Aesop's Fables

by Ann McGovern, Ricardo Tercio (Illustrator)

Overview

Aesop's fables are retold in kid-friendly text with black-and-white illustrations throughout!

This 80-page edition of AESOP'S FABLES introduces young readers to Aesop's classic fables in a fun and accessible way. Ann McGovern retells the classic fables using kid-friendly language, and there are striking black-and-white illustrations throughout.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545467223
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	08/27/2013
Pages:	80
Sales rank:	215,304
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.40(h) x 0.30(d)
Lexile:	780L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Ann McGovern has written over 35 children's books, including STONE SOUP; several books in the IF YOU LIVED... series; and SCRAM, KID! (Viking, 1974), which won the Horn Book Award. McGovern spent part of her career at Scholastic, where she created the SeeSaw Book Club. McGovern lives in New York City.

Ricardo Tercio is a Lisbon-based illustrator who worked in animation for years before dedicating his time to drawing. Ricardo has done everything--from ad illustration to book covers, from comics to storyboarding--but his most favorite thing to do is draw creatures. Among other book covers he's created, Ricardo illustrated the cover of Ann McGovern's 2013 edition of AESOP'S FABLES.

Table of Contents

	Introduction	ix
	Note on the Text and Translation	xxxii
	Select Bibliography	xxxvi
	Chronology of the Fables	xl
	Aesop's Fables	1
	Aesop, the Popular Favourite	3
I.	The Fables	5
II.	Aetiologies, Paradoxes, Insults, and Jokes	231
	Index of Perry Numbers	285
	Index of Sources	289
	General Index	295

Editorial Reviews

Praise for IF YOU LIVED IN COLONIAL TIMES
"Gives a great deal of information and is nicely appropriate to the capability of the beginning reader." -BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS

From the Publisher

The classic tales from Aesop appear in this slim volume with black, white and gray-scale illustrations. Each fable ends with the story's moral. The cover boasts of having more than 60 stories; it includes the familiar ones appear along with fables that are less familiar. As the front cover's illustration promises, the Tortoise and the Hare's story appears as does the story of the wolf in sheep's clothing and the lion with the bulls. Each tale is told succinctly, usually taking up only a page or less; reluctant readers can welcome this. The moral displays boldly at the bottom center of the tale. However, in many stories, the dialogue appears the same as descriptions. While this may save book space, having dialogue spelled out could make the tale more accessible to a reader. Because of this format, many of the tales appear stilted. The lack of color throughout the tales also does not help the tales' accessibility or appeal. With other Aesop collections available, such as Jerry Pinkney's, the only benefits for this collection are the book's size and its cost. For those on a very limited budget and being unable to print from an online source, this paperback might be an option for second- to fourth-grade readers. Reviewer: Elizabeth Fronk

Children's Literature - Elizabeth Fronk

In her first book, German artist Drr uses pencil and charcoal to illustrate a particularly imaginative selection of 17 classic fables. Although many entries are familiar, Thuswaldner makes room for more unusual choices. In "A Dress for the Moon,'' for example, the moon's mother complains of the moon's ever-changing size, which makes her "the despair of the very best of dressmakers!'' The retellings are graceful and, true to Aesop, do not tack on any aphoristic morals. With its sophisticated design, however, the volume lacks child appeal. Sketchy and airy, the art is more conceptual than purely narrative; the duotone presentation may obscure the visual transitions between many of the spreads. Color remains the province of the type, printed in a distractingly bright, tomato red that seems almost to vibrate against the stark white paper. All ages.

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Classics like "The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse," "The Fox and the Grapes," "The Hare and the Tortoise," "The Crow and the Pitcher," and "The Lion and the Mouse" are included in this medley of thirteen of famous tales. Soft, detailed watercolors in muted shades are saturated with details that add to each story. The moral is clearly stated after each fable. The simplicity makes this edition perfect for teaching youngsters the tricks to constructing fables.

Children's Literature - Deborah Zink Roffino

A volume that is imbued with a decidedly European sensibility. The 17 selections range from the familiar "The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse" 'to those that rarely find their way into American anthologies, e.g., "The Empty Head'' and "A Dress for the Moon.'' The fables are retold in a matter-of-fact style and are illustrated with large-scale pencil drawings. Drr is adept at depicting animals' forms, but her humans are slightly awkward. Also, in spite of some endearing scenese.g., a full-front closeup of the tortoise heading over the finish lineall of the characters remain objectified and distant. Perhaps the most disturbing quality of the art is that there is no moisture, sparkle, or sign of life within the creatures' eyes. With so many Aesop collections available, the need for this one is limited.

School Library Journal