Read many times as a kid, and though I'm not sure how faithful of a retelling this book is, I still appreciate the lessons that it contained - (un)common sense that we all need reminders for every so often. ( )

Reading Level: Grade 4
Appeal: 2nd to 4th Graders

Like Greek and Roman mythology, there’s just something universally appealing about Aesop’s fables. They give insight into human behavior and help readers make better choices. This collection of 60 plus stories features 1-page tales accompanied by appropriate, if unremarkable, illustrations and the main idea highlighted in bold at the end of the tale. One of my favorite fables stars the Roman god of all gods, Jupiter (Zeus is his Greek equivalent) and a queen bee. In this tale, Jupiter is gifted with the best honey he’s ever had. To thank the queen bee responsible for this delicious batch of honey, he promised to grant her deepest wish. Queen Bee wished for a stinger, so could kill anyone who dared approach her hive. Jupiter gave as she asked, but it turned out that the use of the stinger would only be fatal to the Queen Bee. Once the stinger was used, it would be torn from her body and kill her. The lesson? Evil wishes can have evil consequences.
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I like this version of Aesop's Fables for a couple reasons. In comparison to a lot of the Aesop's fables out the writing in this version is very understandable for younger readers. The wording is kept very basic, and even some of the longer words are still words that kids would be familiar with such as frighten. The easier language a long with the already short stories are very good combination for helping a child start to get interested in reading. The second thing I like is that the moral is written in bold at the end of each story. With how the stories typically are, some younger readers may not be able to pick up the some of the morals of the stories reading independently. Having the moral written allows the kids to read independently plus discover the purpose of the story. The main idea of Aesop's Fables are the morals. Each story that's written is written to teach a different lesson. Overall I enjoy this interpretation the main idea of the stories are kept, but are simplified as such that a young reader could very much understand them. ( )

First published in 1963, Ann McGovern's Aesop's Fables is a collection of over 60 of Aesop's classic fables. Readers will recognize some, like "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" and the "Lion and the Mouse," but others will likely be new to the reader. Some may be a familiar surprise. Most will know the phrase, "one good turn deserves another," but not many will know that it came from Aesop's fable of "The Ant and the Dove.”
in addition to new cover art, the new version, has simplified the language. For example, the moral in "The Fox and the Grapes" has been changed from

"Which proves, of course, that it is easy to despise what you know you cannot possess,”

to

"It is easy to speak badly about what you cannot have.”

These are subtle differences, but should make the fables accessible to a younger audience. In fact, the target audience has been changed from Grades 4-6, to Grades 2-5. My copy is an Uncorrected Proof, but it appears that the interior artwork will remain unchanged.

There are several things to like about McGovern's telling of Aesop's fables. Because fables were originally an oral tradition, these are short and succinct stories. None of these stories take up more than two pages in this small (5 1/4 x 7 5/8 inches) book; many are only a half page. Their brevity offers up many possibilities. They can told quickly - as part of a library storytime, as short bedtime stories, or even as an introduction to a school lesson on animal behavior. Though fables were based on the deeds and misdeeds of men, the characteristics assigned to each animal generally bear some resemblance to the actual animal's abilities. Fables also invite imagination and embellishment. They're perfect for creating short plays, puppet shows, and flannelboard stories.

As Aesop and McGovern remind us in "The Man and the Lion,"

"How a story ends often depends on the storyteller."

Read Aesop's Fables, have fun, tell some stories!

Aesop's Fables will be available in hardcover, paperback and e-book versions in September, 2013 - just in time for school.

http://shelf-employed.blogspot.com ( )

This book would be good for lessons with older students when taching about fables. This book has several different short stories in it that all teach a lesson. Some of the lessons teach about being greedy or conseded. Other stories dealing with choosing the right friends and carma. I love this book but you really could only use it for specific lessons and for an older age level.