Aesop's Fables [Hardcover]

Lisbeth Zwerger (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up

More than 200 classic tales by legendary storyteller Aesop have been translated into readable, modern American English, and illustrated with 50 woodcuts by famous 19th-century French artist J.J.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Here are a round dozen of Aesop's instructive tales, including such favorites as "The Hare and the Tortoise" and "The Milkmaid and Her Pail," along with lesser-known parables like "The Man and the Satyr" and "The Hares and the Frogs." A single illustration faces the one-page text for each. The separate elements of this collection are well executed: the text is crisp and succinct, the ink-and-wash illustrations delicate yet often sharply revealing of character or mood. But they add up to a less than fully satisfying whole. Zwerger's expressiveness as an artist makes one wish for more: to see the fables actually unfold, their characters and situations developed sequentially rather than presented in a single, necessarily static frame. A format containing fewer fables, but devoting more space to each, would have allowed Zwerger to realize more fully the wit and wisdom of these classic tales. Ages 3-up.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3-- Just when it appears as if every possible interpretation of the fables attributed to Aesop has been done, the acclaimed Zwerger produces a thoughtful version that is filled with wit and wisdom. Twelve fables are retold with an economy of language, stressing the universal truth behind each moral. There's a satisfying blend of well-known favorites such as "Town Mouse and Country Mouse" and "The Hare and the Tortoise," rounded out with selections usually overlooked in most collections. Opposite each fable is a colored-ink and wash illustration. Utilizing a somber range of browns, grays, and blues, Zwerger periodically includes a dash of bright red to catch viewers' eyes. The luminous colors make her use of the white space even more noticeable. The illustrations seem to be inspired by Winslow Homer in both their composition and restrained use of color. The characters--both animal and human--are executed in a fairly realistic manner which accommodates Zwerger's impish sense of humor. The balance between each page of text and its accompanying illustration is pleasing, with the book's overall effect being one of a leisurely journey through the reasons for human behavior. A fine addition to larger collections desiring another interpretation of Aesop's fables. --Denise Anton Wright, Library Book Selection Service, Inc., Bloomington, IL
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 28 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (August 20, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0887081088
• ISBN-13: 978-0887081088
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 8.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (79 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,151,812 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

97 of 97 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 (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!

88 of 94 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.

60 of 64 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.