| The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books |
| The Bulletin Dozen is
a monthly theme-based list of titles available only on-line. Since we're
awfully fond of bakers here at the Bulletin, we thought we'd
adopt their philosophy of generosity and throw in an extra one or two when
we have th em to offer--so don't expect an even dozen. Please feel free
to copy, download, or link to these lists. We ask only that you cite the
source. See the archive for lists from previous
months. | |
Folktale Collections selected by Janice Del Negro |
"Readers will recognize familiar stories and variants in these nine animal tales...Adler brings an energy to the text that works well in both written and spoken formats, making this a solid collection for reading aloud and storytelling. Crayon and wate rcolor illustrations are attractively detailed and generously dispersed. Adler states that her retellings are based for the most part on oral tales told to her by members of the story's culture of origin, and she gives specific notes for each." (BCCB 11/96)
"These fourteen tales from Latin America are a complex and rewarding combination of elements with a remarkably strong cultural subtext. Retold by various Latin American authors and folklorists, the selections have been translated from their original language and have a poetic sensibility and narrative strength that make them robustly sensual. Garay's ful-page pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations are subtle combinations of dark and light." (BCCB 1/97)
"Eighteen tales from the Inuit peoples are accessibly retold in this well-researched collection. Stories of cannibal villages, woman giants, and wandering souls are not typical staples of folktale collections for young readers, and that may strengthen th is title's allure. Inuit artist Mary Ohkeena contributes black-and-white line drawings to the collection. " (BCCB 7/97)
"Jataka tales from India, Zen tales from Japan, and Sufi tales from the Middle East are just a few of the attractions in this collection of fifty tales. The theme of the collection is wisdom, and a fine line between humor and irony is notably balanced. Forest's brief retellings are succinct and clear, her language straightforward, and her selections well-organized. The austere but attractive design includes a large typeface, generous white space, and black-and-white borders based on graphic motifs and textile designs from the countries of origin." (BCCB 2/97)
"Drawn primarily from scriptural and oral traditions of major world religions, thirty-four brief tellings are grouped by themes such as Flood Stories; War, Pestilence, and Persecution; and Lives of Religious Leaders. Ganeri's retellings, brisk, informal , and decidely occidental in tone, lack cultural particularity but are comfortably approachable. Abundant watercolor paintings are at once energetic and achieve a batik-like effect." (BCCB 4/96)
"Drawn primarily from post-Civil War African-American stories collected by Martha Young, a wealthy white woman raised on southern plantations, these stories acquire new life with Virginia Hamilton's lyrical idiom and Barry Moser's fun-poking pictures. Some of these stories are folktales, and some are original stories. The compositions are bold, the humor sly, and the drafting uncannily accurate even as it's indulgently anthropomorphized. "(BCCB 6/96)
"While Elijah of the Bible is a holy prophet, Elijah of the Jewish folklore is magical, and these eight tales celebrate his role as mysterious stranger, wish-bestower, and dream figure. Longer than traditional folktales but fine for reading aloud or alone...The jubilant watercolor paintings... are light-filled, with vivacious colorations and spontaneous movement." (BCCB 6/97)
"From Bolivia to France, from the Middle east to the Catskill Mountains, McCaughrean capably retells twenty-three myths and legends. The stories jump from hero legends to origin myths to romances, and the lack of thematic cohesion makes this a series of strong stories...Willey's...dramatic palette combines reds, blues, and greens into oddly lit tableaus, and adds a visual flair to the proceedings." (BCCB 6/97)
"Ten pourquoi tales from a vairety of cultures are elegantly retold and illustrated in this attractively designed collection. Brierley's watercolors, while not culturally specific, are effective, her oversized characters quite suitably placed i n mythic surroundings...The retellings are concise and cogent, and Mayo's notes are extensive, giving available print sources and variants." (BCCB 2/97)
"These five ghost tales won't be on your shelves for long, as they are accessibly short, gleefully scary, and blessed with terrifically horrific cover and interior art by Trina Schart Hyman. An author's note states that the tales have been retold from fo lklore or from imagination, but no specific sources are given. Medearis has a grand old ghostly time. The kids will, too." (BCCB 2/97)
"Ten dramatic stories, styled with understated humour, reflect Inuit lore as adapted by a collector who knows and respects the tellers' traditions. Norman's clear notes on culture and sources are a credit to his knowledge and to the genre of children's literature as a vehicle for folklore. The Dillon's art also projects action into symbolic form, with small, black, almost pictogrammatic scenes inspired by Inuit art carvings...Overall, this is stone-polished in text, art, and book design." (BCCB 2/98)
"Serving a dual purpose as storyteller's resource and elementary students' browse, these tales circle the globe in sections: Africa, Europe, the Near East, Asia and Polynesia, Meso- and South America, and North America. While Sherman's adaptation's are neither lyrical nor colloquial, the tales thrive on straightforward style that lets their structure shine through, and her notes are impeccable, giving cultural context, motif numbers, and sources. Full-page pen-and-ink drawings...are precisely drafted, satirically exaggerarted, and tonally attuned to the characters they portray." (BCCB 6/96)
"This richly illustrated compendium of folktales does double duty as a nursery story book for lap-sharing and as a sourcebook for parents and professionals. Most entries feature strong rhythms and repetition that invite audience participation and develop memeory, and introductory hints to the novice reader/teller suggest how these devices maximize the stories' impact and appeal. Top this engaging text with Vitale's lavish oil-on-wood ethnic borders, motif vignettes, and full-page illustrations, and you ha ve a handsome work to be valued by readers and treasured by listeners." (BCCB 2/96)
"First published in a different form in 1958, these tales, newly illustrated for this edition, offer some old favorites ("Cenerentola") and some less familiar stories ("March and the Sheperd"). Visually, this is a very pretty piece of bookmaking...GrandPr é's angular art has some of Rayevsky's spikiness but exists in a ruddy and full-bodied world of its own." (BCCB 11/95)
This page was last updated on April 1, 1998.