The Frog Prince, Continued
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/8/1/13810663/1351893693.jpg)
Title: The Frog Prince, Continued
Author: Jon Scieszka
Genre: Fable
Characters: The Frog Prince, the Princess, witches and a fairy godmother.
Setting: A fairytale land
Theme: Do not take what you have for granted.
Summary: The Frog Prince and the Princess who kissed him are not living happily ever after, so the Prince decides to set off and become a frog again. He encounters characters from other fairytales, but no one can help him change back into a frog! Finally, he goes back home and realizes that he and the princess are still in love. He kisses her, they turn into frogs, and they live happily forever after.
Opinion: I loved this book! I thought that it was a clever twist on the old fairytale, one that was much more realistic, funny, and sweet! I will definitely use this book in my teaching.
Author: Jon Scieszka
Genre: Fable
Characters: The Frog Prince, the Princess, witches and a fairy godmother.
Setting: A fairytale land
Theme: Do not take what you have for granted.
Summary: The Frog Prince and the Princess who kissed him are not living happily ever after, so the Prince decides to set off and become a frog again. He encounters characters from other fairytales, but no one can help him change back into a frog! Finally, he goes back home and realizes that he and the princess are still in love. He kisses her, they turn into frogs, and they live happily forever after.
Opinion: I loved this book! I thought that it was a clever twist on the old fairytale, one that was much more realistic, funny, and sweet! I will definitely use this book in my teaching.
Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/8/1/13810663/1352056888.jpg)
Title: Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock
Author: Eric A. Kimmel
Genre: Traditional Literature
Characters: Anansi, Little Bush Deer, Lion, Elephant, and other animals.
Setting: The forest
Theme: Playing tricks on people may backfire on you!
Summary: Anansi the spider found a moss-covered rock that would knock you out if you said “Isn't this a strange moss-covered rock?” Anansi decides to use it to trick the other animals and then steal their food. He tricks Lion, Elephant, and all of the other animals in the forest, and she steals all of their food. Little Bush Deer was watching the whole time, however, and she decided to trick Anansi back. She succeeds, and all of the animals take their food back. When Anansi wakes up and realizes he has been tricked, the food was gone, but he still did not learn his lesson about tricking others!
Opinion: I thought this was a cute story. It had a good lesson to teach, it was full of fun animals, and it could be a fun activity for the kids to look for Little Bush Deer in all of the illustrations.
Author: Eric A. Kimmel
Genre: Traditional Literature
Characters: Anansi, Little Bush Deer, Lion, Elephant, and other animals.
Setting: The forest
Theme: Playing tricks on people may backfire on you!
Summary: Anansi the spider found a moss-covered rock that would knock you out if you said “Isn't this a strange moss-covered rock?” Anansi decides to use it to trick the other animals and then steal their food. He tricks Lion, Elephant, and all of the other animals in the forest, and she steals all of their food. Little Bush Deer was watching the whole time, however, and she decided to trick Anansi back. She succeeds, and all of the animals take their food back. When Anansi wakes up and realizes he has been tricked, the food was gone, but he still did not learn his lesson about tricking others!
Opinion: I thought this was a cute story. It had a good lesson to teach, it was full of fun animals, and it could be a fun activity for the kids to look for Little Bush Deer in all of the illustrations.
The Three Snow Bears
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/8/1/13810663/1352056822.jpg)
Title: The Three Snow Bears
Author: Jan Brett
Genre: Fable
Characters: Aloo-ki, Baby Bear, Mama Bear, and Papa Bear
Setting: Somewhere in the Arctic
Theme: Your curiosity could get you into trouble or at least scare you a bit!
Summary: Aloo-ki's sled dogs float away on an ice floe, but when Aloo-ki goes looking for them, she finds a bear family's igloo. The family had just gone for a walk, so Aloo-ki tries their soup, their boats, and their beds. Baby Bear's things are perfect for Aloo-Ki. The bears find the dogs and bring them home, where they find Aloo-Ki fast asleep.
Opinion: I thought that this book was cute because it was a different twist on the story of Goldilocks, one with a different culture and setting. I also loved the illustrations!
