Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children

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Not that these are "soft" versions of the fairy tales we know and love—they're just not quite as jarring as the original material. Whereas the Brothers Grimm didn't hesitate to include excessive violence, genuine terror and even (on occasion) sexual references, authors like Andrew Lang opted to gentle the stories a bit so as not to spook the youngsters too much. While we certainly encourage you to read the originals and introduce them to your kids at some point, the books you'll find in this section are a great place to start small children on traditional tales and folklore.

It's not so much that fairy tales offer kids a new way of seeing the world, it's more that they are already in line with the way kids do see the world. For a child, monsters really do lurk in the shadows, pumpkins can turn into vehicles, and animals really do have rational thoughts and can even (at times, if you listen closely enough) talk. To force children into an adult world where only the unavoidable and routine can take place is to rob them of not only their youth, but their ability to imagine.

More than any other kind of story, fairy tales are only a segue to genuine creativity. Kids read about Princes Charming, Princesses in Distress, Dragons, Dragon-Fighters, dwarfs, elves and pixies—and then become each of these things in turn in the backyard. Not that most children need inspiration, but it certainly can't hurt, nor can it hurt for them to realize they aren't the first ones to imagine fairies in the trees and gnomes in the garden. We've chosen the books you'll find here for the quality of artwork, faithfulness of adaptation, and overall appeal both to kids and their parents (who may have missed out on good fairy tales themselves).

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.

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Fiction & Literature

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Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children

