A Sip of Aesop (School & Library Binding)

~ (Author) "Aesop was an ancient Greek And spoke no language I can speak..." (more)

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 the Hardcover edition.

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 the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• School & Library Binding
• Publisher: San Val (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.com Sales Rank: #7,452,653 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A joy to hear, a joy to read., August 2, 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.