Author: Jan Brett
Genre: Fable
Characters: Aloo-ki, Baby Bear, Mama Bear, and Papa Bear
Setting: Somewhere in the Arctic
Theme: Your curiosity could get you into trouble or at least scare you a bit!
Summary: Aloo-ki's sled dogs float away on an ice floe, but when Aloo-ki goes looking for them, she finds a bear family's igloo. The family had just gone for a walk, so Aloo-ki tries their soup, their boats, and their beds. Baby Bear's things are perfect for Aloo-Ki. The bears find the dogs and bring them home, where they find Aloo-Ki fast asleep.
Opinion: I thought that this book was cute because it was a different twist on the story of Goldilocks, one with a different culture and setting. I also loved the illustrations!
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/8/1/13810663/1351901661.jpg)
Title: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Author: C.S. Lewis
Genre: Traditional Literature
Characters: Peter, Susan, Edmund, Lucy, Aslan, the White Witch, and everyone else in Narnia, and the professor.
Setting: The magical land of Narnia
Theme: The battle between good and evil.
Summary: Four siblings walk through a wardrobe and enter the world of Narnia, where a witch is ruling with her evil magic. Edmund betrays his family and Aslan, the true king of Narnia. Aslan and the other children team up to fight evil, and Aslan ends up dying for Edmund, who was to be punished for being a traitor. Good magic wins, however, and Aslan comes back to life and defeats the witch and crowns the children kings and queens of Narnia. The children live there until they rediscover the wardrobe and realize that time stood still back home.
Opinion: I love this book! I have never read a book as quickly as I read this one; the writing style was captivating and easy to read. I loved that whether the reader is a Christian like me, who views the book as an allegory, or a non-Christian, the story is such a good example of the battle between right and wrong. This has become one of my favorite children's chapter books!
Author: C.S. Lewis
Genre: Traditional Literature
Characters: Peter, Susan, Edmund, Lucy, Aslan, the White Witch, and everyone else in Narnia, and the professor.
Setting: The magical land of Narnia
Theme: The battle between good and evil.
Summary: Four siblings walk through a wardrobe and enter the world of Narnia, where a witch is ruling with her evil magic. Edmund betrays his family and Aslan, the true king of Narnia. Aslan and the other children team up to fight evil, and Aslan ends up dying for Edmund, who was to be punished for being a traitor. Good magic wins, however, and Aslan comes back to life and defeats the witch and crowns the children kings and queens of Narnia. The children live there until they rediscover the wardrobe and realize that time stood still back home.
Opinion: I love this book! I have never read a book as quickly as I read this one; the writing style was captivating and easy to read. I loved that whether the reader is a Christian like me, who views the book as an allegory, or a non-Christian, the story is such a good example of the battle between right and wrong. This has become one of my favorite children's chapter books!
The Three Pigs
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/8/1/13810663/1351901978.jpg)
Title: The Three Pigs
Author: David Weisner
Genre: Fable
Characters: The three little pigs, the big bad wolf, a dragon, and the cat and the fiddle.
Setting: The settings of many different books!
Themes: 1) If you work together, you can accomplish a lot.
2) Books open whole new worlds!
Summary: As the wolf huffs and puffs to blow the 3 little pigs' houses down, the pigs get blown out of the story and enter a place where they can enter any world simply by stepping inside the pages of different books. They explore the various books, discovering a dragon and the cat and the fiddle, who follow them out of the books. They then enter back into the pigs' story, blow the wolf away, and live happily ever after in the cozy brick house.
Opinion: I loved this book! I not only loved the twist on the age-old tale of the three little pigs, but I loved how this book showed other books truly coming to life. I think that the illustrations were truly what made this book so unique and intriguing; I did not want to stop looking at the creative pictures!
Author: David Weisner
Genre: Fable
Characters: The three little pigs, the big bad wolf, a dragon, and the cat and the fiddle.
Setting: The settings of many different books!
Themes: 1) If you work together, you can accomplish a lot.
2) Books open whole new worlds!
