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Re: Where Have All the Folktales Gone?
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From: Kathy Isaacs <kisaacs_at_mindspring.com>
Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2010 12:29:15 -0400
I teach Children's Literature to aspiring elementary school teachers, juniors in college. They DO know folktales, they think, but in fact they only know the Disney versions, sometimes from books and more often from videos. One of my 14 classes is devoted to traditional stories and they are asked to bring one in. I have had to define the stories because I was getting "Peter Pan" and other classics - good stories, all, but not part of the traditional fantasy/folk tale body of literature I had in mind. Every year my students are surprised when introduced to other tellings, and stories beyond his Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty - and write in their journals that they are going to expose their students to more than just the Disney tales. So this is one more way to try to rebuild that audience.
Kathy Isaacs
Stacy Dillon wrote: Others have mentioned illustrators moving into different formats and genres and I do think that has something to do with it. Folktales are mistakenly considered quaint rather than edgy or pushing of limits. Many times students will tell me they already know the story, but are they ever surprised when I read aloud!
Received on Fri 26 Mar 2010 12:29:15 PM CDT
Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2010 12:29:15 -0400
I teach Children's Literature to aspiring elementary school teachers, juniors in college. They DO know folktales, they think, but in fact they only know the Disney versions, sometimes from books and more often from videos. One of my 14 classes is devoted to traditional stories and they are asked to bring one in. I have had to define the stories because I was getting "Peter Pan" and other classics - good stories, all, but not part of the traditional fantasy/folk tale body of literature I had in mind. Every year my students are surprised when introduced to other tellings, and stories beyond his Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty - and write in their journals that they are going to expose their students to more than just the Disney tales. So this is one more way to try to rebuild that audience.
Kathy Isaacs
Stacy Dillon wrote: Others have mentioned illustrators moving into different formats and genres and I do think that has something to do with it. Folktales are mistakenly considered quaint rather than edgy or pushing of limits. Many times students will tell me they already know the story, but are they ever surprised when I read aloud!
Received on Fri 26 Mar 2010 12:29:15 PM CDT
