fables

Cornbread and Poppy

Sophie Rosen , , , ,

Cordell, Matthew. Cornbread and Poppy. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2022.
Best friends – at least in stories – are often unalike. Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel. George and Martha by James Marshall. Snake and Lizard by Joy Cowley. Skunk and Badger by Amy Timberlake. Cornbread and Poppy are another two friends who are completely unalike. Cornbread has prepared for winter: food is harvested, preserved, and put away for the coming months. Poppy hasn’t. She has spent her time playing. But now the cold weather has arrived and she is not prepared. What should Cornbread do? Well, help her, of course. So the two little mice set off for Holler Mountain to forage for food for Poppy. And what an adventure! This 80-page little chapter book is perfect for readers ready for longer stories and for teachers ready to introduce literary elements to their students. Happily recommended!

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Told and Retold

Sophie Rosen

Berry, Holly. Told and Retold: Around the World with Aesop’s Fables. New York: Philomel Books, 2022.
The Lion and the Mouse. The Tortoise and the Hare. The Crow and the Pitcher. These short memorable stories are known as fables, first told by Aesop in ancient Greece. Did he really exist? Maybe. Maybe not. But versions of his stories are told all around the world. In this brightly illustrated collection, the author retells nine tales from the Andes, Africa, China, Greece, Israel, Siberia, Switzerland and the U.S.A. Highly recommended for readers 8 to 11 years old and as a read-aloud for younger children.

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A fable…

Sophie Rosen , , , ,

“Pride and foolishness often roost on the same branch.”

Moniz, Michael. The Cardinal and the Crow. Vancouver, B.C.: Simply Read Books, 2014.
Lonely old Crow is constantly mocked for his appearance, especially by young Cardinal. When Cardinal is caught by a cat, though, it is Crow who rescues him through trickery. Inspired by an Aesop’s fable, this picture book with gently evocative illustrations will appeal to readers 5 to 14 years old. 

More fables

“Persuasion is often more effectual than force.”

“Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.”

“It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds.”