Ten Small Tales

by Celia Barker Lottridge, Joanne Fitzgerald (Illustrator)

Overview

Celia Barker Lottridge decided it was time to expand the range of tales for the very young beyond "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Goldilocks and the Three Bears."

Drawing inspiration from sources the world over, she searched out tales that had all the magic properties of the old favorites. Through years of telling and retelling these stories to children, she has crafted a new nursery classic. Accompanied by gentle and appealing watercolors, these truly are ten small gems.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780888998521
Publisher:	Groundwood Books
Publication date:	09/01/2007
Edition description:	Second Edition
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	8.13(w) x 10.13(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	2 - 8 Years

About the Author

Celia Barker Lottridge is a writer and storyteller who has written several highly acclaimed children's books. Born in Iowa and raised in the United States, Celia now lives in Toronto.

Joanne Fitzgerald illustrated many beloved children's picture books and won the Governor General's Award for Doctor Kiss Says Yes by Teddy Jam.

Editorial Reviews

This is an outstanding treasury for young children, who will demand to hear these gentle tales again and again.

STARRED REVIEW Quill & Quire

[Celia Barker Lottridge] delivers an outstanding collection of ten familiar and lesser-known short stories with a remarkable freshness and appeal.

Booklist

This unusual collection was inspired by folktales told all over the world. While populated with well-known figures--crafty animals, curious children and kindly grandmothers--it is unlikely that any of the stories will be familiar. A fox turns to trickery and abandons his tail, a boy transforms himself into a peanut, a mouse discovers her ability to roll, and an elderly lady outwits a coyote. The stories are amusing, sometimes surprising, and speed ahead on their own internal logic--which is not always straightforward. Often the tales are circular and involve repetitions of both language and actions, resulting in a fluidity that makes these entries perfect for reading aloud. Fitzgerald attractively interprets the tales with serene watercolors in which calm tones capture the fun of the plots while leaving most of the sparkle for the narrative. Solid, reassuring animals (a la Graham Percy) and button-nosed children ground the text in the recognizable. Ages 5-9. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

PreS-Gr 3-From distant lands-Malaysia, Russia, China, the Congo, the Far North-Lottridge has collected and adapted 10 folktales. All are short, from four to eight pages including illustrations. Each presents a child or an animal with a unique problem or desire, from a monkey who wants to dance on the village rooftops, to four animals who want to picnic on top of the mountain. All of the stories have thoroughly satisfying endings. In ``The One-Turnip Garden,'' the girl who was too little to help plant and tend the garden is the one whose words help harvest the ``big gigantic turnip.'' The stories have fine traditional structures, with a series of incidents building to a climax. They are written to invite listeners' participation in repeating verses, phrases, or cumulative lists. The many charming pale watercolor illustrations are the icing on the cake. A page of notes gives the national origin and sometimes the collection of tales from which the story was adapted. Storytellers and their audiences, parents looking for short bedtime selections, and children who have recently learned to read will enjoy this book. One copy won't be enough for busy children's rooms.-Nancy Seiner, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

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