| This is a story based on an African tale of why mosquitoes buzz in people’s ears and gives a lesson on how exaggerating or lying can have consequences. A mosquito tells an exaggerated tale to an iguana, which causes a snowball effect of bad situations. The end results are the death of an owlet and an angry group of animals. |
Henny Penny is and her friend are in a frenzy, they think the sky is falling and they must tell the king. This book takes on the old folk tale and brings it up to date. The illustrations are amazing and detailed.
This story is about a little boy who takes sayings literally, and then he imagines himself in different situations. For example, he mother may tell him not laugh so hard because he will crack up, then he pictures himself cracking up, literally!
This is an ethopian folktale with a moral involved. A young girl give up something precious and asks for nothing so she gets much. A great lord gives up much and asks for nothing, but still expects it, so he get the orange.
The tall tale of John Henry. Born with a hammer in his hand, he became the strongest railroad worker ever. He was so strong, he beat a drilling machine in a contest.
Another book with Anansi, this time eating his way through a melon only to find himself to fat to get out! He stays in waiting to get small again and tricks his friends by making them think the melon can talk! Of course all the friends want to show this amazing talking melon to the king, but when they finally get there the melon says nothing.
This book told of a butterfly awaiting a husband and father of her children. First, a cricket asked to marry her, but she said he would keep her children awake all night. She was in search of a husband who could sing her children to sleep with a sweet lullaby. Then, a frog came along, but she said his lullaby would frighten the babies. Next, a mouse came and she loved his voice; so they got married. As the beautiful butterfly was preparing for the honeymoon, the mouse went to the pond to get some water. He fell in and was eaten by a fish. Then, all of her friends joined her in mourning, but the way in which the king mourned was so funny that the fish spit out the mouse. The beautiful butterfly, her husband, and their “buttermice” lived happily ever after. –I thought this story was adorable!
This book is a timeless classic. It’s a story of a girl forced to work day and night. Her tasks seem almost impossible. She is able to get help from a strange little man, but at a cost. She has to promise him her first born child. This book has wonderful pictures. I enjoy this story, but I do see how it could be frightening for younger children.
Rumpelstiltskin is a folktale about a young miller’s daughter who is told that if she can spin straw into gold she will become the wife of the king. Her father tells the king she can spin straw into gold, so the miller’s daughter is set up to do something that is impossible for her to do. Just when she is ready to give up, a short man appears in the room and tells her if she gives him items that he will keep spinning straw into gold until the king is pleased. On the third time the short man appears she has nothing more to give him, so the man tells her that he will have her first child. When he comes back to take the child the woman pleas to keep the child. The man tells her she must find out his name and tell him in the next three days or she will lose her child. Is she able to find the man’s name in time?
Henny Penny as told by Veronica S. Hutchinson is a great story for early readers. The text is repetitive and would help beginner readers practice words. The names of the characters rhyme and they are animals, which all students enjoy. This is a great traditional/folk literature book that students learn to be careful of who they trust. There are many different artist and illustrators that have published this book. It is an easy find and has many options on colorful or black and white photos. This is a great book and one that students would enjoy.