Favorite Folktales from Around the World (Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library)

Book Description

A one volume collection of 160 tales from over 40 cultures and traditions, containing both classics and lesser known tales.

Customer Reviews:

Favorite Folktales from Around the World.......2006-02-23

This is a good, basic collection of stories; you'll be surprised how entertaining they can be! Enjoy.

If you like folktales, you'll want this book.......2000-03-01

Not only is this collection marvelously diverse, but it's also incredibly easy to read. Though the tales still retain the feel of original storytelling, they do not have the awkward idiosyncracies you find in other texts with obscure (to the US) tales which have been litreally translated or transcribed. If you're tired of seeing the same tales in every book you find, get this one. It's a wonderful resource and just plain fun to own.

Average customer rating:

Enlightened Reading
The Jolly Mon
What's not to like?
Childrens Book
Great combo

The Jolly Mon: Book and Musical CD
Jimmy Buffett , and Savannah Jane Buffett
Manufacturer: Harcourt Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Picture Books | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0152057862

Book Description

On a remote island called Bananaland, the Jolly Mon uses his beautiful voice and an enchanted guitar to lure fish from the ocean and bring happiness to all. But these gifts can't save him from treacherous pirates. For that, he will need the help of a very special dolphin.

A perfect gift for Jimmy Buffett fans young and old, this beloved tale is now packaged as a hardcover book with a reading by Jimmy Buffett accompanied by an original musical score performed by his lead musicians.

Customer Reviews:

Enlightened Reading.......2007-08-15

When I read the initial literary review, I had to laugh. The story is not weakened by the Jolly Mon's lack of efforts! Hah! The story is about the Jolly Mon's total surrender to his own destiny. He sings, the fish jump out of the sea, a musical instrument comes his way, he tries to play and makes a discovery. He trusts nature. He takes the opportunites that come his way with faith and grace. He uses the gifts he was given to the best and highest purpose. He does as he is asked to do. The book is a metaphor of faith and surrender. Besides that, it is beautifully illustrated, the music is lovely and my 2 1/2 year old son asks for it again and again. And, yes we are all parrotheads...

The Jolly Mon.......2007-07-20

The quality of the printing, the beautiful 'semi-true story', the bright and well done colorful pictures and the bonus CD of Jimmy Buffett's song, aka The Jolly Mon, make this an excellent purchase for anyone with young children in their lives. It can lead to laughter, clapping, dancing and giggles!

What's not to like?.......2007-07-07

Anyone who is familiar with Jimmy Buffett understands ~ fantasy and fun are important parts of life.

This book & CD get the dream underway...

Childrens Book.......2007-03-09

When I ordered this book I didn't realize it was a children's book. But when it arrived I read it then mailed it to my grand daughters. So it didn't go to waste and it was at least read/heard by three people in my family. I have loved the other Jimmy Buffett books and songs.

Great combo.......2006-11-04

My daughter read this in school and then heard the song on my Buffett CD. With the combination of the book and the narative CD, we can read it together or she can listen to the CD and follow the book. Fun for both of us!!

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star (Board Book)

Average customer rating:

Another great book
My least favorite Trapani book
Send your "special star" off to dreamland with this book!!
Great! Iza Trapani Books are wonderful!
Great book

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star (Board Book)
Iza Trapani , and Jane Taylor
Manufacturer: Charlesbridge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1580890156

Book Description

A board book version of this favorite nursery rhyme with added adventures.

Customer Reviews:

Another great book.......2007-09-06

The author does it again with this production. My children and I love her extended versions of these old children's songs. And, as usual, it includes the music on the last page, which is a nice addition and teaching tool. It is wonderful!

My least favorite Trapani book.......2007-06-08

We have many Iza Trapani books and my daughters and I usually love them. My 3 year old asked me to read this last night and I decided this is my least favorite. Some of the pages are difficult for me to read in a dim bedroom because of the gold text on blue pages. To me, it drags on more than others and the story isn't as fun. My daughter was concerned about a little girl going out without her mother. I think it is an OK book but was surprised at how many reviewers thought it was wonderful. I just don't think it is as good as "How Much is that Doggy in the Window", "I'm a Little Teapot" or some of the others ( I think we own at least 6 of her books).

