Aesop's Fables - Softcover

Pirotta, Saviour

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0753461331 ISBN 13: 9780753461334

Publisher: Kingfisher, 2007

Synopsis

Now available in a sleek paperback format, this acclaimed collection of gloriously illustrated retellings of Aesop's Fables brings ancient Greece back to life. Saviour Pirotta lends his warm and lively style to a mixture of familiar and lesser-known fables that are perfect for reading aloud to young children. Aesop himself narrates, providing context for the eight selected tales. Full of engaging text, lively artwork, and reliable morals, this collection of timeless stories will remain relevant for a new generation of readers.

About this title

About the Author:

Saviour Pirotta has written more than sixty fiction and nonfiction books for children, and his works have been translated into ten languages. He has a special interest in myths and traditional legends from around the world. Saviour was born in Malta and is a trained chef.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 1-5–Each of these eight fables is presented in a two-part format. The first part consists of a wordy introduction in which Aesop explains the meaning and possible context of the tale and relates it to his own life as a freed Athenian slave. Several of the selections, such as The Frogs That Wanted a King and The Jay and the Peacocks, are not often anthologized. Each telling contains descriptions of the setting, extensive dialogue, and rounded-out motivation. Unfortunately, the resulting long-windedness violates the pithiness of the genre. The Lion and the Mouse comes in at over eight pages. The preface makes clear what advice the ensuing selection will impart; the final paragraph of the narrative emphasizes the upcoming lesson, and a neatly framed moral is appended. This triple treatment leaves nothing to chance or children's ability to interpret meaning. However, Johnson's richly toned paintings in a pleasing variety of shapes grace the pages with lively animal and human activity. Three times as many fables in a quarter of the words appear in Verónica Uribe's Little Book of Fables (Groundwood, 2004), while Helen Ward's grand retelling of a dozen tales in Unwitting Wisdom (Chronicle, 2004) features more subtly designed illustrations that embellish the stories' content.–Susan Hepler, Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria, VA
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About this edition

• Publisher: Kingfisher
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0753461331
• ISBN 13: 9780753461334
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 80
• Illustrator: Johnson Richard