Customer Reviews

The McElderry Book of Aesop's Fables

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

 

 

I looked for some time for a good collection of Aesop's fables to add to my children's bookshelf. Too often they seemed to be pitched at adults. This collection is perfect for reading to 3-7 year olds (although my 7 year old can read it for himself as the language is not complex). There are 21 fables and each takes up between 2-6 pages - perfect for bedtime! They are written in a very engaging fashion. At the end of each fable is the moral which makes a wonderful starting point for discussion. It's fun to see if the kids can work out for themselves what the moral should be.

The other thing that sets this collection apart is the illustrations, which are plentiful and truly beautiful. This is such a lovely book. I have just purchased my second copy to give as a present. It will make a wonderful gift.

Although the fables are not exactly true to the classics I remember, the updated language works perfectly for reading aloud. Never awkward or stiff, the language is very well written, and the illustrations are lovely. This is a favorite of my 5 year old daughter (and mine too, since I love that they stories are a great teaching tool.)

Soft and sunny watercolors are the star attraction in this edition of read-aloud fables. Originally published in England, the majority of the stories are well known favorites. The twenty-one different tales include such favorites as The Lion and the Mouse, The Hare and the Tortoise, The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse; as well as lesser-known tales such as The Travelers and the Bear, The Rat and the Elephant, and The Wolf and the Donkey. Large type print is punctuated by watercolor decorations as well as occasional half-page and full-page spreads of animals.

The illustrations of the somewhat anthropomorphized animals in the book have a fierce emotional intensity. In The Dog and His Bone, the Dog's ebullient expression fades to a dismayed, downcast look when his own greediness causes him to lose his bone. He "walked off home, his tail between his legs, feeling very stupid and very annoyed with himself." In the Crow and the Jug, we are treated to pictures of a beaming Crow as he drops pebbles in the jug "What a clever crow, he thought as he drank. What a clever crow." He's shown gazing around, clearly pleased with himself. This book is geared for children aged five to eight.

My kids love this book. I read fables to them almost every night. I would have given the book 5 stars but only gave 4 because I prefer the old school "A friend in need is a friend indeed" type of morals rather the ones included in this book.

Decent selection of fables in this compilation and well illustrated. I don't particularly enjoy the non-traditional phrasing of the morals at the end of the stories.

Beautiful book ...Bought three for three of my grand daughters ...under six...would def encourage anyone to buy this book for a child....

Gave it as a gift to new parents for their first born and they were very pleased with it because of its beautiful illustrations and the style in which these timeless stories were written.

The enduring tales of Aesop ... and his morals that stand the test of time. A lovely way to read about and teach character to children.