Send your "special star" off to dreamland with this book!!.......2007-05-27

This is a great everynight bedtime story. This is actually my second copy because reading it everynight to my boys wore it out so I had to get a new copy for my daughter. It is so precious when they say it back to you as you read it and because they hear the song a lot it makes it easy for them to learn. My 2 1/2 yr old says it almost word for word already. My favorite is the last line... "What a special star you are!" It is a great way to send your child off to dream land.

Great! Iza Trapani Books are wonderful!.......2006-08-24

I too HIGHLY recommend Iza Trapani's "I'm a Little Teapot" and "The Itsy Bitsy Spider"! This book is so beautifully illustrated, and brings the classic song to life. This was a great bedtime book and now my kids are starting to read it themselves! Timeless!

Great book.......2006-05-30

Great book. Reinforced the song by brining in a new aspect of it to my daughter. She started singing the song before she saw the book so it was nice to share this with her. Now she wants me to read it to her almost every night.

Average customer rating:

Another winner from Susann Lowell!
grade 3 book review
Cinderella for Everyone
a girl in the west
Cinderella meets the Wild West

Cindy Ellen: A Wild Western Cinderella
Susan Lowell
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0064438643
Release Date: 2001-12-18

Amazon.com

If there's one thing the traditional fairy-tale Cinderella is lacking, it's some rip-snortin', gravel-in-the-gizzard gumption. And until her Wild West counterpart, Cindy Ellen, meets her own fairy godmother, she too is sorely deficient in the grit and guts department, even if she is a durn good cowgirl. Cindy Ellen's meaner-than-a-rattlesnake stepmother bullies her into doing all the dirty work on the ranch and forbids her to attend the biggest event of the season, a rodeo and square dance. Enter her spur-jangling, gun-firing, no-nonsense fairy godmother: "Magic is plumb worthless without gumption.... Stop that tomfool blubbering, and let's get busy." And just like that, Cindy is outfitted in the "finest riding clothes west of the East," including a pair of diamond-studded spurs. You can guess the rest. It involves six cactus mice transformed into six dappled horses, a lost diamond spur, and a rodeo champion by the name of Joe Prince.

Simply put, Cindy Ellen is a riot. Joined with Jane Manning's over-the-top illustrations, this sidesplitting retelling of a classic will keep young buckaroos in stitches. Susan Lowell has enchanted readers with several earlier Wild West remakes, including The Bootmaker and the Elves and The Three Little Javelinas. (Ages 4 to 8) --Emilie Coulter

Book Description

Once upon a time, there was a sweet cowgirl named Cindy Ellen, who lived with the orneriest stepmother west of the Mississippi and two stepsisters who were so nasty, they made rattlesnakes look nice! But when a fast-talkin' fairy godmother teaches Cindy Ellen a little lesson about gumption, Cindy lassos first place at the rodeo and the heart of Joe Prince....

You may think you've heard the story before-but you'll get a side-splittin' bellyache after you're through with this hilarious rendition told Wild West-style!

Customer Reviews:

Another winner from Susann Lowell!.......2007-06-01

Susan Lowell is a genius. You can't help but read her books with a twang in your voice, and my child loves books read with funny voices. Cindy Ellen is great because it's a "cowboy book" that boys and girls alike can really love. Susan Lowell has produced another wonderful re-telling of a classic tale. Jane Manning's pictures are great, too, they really bring life and sparkle to Ms. Lowell's words.

