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Re: European folktales - still popular, wish there were more
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From: Amy White <abwphw_at_verizon.net>
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:54:19 -0500 (CDT)
Hey, Beth! You might try the Arthurian books by Robert San Souci, including YOUNG LANCELOT. There are Arthur and Guinevere stoires too. My kids LOVED those books, went on to read more Arthurian legend books, and still read fantasy/ action /adventure books as teens. The San Souci books are available in paperback and well-illustrated.
From one Arthur fan to another. :-)
-Amy (Brecount White)
FORGET-HER-NOTS, just release from Greenwillow/HarperCollins, ages 12 & up
Mar 16, 2010 08:54:12 PM, bethreader_at_yahoo.com wrote:
I just spent a few weeks sharing European folk tales with my third and fourth grade classes, and these have been some of the students' favorite stories all year. I read Schlitz's version of the Grimm brothers' THE BEARSKINNER with my third graders. Even my wiggliest students got more and more still as the story unfolded. When I asked them what they liked about the book, they told me the story and pictures were creepy (I agree, in a good way). The same class was wildly enthusiastic about Zelinsky's RUMPELSTILTSKIN, mainly for the illustrations.
I spent some time looking for quality picture-book versions of the central King Arthur legends. I didn't have much luck; for instance, Hudson Talbott's books seem to be mostly out of print. This was disappointing, because one of my fourth grade classes was so interested by the few bits I cobbled together they named their classroom King Arthur's Court.
Earlier this year I shared some shorter folk tales with my second graders. Their favorites included Paye's HEAD, BODY, LEGS, Demi's ONE GRAIN OF RICE, and Gershator's ONLY ONE COWRIE. Again, I think the striking illustrations in each of these books add to their appeal. Anyone who has ever read ONE GRAIN OF RICE aloud and heard children's amazed reactions to the enormous final pictures of the rice will know exactly what I mean.
So in answer to KT's questions: folktales are still very popular with the children in my community, once adults get these stories onto their radars. I hope the folktales come back, and this publishing trend you're seeing is only temporary. (Maybe all the vampire books ate them?)
Beth Wright Redford Librarian Richmond Elementary School Richmond, Vermont
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:54:19 -0500 (CDT)
Hey, Beth! You might try the Arthurian books by Robert San Souci, including YOUNG LANCELOT. There are Arthur and Guinevere stoires too. My kids LOVED those books, went on to read more Arthurian legend books, and still read fantasy/ action /adventure books as teens. The San Souci books are available in paperback and well-illustrated.
From one Arthur fan to another. :-)
-Amy (Brecount White)
FORGET-HER-NOTS, just release from Greenwillow/HarperCollins, ages 12 & up
Mar 16, 2010 08:54:12 PM, bethreader_at_yahoo.com wrote:
I just spent a few weeks sharing European folk tales with my third and fourth grade classes, and these have been some of the students' favorite stories all year. I read Schlitz's version of the Grimm brothers' THE BEARSKINNER with my third graders. Even my wiggliest students got more and more still as the story unfolded. When I asked them what they liked about the book, they told me the story and pictures were creepy (I agree, in a good way). The same class was wildly enthusiastic about Zelinsky's RUMPELSTILTSKIN, mainly for the illustrations.
I spent some time looking for quality picture-book versions of the central King Arthur legends. I didn't have much luck; for instance, Hudson Talbott's books seem to be mostly out of print. This was disappointing, because one of my fourth grade classes was so interested by the few bits I cobbled together they named their classroom King Arthur's Court.
Earlier this year I shared some shorter folk tales with my second graders. Their favorites included Paye's HEAD, BODY, LEGS, Demi's ONE GRAIN OF RICE, and Gershator's ONLY ONE COWRIE. Again, I think the striking illustrations in each of these books add to their appeal. Anyone who has ever read ONE GRAIN OF RICE aloud and heard children's amazed reactions to the enormous final pictures of the rice will know exactly what I mean.
So in answer to KT's questions: folktales are still very popular with the children in my community, once adults get these stories onto their radars. I hope the folktales come back, and this publishing trend you're seeing is only temporary. (Maybe all the vampire books ate them?)
Beth Wright Redford Librarian Richmond Elementary School Richmond, Vermont
---Received on Tue 16 Mar 2010 09:54:19 PM CDT
