The Gift of the Unicorn and Other Animal Helper Tales for Storytellers, Educators, and Librarians

by Dan Keding, Kathleen A. Brinkmann

Overview

Engage young readers in stories they love while teaching important content with this fun book that features more than 40 folktales from around the world celebrating the animal-human bond.

Written by two leaders in the field of storytelling, this compilation of folktales—all retold for elementary readers—emphasizes the admirable qualities of animal-human relationships. Stories source from folktale collections, oral histories, and science and sociology books from around the world and include learning opportunities for taking a stand against bullies, understanding wild and domestic animal habitats, and appreciating nature. Additionally, you'll be able to introduce readers to new cultures, providing a springboard for learning about other people and their ways of life.

Each story is accompanied by information that identifies the country or culture of origin, sources, and interesting background facts. Exercises, questions, and suggestions promote further study and help engage readers in what they have learned. The organization of sections of stories on creatures of land, sky, sea, and water; imaginary animals; and crews of animals working together makes it easy to find what suits your audience best.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440840531
Publisher:	ABC-CLIO, Incorporated
Publication date:	06/06/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	243
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Dan Keding serves as adjunct lecturer at the Graduate School of Library and Information Sciences at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and performs as a storyteller, author, and folk musician.

Kathleen A. Brinkmann produces and hosts UPTV's The Stories We Tell, a program of recorded concerts, interviews with authors, and storytellers. She is also a spoken word artist, writer, and scholar of folktales.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction xi

Section 1 Creatures of the Land

The Grateful Wolf (Japan) 3

The Maiden and the Puma (Argentina) 5

Oleshek, the Deer with the Golden Antlers (Sami) 8

The Man and the Muskrat (Tanzania) 10

The Thankful Badger Family (Japan) 13

The Brahmini and the Mongoose (India) 17

How Man Found a Friend (Nigeria) 19

Mighty Mikko (Finland) 22

The Young Man Who Refused to Kill (Tibet) 27

Snake's Blessing (Swahili) 31

Blind Man's Bluff (Russia) 37

The White Spider's Gilt (Paraguay) 40

Section 2 Creatures of the Sky

How the Wasp Lost His Voice (Mongolia) 47

The Birds', Garden (Kazakhstan) 50

Maui and the Birds (Maori-New Zealand) 55

Marko Kraljevic and the Eagle (Serbia) 57

The Man, the Dove, and the Hawk (Nigeria) 59

Crane Child (Japan) 61

The Pheasants and the Bell (Korea) 65

The Waiting Maid and the Parrot (China) 68

The Rooster and the Sultan (Hungary) 71

Yogodayu and the Army of Bees (Japan) 74

Section 3 Creatures of the Water

The Samurai and the Sea Turtle (Japan) 79

Frog Princess (Croatia) 82

Arion and the Dolphin (Ancient Greece) 88

The Golden Crab (Greece) 91

The Fisherman and His Wife (Germany) 96

Emelya, the Fool (Russia) 100

The Little Red Fish and the Clog of Gold (Iraq) 103

The Grateful Alligators (Mississippi River. USA) 109

Section 4 Creatures Working Together

The Youth Who Made Friends with the Beasts and the Birds (Peru) 115

The King's Youngest Son (Republic of Georgia) 118

The Helpful Animals (Burma) 123

The Three Girls and the Johnnycakes (Appalachia, USA) 127

The Queen Bee (Germany) 130

The Two Stepsisters (Norway) 133

The Raja's Son and Princess Labam (India) 138

General Dog and His Army (Croatia) 144

Section 5 Creatures of the Imagination

The Boy Who Drew Cats (Japan) 153

The Seal Hunter and the Merman (Scotland) 157

The Dragons of Ha Long Bay (Vietnam) 161

The Leshi Cat (Russia) 164

Damian and the Dragon (Greece) 169

Zal, the White Haired (Ancient Persia) 176

The Grateful Fox Fairy (China) 180

The Gift of the Unicorn (China) 184

Section 6 Not One Or the Other

Why Platypus Is Special (Australian Aborigines) 189

Appendix: Table of Animals and Countries 193

Story Sources 195

Questions and Activities 211

Bibliography 235

Index 239

Editorial Reviews

The well-written stories are ideally suited to read-alouds. Tales have varying lengths up to five pages, with ample dialogue, imagery, and action. Listeners will enjoy the narratives while also being able to pick up on the values, themes, and cultural diversity. . . . . This amazing range of tales will be sure to spark interest across many age groups in a library, classroom, or other storytelling environment. The purchase is strongly recommended.” —VOYA

“[T]he international spectrum offers a variety of simple folktales that youngsters can discuss and enjoy.” —Booklist Online

From the Publisher