grade 3 book review.......2007-05-03

Cindy Ellen
By Susan Lowell

Cindy Ellen had stepsisters and they didn't let her do anything. One day they got an invitation to a rodeo, and the stepsisters go but they don't let Cindy go and then she got sad. Then her fairy godmother came and changed her into a nice left. At the rodeo and the dance she met the ranchers son. The ranchers son goes around to see who fits the spur then gets to Cindy's house and the stepsisters try it on, it doesn't fit, Cindy tries it on it fits, and the ranchers son and Cindy get married.
The theme is good vs. evil because Cindy Ellen is good and her stepmother is bad and good is trying to win to marry the prince. The message is don't judge a book by its cover because Cindy Ellen thinks she is not beautiful just like how people think books aren't good because of its cover. The genre is fantasy fiction because there is a fairy godmother and magic. I recommend this book to somebody who has problems with there family because Cindy Ellen has a problem with her stepmother and stepsisters.
I liked that it wasn't a regular Cinderella story it was a western Cinderella story. And I liked how different the fairy godmother is dressed; she is dressed like a cowgirl. Also I loved the pictures they actually looked like a real desert. And in some of the pictures they didn't need words. And I really liked that it didn't take place in castles it took place at a desert. Also I liked at tethers end when they rode off they went in a wagon. It was kind of different then others. Also she didn't get rich at the end.

Cinderella for Everyone.......2006-03-07

I read this book with my daughters at the public library one day and started looking to buy it from that moment! While my daughters loved it -- I think I liked it more! It is even better if you can read it aloud with a drawl and a western accent. When one of my daughters was in the first grade, they had Dads take turns coming in and reading a couple of books to the children. Some of the boys began to complain when they thought I was going to read them a Cinderella story . . . but by the end of the book, they were fans, too! (Since I don't have any sons, that is the best I can offer from a boys' perspective.)

A great book for everyone!

a girl in the west.......2003-03-01

if you have ever seen Cindy Ellen, you have to read it. It has a prince that's really hilarious. And CIndy Ellen has 2 step-sisters. They like to treat Cindy Ellen bad to the bone. --by Meg, age 5 1/2, Feb. 2003

Cinderella meets the Wild West.......2000-08-30

When sweet Cindy Ellen's father marries his ornery new wife, she and her nasty daughters take to picking on Cindy. This retelling of the traditional Cinderella tale is full of "twirling swirling" fun. Cindy's fairy godmother helps her get to both the wild and woolly rodeo and the square dance where Cindy Ellen meets the rodeo champion Joe Prince. Of course, sparks fly - as does Cindy at the stroke of midnight, leaving Joe Prince to search out his lost cowgirl. In this version, Cindy Ellen must gather her gumption to receive the fairy godmother's magical gifts and the result is a cowgirl who is strong as well as pretty, making this a positive read for both children and parents.

Mightier Than the Sword: World Folktales for Strong Boys

Average customer rating:

Stories of clever boys
Great Folktales for Boys & Others!

Mightier Than the Sword: World Folktales for Strong Boys
Jane Yolen
Manufacturer: Silver Whistle
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Short Story Collections | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Folklore & Mythology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0152163913

Book Description

From China to Burma, Afghanistan to America, this collection of fourteen familiar and little-known stories tells the tales of sons, brothers, kings, and trolls--men and boys united by a common heroism that comes from strength of character, wisdom, and compassion. These stories show that brains trump brawn every time.
Renowned storyteller Jane Yolen has created an exciting companion book to her Book Sense 76 Pick Not One Damsel in Distress. An inspired collection of dramatic tales, Mightier Than the Sword will inspire boys and girls alike.

Customer Reviews:

Stories of clever boys.......2004-08-19

This is an excellent collection of folktales featuring heroes who overcome adversity using their wits rather than brute force. My six-year-old son absolutely loves this book, his favourite story is The Devil with Three Golden Hairs, but he loves them all. I enjoy reading most of the stories to him myself, though I admit I found a couple of them a little dull, but most of them are wonderful. The stories come from many different cultures, but all feature clever, likeable heroes .This book should appeal to any boy with imagination.

Great Folktales for Boys & Others!.......2003-10-16

This is a great collection of folktales specifically selected for the author's sons and grandson. The stories are interesting and exciting - they'll hold the attention of the most reluctant reader. Disguised under the fun tales are great lessons of character and integrity that boys today need so desperately to hear. I highly recommend it to parents, teachers, and kids!

