Wonder Tales from Around the World [Paperback]

Heather Forest (Author), David Boston (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1995 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Traditional stories endure generation after generation because although they are not literal they resound in truths on a human scale. Folktales remind us of wisdom so elemental it is often lost in the rush of everyday life, so that sometimes common sense makes no sense at all.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6?A collection of 27 folktales from around the world, each of which has a vein of magic that will delight both readers and listeners. Forest has retold each story in the "...minstrel performance style of storytelling [that] interweaves original poetry, guitar, and the sung and spoken word." Phrasing and imagery are consistently vivid, making these tales excellent candidates for storytelling as well as good read-alouds. The book's design is uncluttered and pleasing, with large pages and print and wide margins. An effective, full-page black-and-white drawing enhances each selection. All in all, a fine addition to most folklore collections.?Lee Bock, Brown County Public Libraries, Green Bay,
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 4^-6, younger for reading aloud. Twenty-seven traditional tales from cultures around the world are succinctly retold in a first collection by storyteller Heather Forest. Forest's addition of rhyming refrains adds to the "read-and tell-ability" of each story, as do the active verbs she uses and the declarative nature of the narrative. Some tales will be familiar from other collections--" The Talking Skull" from West Africa, "The Golden Goose" from Germany, "Duffy and the Devil" from England, and "The Boy Who Drew Cats" from Japan. Others are wonderfully new, for example, Indonesia's "The Magic Oysters of the Queen of the South Sea" and Ecuador's "The Search for the Magic Lake." Each tale is accompanied by a full-page, stylized pen-and-ink illustration that takes advantage of the oversize format. The caricatures of various ethnic groups may be a bit troublesome, particularly those of Asian and African American characters, but art aside, the stories are quite fine, with Forest including substantial source notes on each tale as well as alternative versions. A good resource for storytelling and comparative research. Janice Del Negro --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 155 pages
• Publisher: August House Publishers, Inc. (1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874834228
• ISBN-13: 978-0874834222
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #738,008 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #37 in Books > Children's Books > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > Collections

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great selection of Wonder Tales, April 12, 2000

By 

Michael D. Telposky "book bandit" (Palisades Park, New Jersey) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wonder Tales from Around the World (Paperback)

I enjoyed this book as much as I enjoyed the Wisdom tales(I may have accidently called the Wisdom tales Wonder tales)again, having seen Ms. Forest perform live was a great pleasure. I enjoyed all the helps provided as to how these stories were found. I hope to use these resources in my own further research. I recommend all of Ms. Forest's tapes and books for enjoyable reading and listening to teachers, parents and children. Let your imagination go and you will discover the joy of story! A great effort!

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent service!, April 7, 2010

By 

Geraldine Buckley (Frederick, Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wonder Tales from Around the World (Paperback)

This is a great book in very good condition. It was delivered quickly and was well packaged - altogether an excellent transaction. Thank you!

As for the book itself - it is fabulous. I have had Wisdom Tales by the same author for a long time and absolutely loved it - and I had been looking forward to adding this to my collection. Although the stories don't have the same obvious moral twist as the first book - they are absorbing and well told. Heather Forest has a knack of taking folktales and rewriting them in a vivid way that makes them spring off the page. They are both excellent for reading out loud - but also for telling. A great resource book and one that I will enjoy for years to come.