School Library Journal -Kindergarten-Grade 4-Pairing a master of lifelike animal illustration with an expert reteller of ancient Greek folklore and mythology results in a strikingly attractive volume that should find a place in every collection. In addition to such widely known fables as "The Mice and the Cat (Belling the Cat)" and "The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf," lesser-known tales such as "The Lion and the Man" and "The Monkey and the Dolphin" have been included. Each of the 12 selections is presented on a double-page spread illustrated by a beautifully detailed watercolor accompanied by elegant, large typography and surrounded by white space and a narrow color border. Orgel's brief retellings, which use short sentences and simple language, are suitable for reading aloud. Her omission of morals at the end of the fables may trouble some purists but also makes this volume particularly well suited to discussion. Side boxes with small illustrations and brief snippets of information about life in Aesop's era add additional interest, as does the introduction to fables and Aesop. An excellent choice for any collection.
Ginny Gustin, Sonoma County Library System, Santa Rosa, CA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

No stranger to adapting world mythology and folklore for children, Doris Orgel here turns her attention to the fables attributed to that ancient Greek slave and moralist, Aesop. The Lion and the Mouse and Other Aesop's Fables presents twelve selections, including such well-known favorites as The Hare and the Tortoise, The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf, and the titular The Lion and the Mouse.

Not surprisingly, given that this title was published by DK - known for their informational books for children - each fable is accompanied by a fact about Aesop, his fables, or ancient Greece. The watercolor and gouache illustrations by Bert Kitchen are incredibly detailed and eye-grabbing. Although by no means my favorite Aesop collection, this would make a fine story-hour selection for younger children, who will appreciate the larger format, and the text-illustration ratio. ( )

This is an anthology of fables, beautifully illustrated, with each fable lasting only a page or so. Morals not given.

The retellings weren't my favorite, but I did like the little facts about Aesop and Ancient Greece. ( )