Average customer rating:

Mamo on the mountain
Mamo on the mountain
Mamo on the mountain
Mamo on the mountain
Mamo on the mountain

Fire on the Mountain
Jane Kurtz
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0671882686

Customer Reviews:

Mamo on the mountain.......2002-05-01

I thought this story was very intresting,It used a lot of adjectives,which would help children a lot with thier school work.I liked the part when the rich man was insulted and was shouting"How dare any-one in my village isult me!".But I didn't like the beging because it didn't catch my attention that much!

Mamo on the mountain.......2002-05-01

I think Mamo on the mountain was a good story because the rich man learned his lesson and there were lots of detail in it and finally it was a happy ending and I love happy endings. In school we have been doing some work on Mamo on the mountain and I have enjoyed it. We have been writing stories and been doing differences and similarities. Example in Ethiopia they have the same animals that we do like cows and sheep. Ethiopia is the place where they lived. Well anyway the story is brilliant.

Mamo on the mountain.......2002-05-01

Fairy Tale Feasts: A Literary Cookbook for Young Readers And Eaters

Average customer rating:

Food Facts are the Most Fun
This is fabulous!
Fairy Tale Meals
Recipes not up to par with the great accompanying illustrations, stories, and notes
An outstanding collection

Fairy Tale Feasts: A Literary Cookbook for Young Readers And Eaters
Jane Yolen , and Heidi E. Y. Stemple
Manufacturer: Crocodile Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Cooking | Sports & Activities | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1566566436

Book Description

From the earliest days of stories, when hunters told of their exploits around the campfire, to the era of kings in castles listening to the storyteller at the royal feast, to the time of TV dinners, stories and eating have been close companions. So it is not unusual that folk stories are often about food: Jack's milk cow traded for beans, Snow White given a poisoned apple, Hansel and Gretel lured by the gingerbread house.

Exquisitely illustrated by Philippe Beha, Fairy Tale Feasts is more than collection of stories and recipes. In it, Caldecott-winning author Jane Yolen and her daughter, Heidi Stemple, imagine their readers as co-conspirators, cooks, and tellers of tales themselves.

Customer Reviews:

Food Facts are the Most Fun.......2007-10-01

Overall I really liked this book. Jane Yolen's versions of 20 fairy tales (many having to do with food) were fun and nicely retold. Some are pretty familiar to us all and other are more obscure. I also liked the offbeat illustrations by Phillippe Beha.

I'm not sure who did the research but what I enjoyed most were the history of the tales and the facts about food in the columns next to the recipes. Did you know that grapes are considered berries and that pumpkins are 90% water? Who knew? Those types of things in the book I found to be really fascinating.

I love the concept of this book but unfortunately, the recipes are not very magical. I'm sure the woman who wrote the recipes was trying to keep things simple so that children could easily participate in the cooking. Simple is fine but a little inspiration would have helped a lot. The twenty or so recipes are very ordinary on the whole.

This could have been a book used to introduce children to new foods (you know--some of that green stuff along with some herbs and spices) but that is not what we end up getting so it's a bit of a disappointment to an otherwise delightful book.

This is fabulous!.......2007-04-16

I have always absolutely loved Jane Yolen and having a cookbook written by her is just a dream come true. My son, six years old, is the perfect age for being engaged in the stories AND cooking the resulting recipes. He loves this book.

Ms. Yolen has written many of our family's favorites, including Sacred Places and Child of Fairie, Child of Earth. Anything that has her name on it, I will carefully consider. She's amazing.

Fairy Tale Meals.......2007-01-09

This book has the most beautiful illustrations on each page. One gets the feeling that the recipes will be as wonderful as the pictures!
The recipes are also very unusual such as Cinderella's "Pumpkin tarts" from her infamous carriage ride with the prince.
It also has the most unique memorabilia in the index on each page. I learned things I had totally forgotten since my childhood days when the fables were more truth than fiction. It's a book that will be passed onto the children of the children reading it!