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American Tall Tales

Andersen's Fairy Tales

Asian Myths & Fairy Tales

Grimm's Fairy Tales

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Animal Stories: Fantasy

	Aesop's Fables Illustrated Junior Library Series 4 by Aesop, illustrated by Fritz Kredel from Grosset & Dunlap Fables for 2nd-6th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT)
	Aesop's Fables by Aesop, illustrated by Michael Hague from Henry Holt and Company Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-5th grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
	Aesop's Fables by Aesop, edited by Ann McGovern from Scholastic Inc. for Nursery-2nd grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $2.50 (3 in stock)
	Aesop's Fables by Aesop, illustrated by Randolph Caldecott, Arthur Rackham, Walter Crane, and Alexander Calder from Chronicle Books for 1st-5th grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
	Aesop's Fables Illustrated Junior Library Series 2 by Aesop, illustrated by Fritz Kredel from Grosset & Dunlap for Nursery-2nd grade in Illustrated Junior Library (Location: VIN-IJL)
	Aesop's Fables by Aesop, illustrated by Arthur Rackham from Avenel Books for Nursery-2nd grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $8.00 (2 in stock)
	Aesop's Fables by Aesop, retold & illustrated by Jerry Pinkney 1st Ed. from Chronicle Books for Kindergarten-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $19.99
	Aesop's Fables by Aesop from Wordsworth Classics for Nursery-2nd grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $3.00 (1 in stock)
	Aesop's Fables by Aesop, illustrated by Heidi Holder 1^st edition from Viking Press for Kindergarten-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.50 (2 in stock)
	Aesop's Fables by Aesop, illustrated by Charles Santore 1988 ed from Dilithium Press, Ltd. for Kindergarten-2nd grade in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
	Aesop's Fables by Aesop, Isaac Bashevis Singer from International Collectors Library for 6th-10th grade in Ancient Literature (Location: LIT1-ANC)
	Aesop's Fables Puffin Classics by Aesop Reprint from Puffin Books Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Kindergarten-4th grade in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF) $7.99
	Aesop's Fables Illustrated Junior Library Series 3 by Aesop, illustrated by Fritz Kredel from Grosset & Dunlap Fables for 2nd-6th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT)
	Aesop's Fables by Aesop, Illustrated by Walt Sturrock from Unicorn Publishing House for Kindergarten-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
	Aesop's Fables by Aesop, illustrated by Arthur Rackham from Macmillan Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-Adult in Ancient Literature (Location: LIT1-ANC) $14.99
	Aesop's Fables by Aesop, illustrated by Michael Hague from Henry Holt and Company Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-5th grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Aesop's Fables by Aesop, retold by Anne Terry White, illustrated by Helen Siegl from California State Department of Education for 2nd-4th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Anansi and the Moss-covered Rock by Eric A. Kimmel Reprint from Holiday House for Preschool-1st grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
	Animal Stories by Edited by Walter de la Mare from Charles Scribner's Sons for 3rd-8th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox by Joel Chandler Harris, Jane S. Shaw 1^st edition from Collins for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
	Cat Who Went to Heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth from Aladdin Paperbacks Eastern Fairy Tale for 3rd-6th grade 1931 Newbery Medal winner in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $2.50 (2 in stock)
	Cat Who Went to Heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth from Aladdin Paperbacks Eastern Fairy Tale for 3rd-6th grade 1931 Newbery Medal winner in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $6.99 $4.00 (3 in stock)
	Cat Who Went to Heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth, illustrated by Lynd Ward First Edition from Simon and Schuster Eastern Fairy Tale for 3rd-6th grade 1931 Newbery Medal winner in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT)
	Cat Who Went to Heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth PF from Collier Books for 4th-6th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $2.50 (1 in stock)
	Fables by Arnold Lobel from HarperCollins Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for Preschool-3rd grade 1981 Caldecott Medal winner in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Fables of Aesop Dover Evergreen Classics by Joseph Jacobs from Dover Publications for 2nd-4th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $5.99
	Fables of Aesop by Aesop, selected & illustrated by David Levine, translated by Patrick & Justina Gregory from Gambit for 2nd-4th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $7.50 (1 in stock)
	Favorite Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling, illustrated by H. B. Vestal from Grosset & Dunlap Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-6th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Golden Goose by Dick King-Smith from Yearling for 2nd-5th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $5.99
	How Droofus the Dragon Lost His Head by Bill Peet from Houghton Mifflin Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $9.99
	Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, illustrated by Gregory Alexander from Pavilion Books Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Just So Stories Everyman's Library Children's Classics by Rudyard Kipling from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-6th grade in Everyman's Library Children's Classics (Location: FIC-ELC) $18.00
	Just So Stories Children's Classics by Rudyard Kipling (illustrated by Joseph M. Gleeson) from Dilithium Press, Ltd. Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-6th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Just So Stories Books of Wonder by Rudyard Kipling (illustrated by Barry Moser) from HarperCollins Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-6th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling (illustrated by Joseph M. Gleeson) Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-6th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Misoso by Verna Aardema illustrated edition from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. for Kindergarten-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Mouse Soup An I Can Read Book Level 2 by Arnold Lobel from HarperCollins Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for Kindergarten-2nd grade in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
	Once a Mouse by Marcia Brown 2^nd edition from Aladdin Paperbacks Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for Kindergarten-3rd grade 1962 Caldecott Medal Winner in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Once a Mouse by Marcia Brown from Atheneum Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for Kindergarten-3rd grade 1962 Caldecott Medal Winner in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
	Pegasus by Marianna Mayer & K. Y. Craft 1st ed from HarperCollins for Preschool- 3rd Grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $17.99
	Pegasus by Marianna Mayer & K. Y. Craft 1st ed from Morrow Eagle for Preschool- 3rd Grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $12.00 (1 in stock)
	Rat-Catcher's Son by Carolyn London from Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd. for 1st-3rd grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $3.00 (2 in stock)
	Rat-Catcher's Son by Carolyn London from Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd. for 1st-3rd grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $3.50 (3 in stock)
	Reading-Literature First Reader by Harriette Taylor Treadwell, Margaret Free from Yesterday's Classics for 1st-2nd grade in Short Story Anthologies for Kids (Location: FIC-ANTH)
	Reading-Literature Second Reader by Harriette Taylor Treadwell, Margaret Free from Yesterday's Classics for 1st-2nd grade in Short Story Anthologies for Kids (Location: FIC-ANTH)
	Tales of Uncle Remus The Adventures of Brer Rabbit Puffin Modern Classics by Julius Lester Reissue from Puffin Books for 3rd-7th grade in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF) $7.99
	Tales of Uncle Remus The Adventures of Brer Rabbit by Julius Lester Reissue from Puffin Books for 3rd-7th grade in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
	Tanglewood Tales / Wind in the Willows by Nathaniel Hawthorne & Kenneth Grahame from Grosset & Dunlap for 3rd-6th grade in Companion Library (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Three Billy Goats Gruff by Marcia Brown (illustrator) from Harcourt Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for Kindergarten-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.99
	Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas from Margaret K. McElderry Books for 1st-5th grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.00 (1 in stock)
	Tiger and the Brahmin by Brian Gleeson from Simon and Schuster for 1st-3rd grade in Tools for Young Historians (Location: BIBWV-TYH)
	True Story of the 3 Little Pigs By A. Wolf by Jon Scieszka & Lane Smith from Puffin Books for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
	Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen from C. R. Gibson for Nursery-1st grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT)
	Uncle Remus Stories by Joel Chandler Harris, Jane S. Shaw from Collins for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
	Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams from Doubleday Book For Young Readers for Preschool-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $12.00 (1 in stock)
	Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams from Health Communications, Inc. for Preschool-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)

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