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

Subcategories

Aesop's Fables

American Tall Tales

Andersen's Fairy Tales & Stories

Asian Myths & Fairy Tales

Grimm's Fairy Tales

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Used Books & Materials

	First Book of Fairy Tales by Mary Hoffman from DK Publishing Fairy Tales for Preschool-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $5.60 (1 in stock)
	Funny Little Woman by Arlene Mosel & Blair Lent Reissue from Puffin Books 1973 Caldecott Medal winner in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $5.09 $2.80 (1 in stock)
	Gingerbread Man by Jim Aylesworth from Scholastic Inc. for Preschool- 3rd Grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $1.60 (1 in stock)
	Hansel and Gretel by Rika Lesser & Paul Zelinsky from Putnam Juvenile for 1st-2nd grade 1985 Caldecott Honor Book in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.64 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Johnny Appleseed: The Story of a Legend by Will Moses from Puffin Books for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $3.20 (2 in stock)
	King's Chessboard by David Birch & Devis Grebu Reprint from Puffin Books for Kindergarten-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $5.94 $2.80 (1 in stock)
	King's Equal by Katherine Paterson from HarperCollins Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-3rd grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $5.94 $2.80 (1 in stock)
	Kitchen Knight A Tale of King Arthur by Margaret Hodges; illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman from Holiday House Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.64 $4.40 (1 in stock)
	Lon Po Po A Red-Riding Hood Story from China by Ed Young from PaperStar Books Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-4th grade 1990 Caldecott Medal winner in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $5.94 $3.60 (1 in stock)
	Many Moons by James Thurber from Scholastic Inc. for Preschool- 3rd Grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $2.00 (1 in stock)
	Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters An African Tale by John Steptoe from Scholastic Inc. for Preschool-3rd grade 1988 Caldecott Honor Book in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $2.00 (2 in stock)
	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) $6.79 $3.60 (1 in stock)
	Opossum and the Great Firemaker A Mexican Legend Legends of the World by Jan M. Mike; illustrated by Charles Reasoner from Troll Publishing for Kindergarten-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $2.00 (1 in stock)
	Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev, translated by Maria Carlson and illustrated by Charles Mikolaycak from Puffin Books for Kindergarten-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.64 $3.60 (1 in stock)
	Quilt Story by Tony Johnston & Tomie dePaola from Penguin Putnam for Preschool-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $3.20 (1 in stock)
	Saga of Erik the Viking by Terry Jones New Ed from Puffin Books for 1st-4th grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $3.20 (1 in stock)
	Salmon Princess by Mindy Dweyer from Paws IV Publishing Fairy Tales & Fables for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $1.60 (1 in stock)
	Seven Chinese Brothers by Margaret Mahy, illustrated by Jean and Mou-sien Tseng from Scholastic Inc. for Nursery-1st grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $3.00 (1 in stock)
	Silver Cow by Susan Cooper from Margaret K. McElderry Books for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $2.40 (1 in stock)
	Spider and the Sky God An Akan Legend Legends of the World by Deborah Newton Chocolate from Troll Publishing for Kindergarten-3rd grade in Short Story Anthologies for Kids (Location: FIC-ANTH) $2.50 (1 in stock)
	Story of Jumping Mouse A Native American Legend by John Steptoe from Scholastic Inc. Native American Fable for Preschool-2nd grade 1985 Caldecott Honor Book in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $2.00 (1 in stock)
	Tailor's Sword by K.J. Forster, illustrated by Kerilynn Ayers from Doorposts in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $4.80 (1 in stock)
	Tale of the Mandarin Ducks by Katherine Paterson from Puffin Books for Preschool- 3rd Grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.64 $3.60 (1 in stock)
	Tales of a Korean Grandmother 32 Traditional Tales from Korea by Frances Carpenter from Tuttle Publishing Eastern Fairy Tales for 1st-6th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $9.00 (1 in stock)
	Tales of Wonder Volume 1 by Edited by Brian Phillips, Matt Bianco, & David Kern from Circe Institute for 1st-3rd grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $14.41 $7.20 (1 in stock)
	Three Little Kittens by Paul Galdone from Clarion Books Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for Nursery-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $6.79 $3.20 (1 in stock)
	Yeh-Shen A Cinderella Story from China by Ai-Ling Louie from Puffin Books for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $6.79 $3.60 (1 in stock)

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