Recipes not up to par with the great accompanying illustrations, stories, and notes.......2006-11-30

This "literary cookbook" contains four features, illustrations, fairy tales (20), recipes (24) and what the author calls "marginalia," facts and trivia primarily about the fairy tales and the ingredients of the fairy tale-related recipes (over 100). The illustrations are excellent. The fairy tales, except for Brer Rabbit, (which, of course, includes a sticky character whose name causes me to cringe as I read it) are very good, abbreviated versions of the more food-related stories, common as well as less common classics (with the exception of the final tale, one written and previously-published by Jane Yolen). The "marginalia" (notes in the margins) are excellent and include variations of some of the tales, story origins, unusual vocabulary definitions, and food facts. The weakest part of the book is the collection of recipes. Although porridge is the obvious choice to accompany The Magic Pot of Porridge, the recipe itself (add specified amounts of water, oats and salt and cook) is uninspiring. Others in the same category include fruit salad (choose, wash, cut and combine fruit of your choice), pancakes, french toast, pumpkin tartlets (pumpkin pie with topping) and baked apples. Additionally, Seaweed (spinach) Stuffed Shells, which accompanies The Little Mermaid, chosen over many possible seafood-containing recipes, seems odd. The worst choice of recipes, however, follows the story of Little Red Riding Hood. They all contain mayonnaise, which makes me wonder if the hunter might have been able to save his ammunition by sickening the wolf with salmonella-laced goodies from the picnic basket! On the other hand, Goat Cheese Sandwiches, Carrot Soup, Hodja's Kebabs and Magic Pear Grumble seem both enticing and story-appropriate. In summary, although three of the book's four features were well thought out and put into effect, the fourth and most important, the recipes, could have, in general, been more inventive and story-appropriate.

An outstanding collection.......2006-08-12

Fairy Tale Feasts: A Literary Cookbook For Young Readers & Eaters pairs recipes by Heidi E.Y. Stempled with tales retold by Yolen and illustrations by Philippe Beha. The food focus provides a lively collection pairing sidebars about the stories' creation and food history with recipes and classics. Kids and parents will find it an outstanding collection.

Average customer rating:

A model story
Ending ruins it all
I wanted to like this more
A Wonderful Twist on an Old Favorite
A Mixed Up Fairy Tales- Funny Fiction!

Sleeping Ugly
Jane Yolen
Manufacturer: Putnam Juvenile
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Humorous | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0698115600

Customer Reviews:

A model story.......2007-01-22

A well told story, and and a good model for my students' essay writing. It has organization, allusion, "show me" character, smooth seamless transitions between scenes, and a bonus character lesson suitable for both boys & girls. For a longer "chapter book" with the same theme, see M.M. Kaye's The Ordinary Princess.

Ending ruins it all.......2006-06-20

The story starts out well enough, centering around the lovely-but-spoiled Princess Miserella and the sweet-but-ugly Plain Jane. Naturally, the book is filled with the contrasts between their two characters: Miserella makes people miserable while poor Plain Jane's sweetness is overlooked by people who only see her outside.

When the two meet a fairy godmother, things start to look up for Jane when her kindness wins her three wishes. Before she can use them, however, Miserella ticks off the godmother so much that her magic goes bonkers and puts them all to sleep. When a prince comes across the three sleeping women, he falls for Miserella's looks and decides to kiss her awake. Before he does this, however, he decides to "practice" kissing by kissing the godmother and Jane first. It is here that both the prince and the author of the story make their fatal mistakes.

When Jane wakes up and sees the prince (after being kissed by him), she naturally wants him for herself. Rather than taking the golden opportunity of developing a real relationship between the two characters, author Jane Yolen throws it away by having the brainless bimbo of a fairy godmother cast a spell on the prince that magically forces him to love Jane (that godmother's not too smart with a wand, is she?) In just a couple of sentences, Yolen totally ruins what began as a meaningful story.