Summary: As the wolf huffs and puffs to blow the 3 little pigs' houses down, the pigs get blown out of the story and enter a place where they can enter any world simply by stepping inside the pages of different books. They explore the various books, discovering a dragon and the cat and the fiddle, who follow them out of the books. They then enter back into the pigs' story, blow the wolf away, and live happily ever after in the cozy brick house.
Opinion: I loved this book! I not only loved the twist on the age-old tale of the three little pigs, but I loved how this book showed other books truly coming to life. I think that the illustrations were truly what made this book so unique and intriguing; I did not want to stop looking at the creative pictures!
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/8/1/13810663/1352056393.jpg)
Title: The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Author: Beatrix Potter
Genre: Fables
Characters: Peter, his family, and Mr. McGregor
Setting: Mr. McGregor's garden
Theme: You should listen to your mother!
Summary: Peter Rabbit lives with his mother and three sisters in the woods. His mother goes out one day, telling Peter and his sisters to behave and to not go into the garden where their father was caught and made into a pie. As soon as she leaves, Peter runs into the garden. He eats some veggies until Mr. McGregor sees him and begins to chase him! Peter loses his new blue jacket and his shoes as he tries to get away, and he hides in a watering can, getting very wet. Peter finally barely escapes the garden and gets home, where he feels sick so his mother puts him to bed and makes him drink chamomile tea instead of blackberries and bread.
Opinion: I grew up with Beatrix Potter's books, but this particular book was wonderful because of the gorgeous illustrations. I think that every child should be able to read some of Potter's stories, so I will definitely read this book as a teacher.
Author: Beatrix Potter
Genre: Fables
Characters: Peter, his family, and Mr. McGregor
Setting: Mr. McGregor's garden
Theme: You should listen to your mother!
Summary: Peter Rabbit lives with his mother and three sisters in the woods. His mother goes out one day, telling Peter and his sisters to behave and to not go into the garden where their father was caught and made into a pie. As soon as she leaves, Peter runs into the garden. He eats some veggies until Mr. McGregor sees him and begins to chase him! Peter loses his new blue jacket and his shoes as he tries to get away, and he hides in a watering can, getting very wet. Peter finally barely escapes the garden and gets home, where he feels sick so his mother puts him to bed and makes him drink chamomile tea instead of blackberries and bread.
Opinion: I grew up with Beatrix Potter's books, but this particular book was wonderful because of the gorgeous illustrations. I think that every child should be able to read some of Potter's stories, so I will definitely read this book as a teacher.
The Lion and the Mouse
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/8/1/13810663/1352056784.jpg)
Title: The Lion and the Mouse
Author: Jerry Pinkney
Genre: Fable
Characters: The lion and the mouse
Setting: African plains
Theme: If you help someone, they just might do the same for you someday.
Summary: A mouse is scurrying along when he runs into a lion. Instead of killing the mouse, the lion lets him go. One day, poachers put up a trap in the jungle. As the lion is walking, he gets caught in the trap. The mouse hears the lion roaring for help and goes to find him. The mouse then chews on the ropes of the trap and sets the lion free.
Opinion: I have heard this Aesop's fable before, but I thoroughly enjoyed thus book. The illustrations were breathtaking and told the story better than any words could. I thought this book was a creative, beautiful representation of the old, well-known fable.
Author: Jerry Pinkney
Genre: Fable
Characters: The lion and the mouse
Setting: African plains
Theme: If you help someone, they just might do the same for you someday.
Summary: A mouse is scurrying along when he runs into a lion. Instead of killing the mouse, the lion lets him go. One day, poachers put up a trap in the jungle. As the lion is walking, he gets caught in the trap. The mouse hears the lion roaring for help and goes to find him. The mouse then chews on the ropes of the trap and sets the lion free.
Opinion: I have heard this Aesop's fable before, but I thoroughly enjoyed thus book. The illustrations were breathtaking and told the story better than any words could. I thought this book was a creative, beautiful representation of the old, well-known fable.
