Fables [Paperback]

Arnold Lobel (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: September 7, 1983 | Age Range: 4 - 8 years

'Short, original fables with fresh, unexpected morals poke subtle fun at human foibles through the antics of animals. . . . The droll illustrations, with tones blended to luminescent shading, are complete and humorous themselves.' -- Association of Library Service to Children, ALA.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Arnold Lobel (1933-1987) was the award-winning author and illustrator of many beloved children's books, including the classic I Can Read books about Frog and Toad, and the Caldecott Medal winning Fables.

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
  
• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; Reprint edition (September 7, 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064430464
• ISBN-13: 978-0064430463
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 7.8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,089 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Arnold Lobel (1933-1987) was the award-winning author and illustrator of many beloved children's books, including the classic I Can Read books about Frog and Toad, and the Caldecott Medal winning Fables.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Fables and animalia July 6, 2004

By E. R. Bird HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Turtleback

I'm on an Arnold Lobel kick these days. Having breezed through the sweet, "A Treeful of Pigs", stopped to admire his treasury of nursery rhymes (two thumbs way way up on that one), and genuflected in the face of the eternally classic tales of Frog and Toad I'm actually getting around to reading his 1981 Caldecott winning picture book, "Fables". Lobel deserves every inch of praise he received for this admirable work. Imagine how difficult it must have been to create not one, not two, but twenty absolutely new fables filled to the brim with wit and wisdom! Not an easy task. Still, Lobel not only faced up to the challenge but also accomplished it in a manner best befitting the gentleman he truly was. These are fabulous fables.

Each tale contained in this book is acted out by a variety of different animals. No two stories contain the same kind of animals (with the possible exception of one fable centering on a hen and another on a rooster). The stories are short and easy for youngsters to understand. They are usually followed up with little moral lessons along the lines of "At times, a change of routine can be most healthful" or "When the need is strong, there are those who will believe anything". Admittedly, these are half a step away from becoming fortune cookie messages. Still, there's no denying that each and every one is true. Sometimes they become particularly poignant. I am thinking of the story about a young mischievous kangaroo that would throw spitballs in school and put tacks on chairs. When his teacher went to his home to inform his parents of their son's terrible behavior, he found them throwing spitballs at one another and doing just the kinds of things the little one had done in school. Moral: "A child's conduct will reflect the ways of his parents". Truer than most would think.

Accompanying these droll adventures are Lobel's very particular illustrations. As an artist, Lobel has given an entirely new level of sophistication to his creations. Though undeniably Lobellian (is that a word?) they're far more detailed than anything much his work before or since. In the story where a pig dreams of candies all night, the image on the opposite page displays a subtley shaded porcine character flying next to a gorgeous moon, a mélange of greens and yellows. Other delightful pictures include the one accompanying the story of two elephants. The pompous father elephant reads his paper, oblivious to the fact that his left slipper has caught fire from his pipe. Standing in front of him, eyes at half-mast (a look of singular disinterest on his face) a younger elephant gazes at the blaze serenely. Children familiar with Lobel's "Frog and Toad" books might be ever so slightly disturbed by the story in which three frogs run to find the treasures at the end of the rainbow. Not only do the jacketed amphibian get eaten by a snake, but they all look a heckuva lot like Frog from the aforementioned popular series. Things to consider.

The tales told here are as well written and presented as an ancient Aesopian collection. I would greatly encourage you to pair this book with, "Anno's Aesop: A Book of Fables by Aesop and Mr. Fox". The books compliment one another and lead to similar sillinesses. If you've ever thought that you loved Lobel, think again. Until you've read this picture book you'll find you were completely in the dark regarding his real talents. A stunning accomplishment.

28 of 32 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good- but not for preschool November 17, 2002

By Eileen F. Wright

Format:Paperback

Amazon.com has this graded as for Baby-Preschool. No way. These are fables with morals, and the vocabulary is at least second grade. I teach Third Grade and this book accompanies my reading series.
There are some stories I like better than others for both content and message. (some I don't use) I'd recommend it for Second to Fifth graders.

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Tongue in Cheek Animal Fables with Beautiful Illustrations April 23, 2001

By Donald Mitchell HALL OF FAMETOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

This book won the Caldecott Medal for the best illustrated children's book of 1981. The book contains twenty one-page fables, facing a one page illustration of the key moment in each fable. The illustrations bring the morals of these tales to life in ways that will keep your children laughing. That will make the lessons more memorable, as well as more entertaining.

The fables are uneven in the relevance and importance of their messages. I graded the book down one star for the several fables that are more irreverent than relevant. You can obtain more benefit for your child if you selectively read the fables to emphasize the more important ones.

For an example of a weaker one consider The Pelican and the Crane. This is a story about a crane who invites a pelican to tea. The pelican is horribly uncouth and messy. The pelican complains that "no one ever calls me." The moral is stated as "when one is a social failure, the reasons are as clear as day." The narrower moral is about being inconsiderate, but that is never quite spelled out. So even the weaker fables can be tightened up with a little parental explanation.

I thought that the following stories were comparable in quality to Aesop's Fables:

The Crocodile in the Bedroom ("Without a doubt, there is such a thing as too much order."; The Ducks and the Fox ("At times, a change of routine can be most healthful."); King Lion and the Beetle ("It is the high and mighty who have the longest distance to fall."); The Lobster and the Crab ("Even the taking of small risks will add excitement to life."); The Hen and the Apple Tree ("It is always difficult to pose as something one is not."); The Baboon's Umbrella ("Advice from friends is like the weather. Some of it is good; some of it is bad."); The Frogs at the Rainbow's End ("The biggest hopes may lead to the greatest disappointments."); The Camel Dancer ("Satisfaction will come to those who please themselves."); Madame Rhinoceros and Her Dress ("Nothing is harder to resist than a bit of flattery."); The Pig at the Candy Store ("A locked door is very likely to discourage temptation."); and The Mouse at the Seashore ("All the miles of hard road are worth a moment of true happiness.").

In most cases, other lessons can be drawn from the same fables. I suggest that you and your child discuss what else you noticed in the stories. You can then add experiences that each of you have had during the day, and discuss the meaning of each.

Remember that only those who wish to experience the most misery and injury themselves prefer to learn only from their own mistakes.

Remember to look on the funny side of life's hard lessons!