First of all, I absolutely despise the idea of love spells; love is a wonderful, wild force that cannot possibly be controlled or imitated. Second of all, what's the point of forcing the prince to love Jane? If Yolen doesn't let Jane win the prince's love naturally, then what message does this give girls with low self-esteem? That a guy can't like you without a spell on him? I thought the whole point of the story was that inner beauty and kindness is rewarded, but it hardly counts if the prince had a spell on him; the nasty princess could just as easily have done that. I agree with the reviewer who said that Jane's kindness was ruined when she made Miserella's sleeping body a hat post and forbad anyone to kiss her back to life. It seems to me that was Jane's way of saying, "Well, I got the prince, I guess I don't need to be nice any more". I found myself hoping the prince would find out about the spell and dump Jane like she deserved; I also wouldn't have minded the fairy godmother being turned into the toad she really was. I love most of Yolen's work, but this one is a rare bad egg.

I wanted to like this more.......2005-12-02

I wanted an unconventional tale for my daughter and was dissapointed. Although it tries to be unconventional by having the ugly girl being the good one I think it sells it's self short by still focusing the tale on attractiveness. The Jane character uses one of her magic wishes so that the Prince will love her. I would rather have tale about different forms of attractiveness or one in which the beauty of the characters isn't important. I want my daughter to know that morality is about the choices you make rather than the face you see in the mirror. BTW my husband liked this book so perhaps you will too.

A Wonderful Twist on an Old Favorite.......2005-11-16

In a startlingly funny retelling of the classic Sleeping Beauty tale, Jane Yolan spins a clever and sweet tale in Sleeping Ugly. The ever-beautiful, but horribly spoiled and cruel princess Miserella rushes into the forest during a temper tantrum and soon loses her way. She stumbles (literally) over an old fairy, who grudgingly agrees to help her find a way home. The mismatched couple discover charming Plain Jane's ramshackle home, but when the infuriating princess refuses to behave, the fairy accidentally casts a sleeping spell over the whole house. A poor prince discovers them 100 years later and remembers that his duty is to awaken the princess with a kiss. However, during a practice kiss, the prince falls in love with Jane, with whom he lives happily ever after.
The theme of personality being paramount to beauty is key to this engaging tale. Though the princess' every movement is lovely, Jane's kindness and good-natured behavior win the love of the prince. Morals in society are so often skewed, but Yolan's funny story realigns children's ethics without being overbearing or obvious. Diane Stanley's terrific illustrations are wonderful as well. The cartoon style pen, ink, and paint drawings delightfully enhance the tale. The stunning, but pouting Miserella contrasts wonderfully with the homely, smiling Jane, and the reader cannot help but love Jane more for her cheerful appearance. One should also note Yolan's twist of the traditional Sleeping Beauty story. This ingenuity ought to be highly praised for its attempt to expand children's perspectives on the world. The creativity of Jane Yolan's story Sleeping Ugly combine enchantingly with Diane Stanley's artwork to form a truly memorable story that children are sure to adore.

A Mixed Up Fairy Tales- Funny Fiction!.......2005-05-19

Sleeping Ugly was amazingly funny because it wasn't like any other fairy tale. It was a really good book. I would really like to check it out from the library. I think it was funny because Misrella threw pies in the cook's face. I thought it was sad that Miserella stepped on the dogs and hurt them. I also think it was sad that she kicked the cats.

Average customer rating:

Little girls love horses

Penny (Stablemates)
Jane Gerver
Manufacturer: CARTWHEEL BOOKS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Royalty | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0439722357

Book Description

It's the day of Princess Isabella's coronation, and her fairy godmother sends her on a quest to help her become a good queen. At first, Isabella isn't sure which horse to pick. The fastest? The biggest? She decides on Penny, the smartest horse in the stable. Together, Isabella and Penny set out on a journey to find twelve jewels. On the way, Isabella learns that the keys to being a good queen are inside her--kindness, courage, and wisdom!

