Fables and Fairy Tales Books

This was a charming story, beginning with the need to find ones special purpose in life and emphasizing the doubts we all can have regarding self-worth. Especially because this book is geared towards very small children, it was refreshing to find no violence or aggression, but just a soft, magical, sweet plot, where there is a happy ending for all characters in the story. This story actually comes full circle, with each character ultimately helping in fulfilling each other's dreams. The illustrations are, themselves, magical and beautifully done.

We started reading Babushka after our son was born, and my [...]twin girls absolutely love this story. With a slight religious tone that's not too overwhelming, the story brings the meaning down to earth and reminds us of the importance of celebrating life, not gifts... these are some of sophie's best illustrations. We're a huge fan of her artwork.

I purchased this book for my neice's first dance recital. It was a wonderful gift, the size is perfect for a child's hands. This book not only comes in an attractive package, but it comes with a beautiful charm necklace and a small book. The pictures in the book are bright and beautiful. I would highly reccomend this book to anyone looking for the perfect gift for their little dancer!

The collaborative work of authors Tyler Norman and Jose Perez,The Banjoman / El Hombre de Banjo is a bilingual English/Spanish picturebook by about a wandering musician who travels to entertain children. When a broken string on his banjo stops his music, nothing seems able to replace it -until help from a most unexpected source provides harmony for his music to play once again. Warm color illustrations by Perez of children, animals, and the devoted musician add a touch of life to this gentle tale of cooperation and renewal.

Fancy a brave adventure filled with knights and chivalry? The Middle Ages might be over, but John Matthew's captivating tales might make you think otherwise. Coupled with actor Anthony Head's magnificent storytelling, and Giovanni Manna's delightful illustrations, these seven stories come alive! Children and adults alike will love to revisit this CD and paperback collection time and time again.

We borrowed this book from our library, and simply had to own it! The storys are delightful to read aloud, and the illustrations are so delicious. I'm a huge fan of many of the Barefoot Books, and this is one of my favorites. The stories all have a light yet appropriate message, too... not too scary... more of a silly scary. They're not your typical 'monster' stories my any means, and each of the stories is from a different part of the world.

This has been a favorite for our kids from about kindergarten on up, and perhaps even a bit earlier. In Bearfoot Book style, this book includes a full curriculum of art, geography, religion and history in the form of plain old good, engaging stories. The silk road slinks from China through the deserts of Central Asia and into the Middle East, and in this age when so much new history is being written in Central Asia and the Middle East the stories and the accompanying discussions will really help orient your kids to the broader world.

Among the stories that have struck our kids the most are "Monkey and the River Dragon", which should keep the kids laughing through the whole story, and "The Bride and the Horse's head", a story with more pathos and tragedy.

The art in this book particularly stands out, even with the high standards usually set by Barefoot Books, and the maps are a particularly colorful delight. Among kids books, this is one of the better selections when you are reading to children that span all the elementary school grades, as it has something of interest for the older kids as well as the younger ones.

I think Raouf Mama has an exceptional idea for relating important life's lessons to children by using such a broad range of stories. The Barefoot Book of Tropical Tales will most certainly be a delight for youngsters to get invloved with. Not only will it be educational for the children, but a world of great entertainment.

In Bear Tales, writer and illustrator Vlasta van Kampen engagingly retells three traditional folktales. Bear and Pig Went to Market is a humorous tale from Czechoslovakia. Bear and his best friend Pig decide to sell their delicious cooking at the market. Bear offers scrumptious potatoes in his stall, Pig has sweet-smelling buns in his. But business is slow and Bear and Pig soon become each other's best customers! Why Bear Stole the Moon is a Native American legend and has bear stealing the moon from the night because he likes it dark so he can hibernate. While Bear sleeps, Coyote, Raccoon, and Raven devise a clever plan to release the moon from the sack in which it is hidden -- and that's why the moon has changes throughout its monthly cycle. Two Lazy Bears is the Russian tale and finds Ivan and Igor are so lazy they won't do their chores. They won't even carry home the fish they caught for dinner! The only work they will do is argue. But a stalemate over cleaning up after dinner causes these silly, slothful bears to miss the Big Picnic. Highly recommended for school and community libraries, the artwork is vibrant and colorful, the storytelling adaption for young readers ages 5 to 8 is simply first rate.

Michael Foreman's whispy watercolours are the perfect accent to these lovely little stories written by Terry Jones (Former member of Monty Python) They are also perfect for reading aloud to a child, and there is even a nice little moral for each tale. The Fishy story teaches you not to be full of yourself, and the Beastie story teaches children not to eat too much sugar (among other things) You may be surprised to find that Terry Jones is in fact an excellent writer of Childrend's stories, and Of course Foreman's illustrations are always beautiful. I would recommend this book to anyone who has young children, or someone that simply loves Fairy Tales or whimsical art. (Like myself)