the WAAAAAHs and WOOFs and OINKs - it''s impossible for the kids to refrain from joining in the telling of this tale. Wonderful illustrations tell more of the story than is written in the text. I highly recommend this book.

I admit to being astonished that no one's done a review of this marvelous picture book yet. The Squeaky Door is a delightful addition to the collection of folktales from around the world that have been put into picture book form by the remarkable Margaret Read MacDonald.It is also one of the best read-alouds I have discovered this year. Ms. MacDonald is a storyteller and folklorist as well as an author, and many of her stories come from those she has heard and told over the years.

The framework of the tale is simple. Little Boy is staying over Grandmas, and gets to sleep in the big brass bed by himself. But all it takes is aformentioned squeaky door to ruin a good night's sleep. Grandma tries to help by bringing various animals in to stay in the bed with him. First the cat, then the dog, then the pig and finally, the horse. This growing menagerie finally overloads the bed--and it breaks. And Grandma finally takes care of that squeaky door. What makes this work so well, is the magic of the words. Everything is written to be read aloud and easily falls into a rythym that the audience will catch onto quickly. Most lines are repeated several times throughout the book, guaranteeing that children can join in with the words after the first or second repetition. As the title says, the book sings--even a reader not particularly adept at reading books aloud should be able to read this without too much trouble. The words remain fairly simple, and the story straight forward, but hilarious. It's a good read for children 3 to 6 years old. For older children, the best approach may be asking them to join in on Little Boy's responses to Grandma each time.

Then there are the pictures created by Mary Newell DePalma. The pictures are crafted to complement the text, with smaller images being placed on the pages with text and full page illustrations used for the sound effects of the door squeaking or the noises of Little Boy and the various animals. The illustrations for the door squeak gradually get larger and larger until they overtake the entire two page spread by the end. The pictures really add to the overall mood of the story and the hilarity of so many animals in the bed with Little Boy. While a large audience will appreciate what's going on, they may miss some of the more amusing details that an up close read reveal. My particular favorite is the cat tucked into bed with an eye mask on, but the horse in pyjamas is worth a chuckle too. Overall, this is a book with images that can work for a large audience, but can offer a one-on-one reader the advantage of discoveries with closer inspection.

For parents, librarians and teachers with young children to read to, I can't recommend this book highly enough. It is likely best for the 3 to 6 age group as it's a bit long for younger children and may not keep the attention of older children as well. If you like this picture book, you may want to check out "Little Rooster's Diamond Button" and "Tunjur! Tunjur! Tunjur!" also folktales retold by Margaret Read MacDonald. Here's hoping this book finds it's way into many bookshelves in the future!

Happy Reading!^_^ Shanshad

I bought this book for my 5 yr old. She loved the stories as much as the lovely pictures. We have read it many times over. I recommend this as a gift for it is a good collection of stories along with beautiful pictures. It has a beautiful tapestry of stories, highlighted by the many wonderful embroidered images on the page. The pages reflect the linen fabic and add to the stories richness. The stories themselves are a terrific grouping of multicultural tales. Each with a vivid depiction of it's princess heroine. I loved the descriptive stories of many countries and yet they were in many ways noncultural in that princesses are by nature fairly universal the world around. If you wonder if it's as pretty on the inside as the jacket - it is!

the starlight princess combines magical embroidered
pictures with extremely well adapted tales- mostly well-known stories, but with the odd variation which makes
them more suited to modern readers. For example, in
' the princess and the pea ', the prince doesn't just marry
the princess, he finds out first whether she likes him too.
My five-year-old and I are thoroughly enjoying it -great to read aloud.

As a young child, one of my teachers taught us the basics of embroidery. I still have the tiny apron I made as a child and ended up framing it because I wanted to keep it safe. You will want to read this book and then keep it in a safe place too!

In "The Starlight Princess" the story is illustrated completely with embroidery. Belinda Downes is a world-renowned embroidery artist and you will want to also find "A Stitch in Rhyme" and "Every Little Angel's Handbook." She has always loved history and costume design and was very excited to illustrate this book and uses luxuriant fabrics and different threads and stitches. This is not cross stitch! The pages look like calico fabric.

To say I am impressed with this book is an understatement. I am fascinated with the embroidery, all the delicate details woven through the pages, framing the story with exquisite detail.

As a little girl I dreamed of being a princess. One time, I had my brother help me put two mattresses up on my bed and we put a pea under the bed to see if I could feel it. Since I couldn't, we declared that I must be a princess indeed. lol

Well, that story is actually in this collection of eight fairy tales and is the first story. The Frog Princess, King Grizzlebeard, The Starlight Princess, The Sleeping Beauty, The Twelve Dancing Princesses, The Egg Prince and White-Bear-King Valemon are included in this collection.