Customer Reviews:

Little girls love horses.......2007-03-09

Interesting story for young girls just learning to read, and little girls love horses!

Fearless Girls, Wise Women, and Beloved Sisters: Heroines in Folktales from Around the World

Average customer rating:

Entertaining collection
Fantastic Book!
Actually pretty boring to read straight...
A feminist/anthropological responseto An Amazon.com Customer
Fearless Girls, Wise Women, and Beloved Sisters

Fearless Girls, Wise Women, and Beloved Sisters: Heroines in Folktales from Around the World
Jane Yolen
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Anthologies | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Fairy Tales | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Folklore & Mythology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0393320464

Book Description

One hundred great folk tales and fairy tales from all over the world about strong, smart, brave heroines. A definitive sourcebook of folktales and fairytales and the first of its kind to feature a variety of multicultural heroines. Dismayed by the predominance of male protagonists in her daughters' books, Kathleen Ragan set out to collect the stories of our forgotten heroines: courageous mothers, clever young girls, and warrior women who save villages from monsters, rule wisely over kingdoms, and outwit judges, kings, and tigers. Gathered from around the world, from regions as diverse as sub-Saharan Africa and Western Europe, from North and South American Indian cultures and New World settlers, from Asia and the Middle East, these 100 folktales celebrate strong female heroines. In "The Mirror of Matsuyama," we see the power of a mother's love overcome even the silence imposed by death. In "Moremi and the Egunguns," a fearless girl faces messengers from the land of the dead. Fearless Girls, Wise Women, and Beloved Sisters is for all women who are searching to define who they are, to redefine the world and shape their collective sensibility. It is for men who want to know more about what it means to be a woman. It is for our daughters and our sons, so that they can learn to value all kinds of courage, courage in battle and the courage of love. It is for all of us to help build a more just vision of woman. Fearless Girls, Wise Women, and Beloved Sisters breaks new ground by reexamining our notions about heroism. This book will appeal to parents who want to foster positive role models for their children. An invaluable resource of multicultural heroines for any school library.

Customer Reviews:

Entertaining collection.......2006-03-28

This large collection of fairy tales was a riveting read from start to finish. Kathleen Ragan has researched many nearly-forgotten tales from various parts of the world, all illustrating women in non-cinderella type roles. It illustrates the strong women inherent in the cultures around the world, which is a little different from some more recent feminist fairy tale retellings. These heros defeat their dragons and ogres through steel and wit. They are their own knight-in-shining-armor rescuers and their own defenders. They are tricksters and hidden helpers. They are mothers, daughters, sisters and wives. Above all, they are examples of what women are, and they don't take the drama lying down, waiting for someone to save them. The notes at the end of each story and the references in the back were incredibly helpful as well. She mentions some trends in the history of these traditional tales and the issues they bring up. If you like this book, you may also wish to check out Tatterhood, The Ordinary Princess, and Dealing With Dragons for fairy tales and fantasy fiction with women as their own heroes for the girls in your family. P.S. Ms. Ragan specifically edited out stories with tragic endings of the protagonist, so its all happy endings for this collection.

Fantastic Book!.......2005-04-06

I find the stories in this book to be a highly entertaining read and am excited to have it as a resource for any possible future daughters of my own. When I was a girl, I often sought stories that depicted female heroines (Scout from to Kill a Mockingbird, Joan of Arc, Marie Curie, Eleanore of Aquitane, Queen Elizabeth, Athena, Isis) and it is fantastic to have a compendium of world myths and stories that reflect admiration for females.
As an anthropologist, I would like to respond to the comment below that "there is no culture on earth right now that is matriarchal-and there very likely never has been." That is untrue. Many cultures are and were of various matriarchal forms. Currently, the Mosuo, Minangkabau, Hopi, Iroquois, Navajo and Cherokee for instance, are matriarchal. So were the Arkadians (ancient Greek culture), the Nair(India) and many more throughout the world and throughout history than I care to write here.
I highly recommend this book.

