Aesop's Fables [Library Binding]

Anne Gatti (Author), Aesop (Editor), Safaya Salter (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1992

Intricate full-color artwork inspired by Persian miniatures highlights an anthology of fifty-eight of Aesop's moral tales--including both well-known and less-familiar fables.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Salter refurbishes 58 of Aesop's fables with delicate flame-toned illustrations. Underscoring the timelessness and adaptability of the Greek storyteller's work, the British artist borrows motifs and styles from a number of the so-called cradles of civilization. In her full-page illustrations, slightly flattened perspectives recall antiquity, while the use of serial borders and of floral and geometric patterns seem specifically Middle Eastern. A fox and a stork pose with with a black-figure vase suggestive of pre-classical Athens; other pictures incorporate architectural flourishes (various types of capitals or arches) that evoke the style of an entire period. Small, color images interspersed with the text echo the facing illustrations; for spreads without full-page art, Salter produces stately framed miniatures or, alternately, abstract decorations. While the stories themselves receive perfectly satisfactory treatment, the concluding morals, unnecessarily modified, can take on a fortune-cookie flavor ("you will often be judged by the company you keep"). The moral here: judge this book by its cover full of sumptuous art. Ages 6-up.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-5-- Fifty-eight of the fables attributed to Aesop are given a fresh and totally inviting look here. In retelling the tales, Gatti uses spare but evocative language and includes the requisite moral for each. Many of Aesop's best-loved selections are included, but quite a few equally clever, if lesser known, fables find their way into this collection. Great attention has been paid to the arrangement of type, and both text and illustrations are beautifully reproduced on a heavy white paper stock. Employing a style reminiscent of illuminated manuscripts and Persian miniatures, Salter excels in the decorative aspect of her work. Detailed borders surround the stylized animal characters and enrich each story. Executed in gouache, the paintings are most successful when occupying a full page. The smaller paintings are attractive but lack the detail found in the larger ones. The colors are a pleasing mix of earthy brown, red, and green. While many versions exist, this book's artwork sets it apart. --Denise Anton Wright, Illinois State University, Normal
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Library Binding: 79 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Childrens Books (J) (October 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152003509
• ISBN-13: 978-0152003500
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (80 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,431,992 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

99 of 99 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding!, March 5, 2010

By 

Catrina Thomas "Luvtlee" (Cape Carteret, NC - United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Aesop's Fables; a new translation (Dover Children's Thrift Classics) (Kindle Edition)

I've always loved Aesop's Fables and to have them all in one neat collection here on my Kindle for my PC is just great! There ARE capital letters where appropriate, so I'm not sure what the other reviewer here had going on with their version. Rest assured that the problem has now been fixed and it's easy reading. My only complaint is that the individual stories listed in the contents are not click-able and you do have to navigate page by page to get where you need to go. I still believe that this deserves a five star rating though in spite of that just because it is so nice to have all the fables in one place like this for free. You can't beat it!

91 of 98 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Beware! Amazon doesn't know what it's doing!, June 28, 2000

By 

Ezra Shapiro "exiled New Yorker" (Los Angeles sprawl) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Aesop's Fables (Owlet Book) (Paperback)

Careful! These reviews do not all refer to the same edition of Aesop's Fables. Read them carefully. You will also discover this set of reviews replicated most (but not all) the time you click on any other edition with the title "Aesop's Fables." The database does not understand that they all aren't the same book. Sigh.

61 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not quite for children..., August 18, 2002

By 

Jay - See all my reviews

This review is from: Aesop's Fables: A Classic Illustrated Edition (Hardcover)

The short stories attributed to Aesop have been around for over 2,500 years. Many times no longer than a paragraph is enough for the reader to see the moralistic truth of the world around us summed up in a brief encounter between animals. The illustrations are well done and will be appreciated by adults, but for the most part were not created for children. The vocabulary and grammar can also be difficult for young children on their own, but will be understood if it is read to them with the proper pauses and inflections. Every fable has its moral underneath it. Many of them children will recognize from other storybooks. Every teacher should have a collection of Aesop's fables. Although this edition is not the best for young children it would still make an excellent addition to the classroom library.

Why 4 stars?:
While I do feel this is a good book to read to children and to show the illustrations to. It will be too difficult for them to read on their own.