The Oxford Treasury of World Stories [Paperback]

Michael Harrison (Author), Christopher Stuart-Clark (Author)

Book Description

Series: Oxford Treasury of

An anthology of 23 stories collected from around the world, including modern stories and tales as well as traditional myths and legends. They range from humorous animal stories to tales of love and adventure. Among the countries and regions represented are Japan, New Zealand, Sweden, Egypt, Mongolia, Ireland, Canada, the United States, Colombia, Nepal, India, Turkey, China, Vietnam, West Africa, the Andes, Russia, the Caribbean, and Italy. The illustrations, in color and black and white, are by a variety of artists.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4-Illustrated in an array of styles by six different artists, these folk and fairy tales emanate from a variety of cultures, including Egyptian, Nepali, Native American, Mongolian, Australian, Swedish, South American, and Chinese. They have been revised as well as retold, and all are short and sprightly, good to read aloud and easy enough to read alone. Selections include two versions of frog princesses, the Indian Cinderella, otherworldly spouses such as the Star Wife and the Sea Man, a world-destroying flood, Anansi, the Tomten, tricksters, and tall tales from the American prairies. The recurrent themes are resourcefulness and quickwittedness rewarded, just deserts meted out, pride humbled, virtue triumphant, and so forth. The artwork ranges from cartoonlike to semi-realistic to primitive to folk art, with the pictures attractively arranged in many sizes and shapes throughout the text. Much of it is undistinguished, and the colors are extremely bright. Notes at the end of the book tell a bit about each tale.
Patricia Pearl Dole, formerly at First Presbyterian School, Martinsville, VA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

"What fits between Once upon a time and happily ever after? A handsome young man, certainly. A beautiful young woman, of course. And families causing trouble--that helps." Like all of Harrison and Stuart-Clark's fine Oxford anthologies, this global collection of 23 traditional tales is a feast for storytelling and reading aloud. The informal voices, whether laconic, lyrical, or dramatic, draw you in from the very first line ("The young man was ugly, not fancied by the girls in his village") and hold you still right through the informative, personal source notes ("As a middle child myself, I grew very tired of the youngest son always winning"). The design of the large volume is open and inviting, with thick paper and handsome color paintings by several artists. There's no theme or focus, just stories from everywhere. The characters range from Anansi and the Frog Princess to Robin Hood. The stories include a Maori tale from New Zealand, a comic story from Mongolia, and a tall tale from the U.S. Share them one story at a time. Hazel Rochman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (December 7, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192781812
• ISBN-13: 978-0192781819
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,657,089 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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