Actually pretty boring to read straight..........2005-01-01

This book is split up into sections by location containing folk and fairy tales with women heroines. While I had some favorites "The Three Sisters and Their Husbands, Three Brothers (Ireland), Little Red Cap (Germany), The Pigeon's Bride (Yugoslavia), The Innkeeper's Wise Daughter (Jewish-American) and How Parvatibai Outwitted the Ducoits (Makarashtra, India), I found lots of the other stories to be confusing, boring or both. It might be good book if you are really into the topic or need to do some research, but not great for pleasure reading.

A feminist/anthropological responseto An Amazon.com Customer.......2004-05-23

I imagine it would be somewhat difficult to find folktales that did not depict someone with extraordinary abilities/attributes or at least in extraordinary circumstances - that is the very point of folktales to begin with. Most characters are allegories, and most stories have some kind of moral. If you are in the mood for an in-depth character study, read a good fictional novel, or the like. You are right-a woman's place should not be on a pedestal or in a gutter. But much is black and white in folktales, and much is black and white in female history-think of the Virgin and the [prostitute] constructs that are so prevalent in analysis. The point of folktales, is again, conveyed through allegory more than a study of the nitty-gritty of real life. They are used for lessons-not as individual stories about people so much as stories that everyone might fit into at one point of their lives or another.
Also, it would likely have been difficult to find folktales that ignore the value of women's places as wives and mothers-but do read Tatterhood, a favourite of mine as a child. Women have long, and in many cultures, been associated with motherHOOD (the biological fact is that women have the babies), and in most with motherING-the practice of the cultural values and characteristics of "mother" being attributed to, and inextricably linked with the concept of "woman." Also, `traditional patriarchal propaganda' is not a myth, unfortunately, it is a reality-even if what it promotes is mythical. There is no culture on earth right now that is matriarchal-and there very likely never has been. Traditionally, women very rarely are granted any kind of authority within culture, but what they do have (and what has been overlooked by anthropologists for years) is informal power-often seen as manipulative and illegitimate. It seems to me that a good feminist analysis would acknowledge and value this as evidence of the courage and ingenuity of women, without abandoning aims for gaining authority for women.
Why is it not okay for women to be ambitious (traditionally a male trait) and use what attributes, skills and talents they have for securing their place in society-it is clear no one will do it for them. Women wouldn't be allowed to vote in the US if it weren't for the first wave of feminists. And I don't know about you, but I plan to have two children, and I know I want to be able to give them everything they deserve-which means securing a place for myself first. I want to be independent enough that I will survive if everyone I depend on is stripped away from me. Is that entirely selfish? unreasonable?
"This reduces women to the role of self interested child-bearing entities valued only for the services they perform for others." - isn't this a bit contradictory? If women are concerned with doing things for others, then how are they self-interested any more than anyone else? One works, and receives payment/goods/favors of some kind for the work. This is the basis for most societies-reciprocal altruism, formal or informal.
Admittedly, there should be as much equality between the sexes as possible, and there should be egalitarian relations. However, due to biology and psychology, I imagine the best it will get to is a `separate but equal' arrangement. But focusing on women, on the stories containing female protagonists, does not mean Ragan is promoting feminine superiority-Ragan did not write the folktales, and to a certain extent did not even control the content of the folktales-only which ones she chose to use. She is also not simply reinforcing patriarchal ideals-and if she does that, it can hardly be avoided by the most stringent feminist using the chosen material-but trying to highlight the feminine roles (existance!) in folktales, and in society. Perhaps reclaiming that which has been used derogatorily and oppressively previously is not a horrible, terrible thing. Perhaps it can be admitted to have some purpose.
I think for the most partyour objection was to the genre, and less the fault of the author. Sorry for the bit of the rant-hope you find it coherent and to some extent valuable. I just love debates like this and couldn't pass up the opportunity.

Fearless Girls, Wise Women, and Beloved Sisters.......2001-12-30

Great short stories! It is a wonderful read for myself, my daughter(8) and my son(4). Both children enjoy the colorful idioms and the tales!

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books