A Sip of Aesop [School & Library Binding]

Jane Yolen (Author)

Book Description

A verse retelling of thirteen familiar Aesop's fables includes ""The Fox and the Grapes,"" ""The Tortoise and the Hare,"" and ""The Dog and the Bone,"" and delivers each story's moral with a humorous twist.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Yolen and Barbour prove a dynamite pairing in this splashy picture book. Here they jazz up a baker's dozen of Aesop's much-loved fables, most of which are familiar ("The Boy Who Cried Wolf," "The Grasshopper and the Ants," "The Lion and the Mouse"), along with a few quirkier choices ("The Frog and the Ox," "The Tortoise and the Eagle"). Yolen sets the fables to verse, and clever verse it is, neatly distilling the essence of Aesop into a series of quatrains. Studded with outrageous puns ("The Fox and the Grapes," for instance, ends with this moral: "High or low/ Upon the vine,/ Sour grapes/ Make an awful whine"), the rhymes can't help but spark smiles all around. Barbour (Little Nino's Pizzeria) dives wholeheartedly into the spirit of the literary renovation, dipping her brush in the hot colors of the Caribbean-teal, fuchsia, parrot green, chili pepper red. Flamboyantly surreal, her artwork is focused, yet alive with activity. This one's a winner in every way, and could easily outdistance the competition to become the best-loved Aesop on the shelf. Ages 5-10.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4?A disappointing effort. Yolen has rewritten 13 well-known fables in rhyme. They are all in ABCB form, and the moral is a four-line verse as well. Much is sacrificed for the sake of rhyme or scansion. The morals are often stilted, and fitting the required sentiment into the verse form causes the author to stretch the point, especially when she wants to include a pun as well. There are many dubious rhymes?"nylon" and "li-on" (sic), "ruin" and "do in" are a couple. Barbour's bold acrylic illustrations are flat, bright, and appealing, but with so many good versions of Aesop available, there is no need to add this one.?JoAnn Rees, Sunnyvale Public Library, CA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• School & Library Binding
• Publisher: Bt Bound (March 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0613286413
• ISBN-13: 978-0613286411
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 8.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,299,720 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born and raised in New York City, Jane Yolen now lives in Hatfield, Massachusetts. She attended Smith College and received her master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. The distinguished author of more than 170 books, Jane Yolen is a person of many talents. When she is not writing, Yolen composes songs, is a professional storyteller on the stage, and is the busy wife of a university professor, the mother of three grown children, and a grandmother. Active in several organizations, Yolen has been on the Board of Directors of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, was president of the Science Fiction Writers of America from 1986 to 1988, is on the editorial board of several magazines, and was a founding member of the Western New England Storytellers Guild, the Western Massachusetts Illustrators Guild, and the Bay State Writers Guild. For twenty years, she ran a monthly writer's workshop for new children's book authors. In 1980, when Yolen was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law degree by Our Lady of the Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts, the citation recognized that "throughout her writing career she has remained true to her primary source of inspiration--folk culture." Folklore is the "perfect second skin," writes Yolen. "From under its hide, we can see all the shimmering, shadowy uncertainties of the world." Folklore, she believes, is the universal human language, a language that children instinctively feel in their hearts. All of Yolen's stories and poems are somehow rooted in her sense of family and self. The Emperor and the Kite, which was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1983 for its intricate papercut illustrations by Ed Young, was based on Yolen's relationship with her late father, who was an international kite-flying champion. Owl Moon, winner of the 1988 Caldecott Medal for John Schoenherr's exquisite watercolors, was inspired by her husband's interest in birding. Yolen's graceful rhythms and outrageous rhymes have been gathered in numerous collections. She has earned many awards over the years: the Regina Medal, the Kerlan Award, the World Fantasy Award, the Society of Children's Book Writers Award, the Mythopoetic Society's Aslan Award, the Christopher Medal, the Boy's Club Jr. Book Award, the Garden State Children's Book Award, the Daedalus Award, a number of Parents' Choice Magazine Awards, and many more. Her books and stories have been translated into Japanese, French, Spanish, Chinese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Afrikaans, !Xhosa, Portuguese, and Braille. With a versatility that has led her to be called "America's Hans Christian Andersen," Yolen, the child of two writers, is a gifted and natural storyteller. Perhaps the best explanation for her outstanding accomplishments comes from Jane Yolen herself: "I don't care whether the story is real or fantastical. I tell the story that needs to be told."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A joy to hear, a joy to read., August 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Sip Of Aesop (Hardcover)

"If naps and laps you do confuse, You are surely bound to lose."

Taking Aesop's familiar gems and re-setting them into witty verse, Yolen polishes the old stories and makes them sparkle. The poetry, while seemingly simple, can lead kids through a bit of puzzling before they can explicate each line, even when they know the original fable. A great book for teachers.