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/8/1/13810663/1352089931.jpg)
Title: Tom Thumb: Grimms' Tales Retold and Illustrated by Eric Carle
Genre: Fable/Traditional Literature
Characters: Many characters from different stories, including Tom Thumb and his parents, the fisherman and his wife, Hans and the many people he traded with, and the seven swabians.
Setting: Many different places
Theme: There are many different themes, including being happy for what you have, and outwitting others.
Summary: There were four stories in this book. Their summaries are as follows:
Genre: Fable/Traditional Literature
Characters: Many characters from different stories, including Tom Thumb and his parents, the fisherman and his wife, Hans and the many people he traded with, and the seven swabians.
Setting: Many different places
Theme: There are many different themes, including being happy for what you have, and outwitting others.
Summary: There were four stories in this book. Their summaries are as follows:
- Tom Thumb: A husband and wife wish for a son, and when they finally get one, he is tiny, the size of a thumb. The father sells his son for gold, but Tom tricks the man who bought him and hides in a mouse hole. Tom continues to trick others and get away until he finally gets eaten by cow, which then gets eaten by a wolf. Tom then tricks the wolf and his parents finally save him.
- The Fisherman and His Wife: One day, a fisherman catches a talking fish, but then lets him go. His wife tells him that the fish was magic and that the man should go back and ask the fish for a dress with frills and a big house in the city. The fish grants these wishes, but it is not enough. The woman keeps wanting more and more, until finally she is turned back into a poor fisherman's wife in a hut.
- Hans in Luck: Hans had worked for seven years but wanted to go home. He was paid with a gold piece the size of his head. On his way home, Hans gets tired, so he trades the gold piece for a horse. He then trades the horse for a cow, which he trades for a pig. He continues trading everything until finally, he has nothing at all. He feels lucky to have nothing to carry, and when he gets home with his mother, he feels like the luckiest man in the world.
- The Seven Swabians: Seven Swabians are walking along when they see a rabbit, which they have never seen before. They all get scared, except for the little one on the end of the spear who isn't paying attention and can't see. They all continue along until they all fall into water and drown, except for the little one, who once again is not paying attention.
A Christmas Spider's Miracle
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/8/1/13810663/1209694.jpg?0)
Title: A Christmas Spider's Miracle
Author: Trinka Hakes Noble
Genre: Folk Tales
Characters: A peasant woman and her children, and a mother spider and her children.
Setting: Ukraine
Theme: 1) If you do good for someone, you may get repaid.
2) A mother's love is amazing.
Summary: Long ago, in Ukraine, two mothers tried to keep their children warm on a cold, cold Christmas Eve. Other townspeople laughed and danced and sang because Christmas was there, but these two mothers worried over whether or not their children would be warm, safe, and happy. One, a mother spider, was not sure if she would survive the freezing cold night. The other, a peasant woman, did not know how she could make her children's Christmas a good one with no money. Desperately, the peasant woman went out and got a small fir tree, which just happened to be the one the spider family was sleeping in. The woman tried in vain to make decorations for the tree and finally fell asleep. After a while, the spider mother woke up and realized that the woman had saved her life, had children as well, and had tried to make the tree beautiful. The spider wanted to repay the woman and her children, so she stayed up all night to make the tree beautiful with her webs shaped as decorations. When the family awoke, their tree was gorgeous!!
Opinion: I thought that this book was very cute. It was touching to see two mothers' love for their children, and I liked the twist off of the old Ukrainian tale that this book tells. In general, this is a great book for children to be able to see how helping one another is a good thing and that you should count your blessings and be thankful for everything you have.
*Image from www.kirkusreviews.com
Author: Trinka Hakes Noble
Genre: Folk Tales
Characters: A peasant woman and her children, and a mother spider and her children.
Setting: Ukraine
Theme: 1) If you do good for someone, you may get repaid.
2) A mother's love is amazing.