Annie Dalton's storytelling brings meaning to the embroidery. She also brings such humor to some of the stories.

"There was once a princess so beautiful that any prince who saw her portrait instantly became desperate to marry her. Unfortunately, as soon as they actually met her these princes quickly changed their minds."

The story of the Egg Prince was completely new to me and is about Princess Lebou who can run faster than any warrior. She lives in Africa and helps to break a spell and release the prince from the egg. But as Annie says: "But in case things don't work out, she sensibly hangs on to those egg shells."

I highly recommend this work of art! Simply one of the most
beautiful books you will ever see if you love embroidery.

A review cannot do this book justice. You must see it to believe it! This deserves at least 100 Stars!

~The Rebecca Review

First off, the illustrations truly are beautiful. They're well-defined, but also allow for aesthetic..um...gorgeousness. But that's only half of it. I loved this when I was little 70% for the story and 30% for the illustrations.
It's about a fellow who just leads a simple life at home. One day he performs some magic, which makes people come to him for more magic. The only wish he will not grant is to make the village mayor czar.
So the the mayor spreads rumors about Stupid Emilien. They reach the czar, who hears that a terrible monster means to overthrow him. Neat stuff happens, everybody gets their due, there are ships and magic and a czarevna and witty comments and best of all, a moral about material possesions. I have no doubt that were it not set in Russia, it would be a classic.

When I was a kid, my dad bought this book for me. the illustrations are incredible. It has a cute little story about a rabbit with magical powers and a czar. I love this book, and I have just purchased myself another for a university fine arts project.

you won't be disapointed with this book.

:)

This book is wonderful! The pictures are gorgeous! This book is great for kids and adults of all ages and makes a wonderful book for storytellers!

What a better way to capture the full attention of your Hispanic students during a read aloud? This book is full of amazing stories that build on their background knowledge and can be used to further teach comprehension strategies or simply have them enjoy and connect to read alouds.

Colorful illustrations light up these old multicultural stories, many from Spain which was influenced by sailors bringing songs and stories from other lands, as explained in the wonderful introduction to this book that tells how geography and history mix together to produce culture. Enjoy the bits of Spanish language thrown in to fun stories like "Martina and Raton Perez" and the war between a beetle and Dona Vaca Blanca y Negra (the black and white cow). Each story is followed by a short explanation of its origin. A fine choice for elementary school libraries.

"Tales Our Abuelitas Told / Cuentos que contaban nuestras abuelas" by F. Isabel Campoy and Alma Flor Ada (Simon & Schuster/Atheneum, $19.95 hardcover) has been released in separate English and Spanish editions. The authors tell us that the stories included in this anthology of Hispanic folk tales not only have Spanish roots but also possess elements that can be traced to other people because Spain has been a "cultural crossroads throughout history." Thus, we are told that there are influences from the Phoenicians, Jews, Greeks, Basques, Celts and others. At the end of each tale, the authors give a little historical context. The stories themselves are entertaining and, at times, offer lessons on how we should treat others and conduct ourselves in this thing we call life. [This review first appeared in the El Paso Times.]

Beautiful illustrations and simple prose make this a quietly poetic and aesthetically pleasing selection to read to kids three years old and up. A great introduction to the Native American concept of the seasons of the year and the close and personal relationship with all of Nature.

I was fortunate to hear the author speak in the early 90s in my hometown of Syracuse, NY. He is an engaging storyteller. It was then that I discovered his book. The artwork in this edition is rich and appealing. The vignettes of each moon, combined with the illustrations, make an appealing canvas for young and/or exploring minds.

This book is an excellent work of Native American children's literature. Joseph Bruchac is a well-known Abenaki story-teller who profiles in this book the thirteen moons of the year, and profiles for each moon what is important about that season to different Native Nations. The artwork is a beautiful compliment to the story. If you are looking for a solid and sensitive look at inter-tribal stories for children, this is a great place to start!

I don't specifically remember wonderful themes of kindness and sharing, but I do know that my eyes light up when I see this book. It must be something special of a twenty-year-old in college does that.

Trafalgar is an iridescent blue dragon with rabbit-like friends. When jealousy comes between them, Trafalgar must do something about it. A wonderful story as well as unparalleled illustrations! You will love reading this to your children and helping teach them the true value of sharing.

Trafalgar True is a winged dragon who lives in a country called Kurium, along with several small creatures called Kith and Kin, which he loves to watch play.

One day a large, bright Sunstone falls from the sky and lands in their meadow. The Kith and Kin are fascinated by the stone, but neither the Kith or Kin want to share it with the other. They fight and squabble over possession of it. All the while, Trafalgar True witnesses their fighting and grows sad because of it.

