Customer Reviews

The Aesop for Children

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is my favorite version of Aesop. After comparing it to another version, I can say that it is a more complete collection, the fables are more fully developed with rich language, and the beautiful illustrations set it above the rest.

My nine-year-old son retold one of the fables we read from this book: "Once a dove saw an ant fall into a river. The ant was struggling for safety. So the dove took a piece of hay and swooped down and dropped the hay right by the ant so it could float to safety.

"Then a different day, the ant saw the same dove that saved the ant's life. A man was getting ready to throw a stone at the dove to kill it. Then the ant went up to his heel and stung the man. It made the man miss his aim. So the dove flew away."

For those of you who like to have your child retell or narrate a story he has heard, this book earns my top recommendation for a starting point. The stories are short enough to narrate easily and rich enough in language and content to inspire a good retelling by the child.

This collection of some of the most memorable of Aesop's Fables is written in clear and elegant prose, beautifully illustrated, and perfect for pleasure reading and instruction. We use it as part of our homeschooling writing exercises. Our daughter reads a story, rewrites it in her own words, and illustrates it. We discuss the saying that attends each story and also the phrases that have become the common property of all people, for example, "a wolf in sheeps clothing". I cannot say enough good things about this book. At its low price this must be one of the best bargains on the planet. Enough said.

Although the stories are - for the most part - enjoyable, I found the prose a bit awkward and much of the vocabulary too flowery and grand for younger listeners. I got a lot of blank stares from my 6 year old as I read a few of them, and oftentimes found it necessary to reword the phrases into something simpler and easier for him to understand. Also, the morals aren't always clear. For example, "Do not be too hard to suit or you may have to be content with the worst or nothing at all". Quite a mouthful for a kindergartener to digest. Also, the moral "Do not try to ape your betters" from the Monkey and the Camel sent my son into hysterics. Like I said, it doesn't seem to really be written for the very young, unless you're prepared to stop every other sentence and define the oftentimes flowery and ill-placed vocabulary words for your child.

Beautiful illustrations, but the morals at the end don't always seem to fit the usually very brief story. So many of them are about pride and vanity. And where's the famous story of Androcles and the Lion? I give it four stars mostly because of the large size and large print and the illustrations, all of which should be pleasing to children. Those illustrations are wonderful. And I liked the font, which is very old-fashioned. This is a reprint of a book originally printed in 1914, and the publishers have kept that look. A good buy for your children, I should think. Children always love stories wherein animals talk, and are like people. This is the original. A good moral thrown in never hurts, either. E.g., "A kindness is never wasted."

This book is not only interesting for children as it was intended to be, but adults can also enjoy it. Children can learn moral lessons, while also being entertained by the words, and the beautiful pictures.

Well, the publishing industry finally did something right when they did a reprint of this 1919 and 1947 classic. We have Barns and Noble to thank for this one. Of all the collections of the fabled Aesop, this by far has been and is my favorite. The illustrations used are the originals by Milo Winter and for those familiar with his work, they will know that it just does not get much better than Winter!

This edition contains 112 tales, all written in a wonderful, rich lyrical prose which has not been dumbed down to the point of nausea as we so often see. No, this is written in a fashion that will not only keep the child enthralled with the story, but also teach the child something of our language and its richness. Most children five years old and up can understand perfectly the story line and the few words that they may not be familiar with gives the adult a golden opportunity to do a bit of teaching, which after all is one of our important responsibilities.

But let's be perfectly honest here. The title of this work is The Aesop for Children. My goodness; I know of very few adults that will not be totally enchanted by this work as much, and possibly even more, than the child it is being read to or is reading it. These are timeless tales; tales most of us grew up with and are no worse for the reading many times after all of these years. Not only do the stories entertain, but they all teach. I dare say that an adult who has never been exposed to these stories will pick up a few lessons in life and the living of life through this work.

Each story is short and written in such a manner that most children will be able to retell the tale without reading it after only a few readings. This is an ideal work to teach the art of story telling to children. I also love the way that the moral of the story, always of course at the end, is written in italics. I have noted that most children can tell you instantly what the moral is without it being read to them; such is the magic of these tales, but it is always nice to be sure.

I need not list all of the stories in this book as listing 112 titles would be a bit of a space waster, but suffice to say that all the old favorites are here along with many not so well known tales. Each is illustrated my Winter in his turn of the century style. The art is beautiful and perfectly executed and adds much to the story being read.

For your money, I can hardly think of a better edition to go with than this one.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

My students loved this book. It's a definite hit. If you love fables and fairy tales this is a must! Also nice to add to your collection are: Grimm's complete fairy tales (Grimm), Great Children's stories (Richardson), The Butterfly (Singh). There are many other great children's books out there, but these were the ones I enjoyed the most. Oh, and I almost forgot the two classics that no children should ever be deprived of: The Little Prince (Exupery) and Charlotte's Web (White).

This book has so many fun stories. In this simplified book yuor chidren will have fun. Great to read again and again. Vey good for the MONEY.

Our family has enjoyed Aesop's for Children with illustrations by Milo Winters very much. This is an older book, so the vocabulary and quality of writing is great (although there are some words that have changed meanings and will need to be explained to children if they ask). The illustrations are wonderful--full of detail and color. They help younger children understand the fables better. I highly recommend the study of fables for lessons in character.

This was a book I had as a child. I had always loved the illustrations as well as the fables and still find the art work interesting, impressive, and pleasing to view.