The third Aesop collection from singer-songwriter Tom Paxton and illustrator Robert Rayevsky, Adrocles and the Lion and Other Aesop's Fables presents ten fables retold in verse form. From the opening selection, the titular Androcles and the Lion, in which a runaway slave is repaid for his kindness to a lion, to the concluding fable, The Wolf and the Crane, in which a crane's kindness to a wolf is NOT repaid, these poems are excellent pieces to read aloud. Other selections include:

The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing, in which a lamb learns too late not to trust to appearances...

The Bald Knight, in which a knight with a sense of humor learns that it is best to just accept oneself...

The Tree and the Reed, in which a proud tree finds that he is not as strong as he thought, and that sometimes flexibility is as important as size...

The Donkey Carrying Salt, in which a donkey pays a terrible price for continuing to try to lighten his workload...

The Ant and the Dove, in which two small creatures aid one another in times of danger...

The King of the Barnyard (also known as The Fighting Cocks and the Eagle), in which the victor in a barnyard brawl finds that he has scant time to triumph over his opponent...

The Jay and the Peacocks, in which a plain jay attempts to "dress up" in the borrowed finery of peacock feathers, but learns that it is best not to pretend to be what you are not...

The Man, the Boy, and the Donkey, in which a farmer and his son discover that it is impossible to please everyone they meet up[book:on the road|6288]...

The pleasure of reading Paxton's rhymes is enhanced by Robert Rayevsky's illustrations, with their strong, earthy tones and engraving-like details. Although his work for his first collaboration with Paxton, Aesop's Fables, had a decidedly Renaissance sensibility, here Rayevsky draws inspiration from a wide range of periods, from ancient Rome to modern New York City. An excellent third collection from this duo! ( )