Aesop’s Fables
Summary
Aesop was a semi legendary figure, whom people told stories over centuries. He was a Phrygian slave who was freed because of his stories. The stories in this book are a mix of legends and myths.
Personal Reaction
I believe this book was great because it had any different short stories, and not one was the same. Each story has its own uniqueness. I also read these stories to my daughter and she enjoyed the stories as much as I did.
Classroom Extensions
• Ask my class to make a story off the top of their head and draw a picture to show what the story was.
• Ask my class which story they enjoyed the most and why?

Aesop’s Fables by Heidi Holder

Having recently completed my effort to read everything I could obtain by noted children's folklorist Verna Aardema, I had been casting about in my mind for some new thematic reading project, when my thoughts turned toward that classic moralizer, Aesop. There are countless adaptations of the fables attributed to this ancient Greek slave and thinker, and I thought it might be interesting to compare and contrast the differing approaches various authors and illustrators have taken, in adapting these classic tales for young readers. This gorgeous picture book by Heidi Holder, which presents nine well-known fables, was my launching point into a new endeavor. Here the reader will encounter:

The Dove and the Snake, in which the dove is saved by the competing actions of two hunters, the snake and the man. Like all the fables, the moral, that good can come of evil, is included as an addendum, in italicized print.

The Country Mouse and the City Mouse, in which two friends visit one another, and gain insight into their respective homes and lifestyles. In addition to its obvious preference for the rural, this fable teaches that a life of luxury is not desirable, when it is accompanied by fear.

The Bat, the Bramblebush, and the Cormorant, in which three friends go into business together, and lose all they have. This is both a porquoi tale, explaining the nature and behavior of the three titular characters, and a morality tale, emphasizing the fact that misfortune is rarely forgotten.

A Laden Ass and a Horse, in which a horse learns, too late, that it is wiser to share the workload, rather than to take it in turns.

The Fox and the Grapes, in which a fox responds to his inability to obtain a particular bunch of grapes by declaring that they must have been sour. This famous fable is the origin of the phrase "sour grapes," and teaches that many will pretend not to desire what they cannot have.

The Marriage of the Sun, in which all the animals, especially the frogs, prepare for the sun's forthcoming wedding, only to be brought crashing back to reality by toad's observation that too much of the sun could be a very bad thing...

The Cock and the Jewel, in which a cock discovers a gemstone on his dung heap, and casts it aside, demonstrating that what is valuable to one, is not necessarily valuable to another.

The Hare and the Tortoise - that classic (and ubiquitous) tale about the flighty hare and the persistent tortoise, who run a race with surprising results. "Slow and steady wins the race" is a phrase that comes from this fable.

And finally, The Stag and the Hounds, in which a rather vain stag learns that his legs are more important than his antlers, when he finds himself being hunted. This fable demonstrates the superiority of usefulness to beauty.

Although these stories were all already familiar to me, as they will be to anyone who has read some Aesop, I enjoyed Heidi Holder's retelling, as well as her gorgeous illustrations. The language is traditional, without being archaic, and the full-page panel illustrations, done in pencil, India ink, and watercolor, are beautiful and expressive. They have a distinctly "romantic" sensibility, and a fairly medieval feel, probably owing to the fact that many feature castles in the background. I particularly liked the two-page spread that accompanied A Laden Ass and a Horse, and appreciated the decorative borders throughout. A felicitous beginning to a new project! ( )

Many are, by now cliched, and many are obscure. Just as with any writer, you'll have some lemons and some lemonade. ( )

This one I liked best for its illustrations. Heidi Holder is a very talented artist. Well done. ( )

This book was beautifully illustrated. I found it in a used bookstore and it was well worth a few dollars. I loved the subtlety of the illustrations; they were soft and dreamlike. This book made me reminisce about the story the Wind and the Willows and the beautiful illustrations that often accompany that story. The illustrator's love of animals is evident from the renderings. While all of the illustrations were wonderful, I especially enjoyed Country Mouse, City Mouse, Marriage of the Sun, and the Cock and the Jewel.

On the writing, I would have liked an introduction about the history of the fables and why the particular ones in this book were chosen to be included instead of others, but, other than that, it isn't found wanting much else. ( )