Then Trafalgar True realizes what he must do: he must return the Sunstone to the sun. So, he begins his rise into the sky when the Kith and Kin find their Sunstone gone. At first they accuse the other of stealing it, but one of them notices Trafalgar flying in the sky with the stone in his grasp. Obviously, they know no one could fly to the sun and survive, so they gather in a circle and call for Trafalgar to return. As soon as he does, the Kith and Kin decide it was pointless to fight over the Sunstone; instead, they would share it.

The moral:

"So, when it comes to sharing
With Kith and Kin or you,
Remember what you're sharing
Is the love of Trafalgar True."

Both adults and children will love this book. It's beautifully illustrated by Robin James.

I have 2 girls 2 and 3 years and they both LOVE this book! Its a perfect gift for any toddler!!!

Erika just turned 3, we have to read this book again and again every bed time. She likes it so much. She is now able to tell the rhyme as we turn the pages. Wow... I never thought memory could be so sharp at 3! The story is cute and the mouse expressions are funny. And Erika is building vocabulary.

These books are great for teaching children about language.

I liked the story Ham it Up where the guests dressed up as there favorite foods and were tring to still these "valuable" false teeth that turned up being a regular pair of false teeth.

I liked the story Ham it Up where the guests dressed up as there favorite foods and were tring tostill these "valuable" false teeth that turned up being a regular pair of false teeth.

Mr. Boddy has invited his six very best friends for a weekend at his very expensive mansion. The guests' favorite thing in the world is to steal Mr. Boddy's million dollar collectables, and perhaps a murder here and there. Anyway, some chapters specialize in a stolen dog, the winning of a solid gold peanut, a costume party with a stolen pair of false teeth, plus so many more. The three Clue books I've read were impossible to put down. The books are full of humor, crimes, murders, criminals, solutions, and of course, clues. READ ALL OF THE BOOKS IN THIS FANTASTIC SERIES!!

We enjoyed the story within the story of this book. It tells why some huts are round and some are square to this day in a small African village. This story is of men's & women's strengths & differences, the celebration of family and of the tradition of storytelling. The artwork adds to the quality of this book.

This is a wonderful book to share with children. Children need to know that different cultures do things differently. Culture is a big part of people and how they live their lives. This book was awarded a Caldecott Honor in 1987 for the wonderful pastel pictures. I, myself, loved this book and so did my children in the classroom.

The Village of Round and Square Houses, is a story told byalittle girl, Osa, about how the people in her Central African villageof Tos ended up having the men live in square houses and the women in round ones. Osa's story begins with vivid descriptions and pictures of day to day life including their eating rituals in which the men come to eat with the women and children in the round house. Grifalconi uses bright, beautiful colors and illustrations, which help set the happy and peaceful mood. As Osa's grandmother tells her the story of how the great Naka Mountain burst open sending lava, ashes and smoke everywhere, Grifalconi does a good job of depicting the eruption. She contrasts the color orange on black and later shows the village and people all covered with ashes, with only two houses left standing. Since Naka had spared them and these two houses, the men and women split up and have been living this way ever since. The language and descriptions that she uses to tell the story are unique and informative; she keeps the reader wanting to know more. Grifalconi also does a good job of portraying the culture and tradition in the small village. In a note to the reader at the beginning of the book, she states that this village of Tos really does exist but that it is almost entirely isolated which makes its culture unique with different traditions from other African villages. The story, The Village of the Round and Square Houses, tells of the importance of family and the respect given to the elders. For the eldest in this family has the wooden stool to sit on and the next eldest has the grass mat. The children help the women cook, and everyone eats supper taking turns in order, starting with the eldest right down to the youngest child. Osa's grandmother tells the story of how their village ended up the way it is now. All members of the village respect her grandmother, and she is known as the best storyteller in the village. By telling stories she is able to pass on the culture of their village. In their 1988 Children's Literature Association Quarterly article, "Sharon Bell Mathis: Features of a Culture," Darwin L. Henderson and Arlene Harris Mitchell examine Mathis's work. Sharon Bell Mathis's works and Grifalconi's, The Village of Round and Square Houses, are similar because they both deal with celebrating life, children, family, survival, spiritual strength and culture. The oral tradition of story-telling is important to Mathis, and Grifalconi has the grandmother orally pass on the story of Naka. For me, this story by the grandmother is one of the most important things in the book because it gives the reason for having the women live in round houses and the men live in square ones, and it gives insight into part of their culture. This shows that oral tradition and culture are important aspects to both authors when writing children's books. I found this book stimulating to look at and interesting to read. The illustrations are great and add a lot to the story though it was a great story in itself. I definitely want to check out more of Ann Grifalconi's work.