Summary: Long ago, in Ukraine, two mothers tried to keep their children warm on a cold, cold Christmas Eve. Other townspeople laughed and danced and sang because Christmas was there, but these two mothers worried over whether or not their children would be warm, safe, and happy. One, a mother spider, was not sure if she would survive the freezing cold night. The other, a peasant woman, did not know how she could make her children's Christmas a good one with no money. Desperately, the peasant woman went out and got a small fir tree, which just happened to be the one the spider family was sleeping in. The woman tried in vain to make decorations for the tree and finally fell asleep. After a while, the spider mother woke up and realized that the woman had saved her life, had children as well, and had tried to make the tree beautiful. The spider wanted to repay the woman and her children, so she stayed up all night to make the tree beautiful with her webs shaped as decorations. When the family awoke, their tree was gorgeous!!
Opinion: I thought that this book was very cute. It was touching to see two mothers' love for their children, and I liked the twist off of the old Ukrainian tale that this book tells. In general, this is a great book for children to be able to see how helping one another is a good thing and that you should count your blessings and be thankful for everything you have.
*Image from www.kirkusreviews.com
The Big Bad Wolf is Good
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/8/1/13810663/1353951050.jpg)
Title: The Big Bad Wolf is Good
Author: Simon Puttock
Genre: Fable
Characters: The Big Bad Wolf, Mrs. Duck and her ducklings.
Setting: The forest.
Theme: Everyone deserves a second chance!
Summary: The Big Bad Wolf is lonely because he has no friends since he is bad. He decides he wants to be good. As he sets out to try to be good, however, the geese and the chickens will not even give him a chance!Then, Duckling #5 goes missing and Mrs. Duck thinks Wolf has eaten him. Wolf is hurt but when he finds the duckling, he takes him back home. Then, he sits and has tea and cookies while he plays with all of the ducklings!
Opinion: I thought this book was adorable. I enjoyed the twist on all of the fairy tales and fables that have "The big bad wolf!" This book is especially good to read after reading stories such as "The Three Little Pigs" or "Red Riding Hood" because it shows children a different side of the story!
Author: Simon Puttock
Genre: Fable
Characters: The Big Bad Wolf, Mrs. Duck and her ducklings.
Setting: The forest.
Theme: Everyone deserves a second chance!
Summary: The Big Bad Wolf is lonely because he has no friends since he is bad. He decides he wants to be good. As he sets out to try to be good, however, the geese and the chickens will not even give him a chance!Then, Duckling #5 goes missing and Mrs. Duck thinks Wolf has eaten him. Wolf is hurt but when he finds the duckling, he takes him back home. Then, he sits and has tea and cookies while he plays with all of the ducklings!
Opinion: I thought this book was adorable. I enjoyed the twist on all of the fairy tales and fables that have "The big bad wolf!" This book is especially good to read after reading stories such as "The Three Little Pigs" or "Red Riding Hood" because it shows children a different side of the story!
The Rough-Face Girl
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/8/1/13810663/1353951739.jpg)
Title: The Rough-Face Girl
Author: Rafe Martin
Genre: Folk Tale
Characters: 3 sisters and the Invisible One
Setting: A Native American village
Theme: You can see beauty in everything if you look for it.
Summary: Similar to the story of Cinderella, this is a Native American tale about three sisters. There were two older sisters who made their younger sister sit by the fire all the time. This made her face, arms, and hair scarred and ugly looking. The Invisible One lived in a huge, beautiful tepee with his sister. Everyone wanted to marry him but in order to marry him, the woman must see him. The two sisters tried their best to see him, but they could not. Rough Face, however saw him everywhere, from his bow in the rainbow to his sled runner in the sky. Because of this, they were married and lived happily ever after.
Opinion: This story was so sweet. I loved the fact that it was basically the story of Cinderella yet it tied in so much Native American tradition and culture. This book is wonderful for children to read to get a glimpse of Native American culture while still reading a version of a story that most of them know so well.
Author: Rafe Martin
Genre: Folk Tale
Characters: 3 sisters and the Invisible One
Setting: A Native American village
Theme: You can see beauty in everything if you look for it.
