Favorite Folktales from Around the World (Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library) [Paperback]

Jane Yolen (Author)

Book Description

Series: Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library | Publication Date: August 12, 1988

A one volume collection of 160 tales from over 40 cultures and traditions, containing both classics and lesser known tales.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Storytelling, the oral tradition that springs directly from folk archives, is well served in this one-volume collection culled from Pantheon's folklore series. The 160 tales are grouped thematically in 13 chapterse.g. "The Very Young and the Very Old," "Fooling the Devil"taken from a variety of culturesEskimo, Irish, American Indian, Afro-American, Chinese, etc. Folklorists of many eras are represented in both familiar and less-common tales, carefully selected by Yolen, whose insightful introduction sets the parameters of choice. Her professional experience (she is the author of more than 80 books, many of them tales for children), assures us that storytelling, defined as "a personal art that makes public what is private and makes private what is public," is enjoying revival across the North American continent. The organization of this collection makes accessible, for telling and listening, illuminating glimpses of the world's cultures.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA Most of the 160 tales in this collection have been garnered from the "Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library." With an emphasis on stories from the oral tradition, the stories are grouped thematically: fooling the devil, shape shifters, the not-quite-human, numbskulls and noodleheads, true loves and false, likely and unlikely heroes, and death and the world's end, for example. Selections include tales from the American Indians, the brothers Grimm, Italo Calvino's Italian folktales, as well as stories from Iceland, Afghanistan, Scotland, and many other countries. Yolen provides each section with a relevant introduction, often including historical and literary factors, thus alerting readers as to what to look for. Sure to be a popular reference for junior high units on folktales. Mary Wadsworth Sucher, Baltimore County Reading Services
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 498 pages
• Publisher: Pantheon (August 12, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394751884
• ISBN-13: 978-0394751887
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.3 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #39,054 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you like folktales, you'll want this book, February 29, 2000

By 

P. Duffield - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Favorite Folktales from Around the World (Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library) (Paperback)

Not only is this collection marvelously diverse, but it's also incredibly easy to read. Though the tales still retain the feel of original storytelling, they do not have the awkward idiosyncracies you find in other texts with obscure (to the US) tales which have been litreally translated or transcribed. If you're tired of seeing the same tales in every book you find, get this one. It's a wonderful resource and just plain fun to own.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I adored it., November 11, 2008

By 

avid reader (Birmingham, Alabama) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Favorite Folktales from Around the World (Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library) (Paperback)

I teach elementary school, and I originally got this book because I was instructing other teachers on how to incorporate multicultural folklore into their classrooms. However, this book ended up spending most of its time by my bedside. It is SO GOOD. I came across it by accident, but I totally love it, just as much as I love my anthology of original Grimm's fairy tales. If you have any interest in the nuances of folktales, and if you love looking for similarities between cultures, start here. It's amazing.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Basic review, March 17, 2009

By 

J. Culver - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Favorite Folktales from Around the World (Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library) (Paperback)

This is a fabulous collection of stories. I ran across it several years ago in my public library when I was about 15. I checked it out numerous times while I lived at home. Recently I was reminded of one of the stories that was in it and decided that I should track down this book because I actually missed reading it. It took several hours of internet searching to find it since I couldn't remember the title, but it was worth it. This book would be a fabulous collection to any library.