Ten Small Tales - Hardcover

Lottridge, Celia Barker

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 068950568X ISBN 13: 9780689505683

Publisher: Margaret K McElderry, 1994

Synopsis

A collection of folktales from various cultures and countries, including Malaysia, Russia, Puerto Rico, and the Congo.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 3-From distant lands-Malaysia, Russia, China, the Congo, the Far North-Lottridge has collected and adapted 10 folktales. All are short, from four to eight pages including illustrations. Each presents a child or an animal with a unique problem or desire, from a monkey who wants to dance on the village rooftops, to four animals who want to picnic on top of the mountain. All of the stories have thoroughly satisfying endings. In "The One-Turnip Garden," the girl who was too little to help plant and tend the garden is the one whose words help harvest the "big gigantic turnip." The stories have fine traditional structures, with a series of incidents building to a climax. They are written to invite listeners' participation in repeating verses, phrases, or cumulative lists. The many charming pale watercolor illustrations are the icing on the cake. A page of notes gives the national origin and sometimes the collection of tales from which the story was adapted. Storytellers and their audiences, parents looking for short bedtime selections, and children who have recently learned to read will enjoy this book. One copy won't be enough for busy children's rooms.
Nancy Seiner, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly:

This unusual collection was inspired by folktales told all over the world. While populated with well-known figures--crafty animals, curious children and kindly grandmothers--it is unlikely that any of the stories will be familiar. A fox turns to trickery and abandons his tail, a boy transforms himself into a peanut, a mouse discovers her ability to roll, and an elderly lady outwits a coyote. The stories are amusing, sometimes surprising, and speed ahead on their own internal logic--which is not always straightforward. Often the tales are circular and involve repetitions of both language and actions, resulting in a fluidity that makes these entries perfect for reading aloud. Fitzgerald attractively interprets the tales with serene watercolors in which calm tones capture the fun of the plots while leaving most of the sparkle for the narrative. Solid, reassuring animals (a la Graham Percy) and button-nosed children ground the text in the recognizable. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Margaret K McElderry
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 068950568X
• ISBN 13: 9780689505683
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 64
• Illustrator: Fitzgerald Joanne