Summary: Similar to the story of Cinderella, this is a Native American tale about three sisters. There were two older sisters who made their younger sister sit by the fire all the time. This made her face, arms, and hair scarred and ugly looking. The Invisible One lived in a huge, beautiful tepee with his sister. Everyone wanted to marry him but in order to marry him, the woman must see him. The two sisters tried their best to see him, but they could not. Rough Face, however saw him everywhere, from his bow in the rainbow to his sled runner in the sky. Because of this, they were married and lived happily ever after.
Opinion: This story was so sweet. I loved the fact that it was basically the story of Cinderella yet it tied in so much Native American tradition and culture. This book is wonderful for children to read to get a glimpse of Native American culture while still reading a version of a story that most of them know so well.
The Wolf's Story
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/8/1/13810663/1193620.jpg?1)
Title: The Wolf's Story
Author: Toby Forward
Genre: Fable
Characters: The wolf, Red Riding Hood, and the grandmother.
Setting: The forest
Theme: There are always two sides to every story!
Summary: In this delightful book, the wolf tells his side of the story! He explains how he was Grandma's helper, doing her little odd jobs, but he did not like her granddaughter, Red Riding Hood, because she brought icky toffee and took all of Grandma's attention. One day, Red Riding Hood was coming and the wolf tried to talk to her. She wouldn't talk with him so he ran ahead to tell Grandma she should hide her teeth, but she fell and got knocked out. The wolf then hid her and pretended to be her so he would not get blamed for her getting hurt!
Opinion: This book was adorable! I loved the cute twist on the tale of Little Red Riding Hood, and I enjoyed the wolf's delightful narrative. This book will have children trying to decide if they believe the wolf's story or the traditional story of Little Red Riding Hood. This will build critical thinking and overall the children will love this creative book!
Author: Toby Forward
Genre: Fable
Characters: The wolf, Red Riding Hood, and the grandmother.
Setting: The forest
Theme: There are always two sides to every story!
Summary: In this delightful book, the wolf tells his side of the story! He explains how he was Grandma's helper, doing her little odd jobs, but he did not like her granddaughter, Red Riding Hood, because she brought icky toffee and took all of Grandma's attention. One day, Red Riding Hood was coming and the wolf tried to talk to her. She wouldn't talk with him so he ran ahead to tell Grandma she should hide her teeth, but she fell and got knocked out. The wolf then hid her and pretended to be her so he would not get blamed for her getting hurt!
Opinion: This book was adorable! I loved the cute twist on the tale of Little Red Riding Hood, and I enjoyed the wolf's delightful narrative. This book will have children trying to decide if they believe the wolf's story or the traditional story of Little Red Riding Hood. This will build critical thinking and overall the children will love this creative book!
The Three Wolves and the Big Bad Pig
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/8/1/13810663/1355172851.jpg)
Title: The Three Wolves and the Big Bad Pig
Author: Eugene Trivizas
Genre: Fable
Characters: The three little wolves and the big bad pig.
Setting: The three little wolves' houses.
Theme: A twist on the three little pigs!
Summary: In this book, three little wolves get ready to leave home. Before they leave, their mother tells them that they need to watch out for the big bad pig! The wolves try to build numerous different houses, each increasing in size and strength, but the pig keeps destroying them until they decide to try a different tactic to stand against the pig. It works, and they all live happily ever after!
Opinion: I really enjoyed this book! This cute book is a twist off of the story of the three little pigs, and the illustrations and story line are so appealing, captivating, and funny! I also love the ending. This is particularly a good book to use when talking about fractured fairy tales.
Author: Eugene Trivizas
Genre: Fable
Characters: The three little wolves and the big bad pig.
Setting: The three little wolves' houses.
Theme: A twist on the three little pigs!
Summary: In this book, three little wolves get ready to leave home. Before they leave, their mother tells them that they need to watch out for the big bad pig! The wolves try to build numerous different houses, each increasing in size and strength, but the pig keeps destroying them until they decide to try a different tactic to stand against the pig. It works, and they all live happily ever after!
Opinion: I really enjoyed this book! This cute book is a twist off of the story of the three little pigs, and the illustrations and story line are so appealing, captivating, and funny! I also love the ending. This is particularly a good book to use when talking about fractured fairy tales.