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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1st grade (Ages 6-7),

New Books & Materials

	Adelita by Tomie DePaola Reprint from Puffin Books for Nursery-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.99
	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 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 by Aesop, illustrated by Arthur Rackham from Macmillan Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-Adult in Ancient Literature (Location: LIT1-ANC) $14.99
	Atarax the Wolf Tells: Greek Myths by Adam De Gree from Classical Historian for Kindergarten-2nd grade in Clearance: History & Geography (Location: ZCLE-HIS) $7.50
	Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave by written by Marianna Mayer, Illustrated by K. Y. Craft First Edition from HarperCollins for Preschool- 3rd Grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $17.99
	Babushka Baba Yaga by Patricia Polacco from Putnam Juvenile for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.99
	Beauty and the Beast by Jan Brett from Sandpiper Books for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.99
	Beauty and the Beast by M. Charlotte Craft, K. Y. Craft from HarperCollins for Preschool- 3rd Grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $19.99
	Biggest House in the World by Leo Lionni from Dragonfly Books Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for Kindergarten-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.99
	Book of Legends by Horace E. Scudder from Yesterday's Classics for 1st-5th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $9.95
	Bremen Town Musicians by Ilse Plume retelling Brothers Grimm Tra from Dragonfly Books for Preschool-2nd grade 1981 Caldecott Honor Book in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.99
	Brother Eagle, Sister Sky by Chief Seattle, illustrated by Susan Jeffers from Puffin Books for Preschool- 3rd Grade in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER) $8.99
	Burt Dow, Deep-Water Man by Robert McCloskey from Puffin Books Humorous Folk Tale for Kindergarten-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.99
	Cinderella by Marcia Brown (translator) from Aladdin Paperbacks Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for Kindergarten-3rd grade 1955 Caldecott Medal winner in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Cinderella Everyman's Library Children's Classics by C. S. Evans, illustrated by Arthur Rackham from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. for 1st-4th grade in Everyman's Library Children's Classics (Location: FIC-ELC) $15.95
	Crane Wife by Odds Bodkin from Sandpiper Books for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.00
	Cupid and Psyche by M. Charlotte Craft & K. Y. Craft from Morrow Junior Books for Nursery-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $19.99
	Emperor's New Clothes by Virginia Burton, illustrator from Sandpiper Books Fairy Tale/Allegory for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $6.95
	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)
	Fairy Ring by Kate Douglas Wiggin from Yesterday's Classics in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $23.95
	Fairy's Return and Other Princess Tales by Gail Carson Levine from HarperCollins for 1st-6th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $7.99
	Fifty Famous Stories Retold by James Baldwin from Yesterday's Classics for 1st-4th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $11.95
	First Book of Fairy Tales by Mary Hoffman from DK Publishing Fairy Tales for Preschool-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $9.99
	Folk Tale Classics Heirloom Library - Boxed Set by Paul Galdone Box from HMH Books for Young Readers for Kindergarten-1st grade in Boxed Sets & Literature Packages (Location: FIC-BOX) $21.99
	Folk Tale Classics Keepsake Collection - Boxed Set by Paul Galdone Box from HMH Books for Young Readers for Kindergarten-1st grade in Boxed Sets & Literature Packages (Location: FIC-BOX) $21.99
	Fool of the World and the Flying Ship A Russian Tale by Arthur Ransome from Farrar, Straus and Giroux Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-4th grade 1969 Caldecott Medal winner in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $24.99
	Gilgamesh the King by Ludmila Zeman from Tundra Books (NY) for 1st-4th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $8.95 $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Gods and Goddesses of Olympus by Aliki from HarperCollins for 1st-3rd grade in Ancient Greece (Location: HISW-ANGR) $7.99
	Grasshopper and the Ants by Jerry Pinkney from Little, Brown & Company for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $18.99
	Greek Myths by Marcia Williams from Walker Books for 1st-3rd grade in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER) $8.99
	Grimms' Fairy Tales The Classic Edition by Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm, illustrated by Don Daily from Applesauce Press for 1st-5th grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $18.95
	Hansel and Gretel by Rika Lesser & Paul Zelinsky from Putnam Juvenile for 1st-2nd grade 1985 Caldecott Honor Book in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.99
	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
	Jack and the Beanstalk by Steven Kellogg from HarperCollins for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.99
	Jack and the Beanstalk by Paul Galdone from HMH Books for Young Readers for Kindergarten-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $9.99
	Johnny Appleseed A Tall Tale Retold and Illustrated by Steven Kellogg from HarperTrophy for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.99
	Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback from Viking Press for Preschool-2nd grade 2000 Caldecott Medal winner in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $17.99
	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 by Rudyard Kipling from Dover Publications for 1st-6th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $4.99 $3.00 (1 in stock)
	Kindergarten Gems by Agnes Taylor Ketchum, Ida M. Jorgensen from Yesterday's Classics for Preschool-1st grade in Short Story Anthologies for Kids (Location: FIC-ANTH) $15.95
	King Midas and the Golden Touch by Charlotte Craft, Illustrated by K. Y. Craft from HarperCollins for Nursery-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.99
	King's Chessboard by David Birch & Devis Grebu Reprint from Puffin Books for Kindergarten-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $6.99 $3.50 (1 in stock)
	King's Equal by Katherine Paterson from HarperCollins Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.99
	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) $6.99
	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) $8.99
	Last Quest of Gilgamesh by Ludmila Zeman from Tundra Books (NY) for 1st-4th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $8.95 $6.00 (2 in stock)
	Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone from Clarion Books Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.99
	Little Red Riding Hood by Trina Schart Hyman, retelling Grimm from Holiday House Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for Kindergarten-3rd grade 1984 Caldecott Honor Book in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.99
	Little Red Riding Hood by Paul Galdone, Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm First Edition Thus from HMH Books for Young Readers for Kindergarten-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.99
	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) $6.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Magic Fan by Keith Baker from Sandpiper Books for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.00
	Magic Fish by Freya Littledale from Scholastic Inc. for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $3.99 $2.50 (1 in stock)
	Many Moons by James Thurber 2^nd edition from Harcourt Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.00
	Mike Fink by Steven Kellogg from HarperCollins for 1st-6th grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.99
	Ming Lo Moves the Mountain by Arnold Lobel from HarperCollins for Nursery-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $9.99
	Monkey and the Crocodile A Jataka Tale from India by Paul Galdone from HMH Books for Young Readers for Preschool-1st grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $9.99
	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)
	Paul Bunyan by Steven Kellogg from William Morrow & Company Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Pecos Bill by Steven Kellogg from HarperCollins for Preschool- 3rd Grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.99
	Pegasus by Marianna Mayer & K. Y. Craft 1st ed from HarperCollins for Preschool- 3rd Grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $17.99
	Persephone by Sally Clayton, Illustrated by Virginia Lee from Eerdmans for 1st-5th grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $20.00
	Persian Cinderella by Shirley Climo & Robert Florczak Reprint from HarperCollins for Kindergarten-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.99
	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) $7.99
	Princess and the Pea by Hans Christian Andersen & Dorothee Duntze from North-South Books for Preschool-2nd grade in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER) $7.95
	Puss In Boots by Charles Perrault & Fred Marcelino from Square Fish Publishing for Nursery-2nd grade 1991 Caldecott Honor Book in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $6.75
	Rain Player by David Wisniewski from Clarion Books for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.95
	Rapunzel by Paul Zelinsky from Puffin Books Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-4th grade 1998 Caldecott Medal winner in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER) $9.99
	Revenge of Ishtar by Ludmila Zeman from Tundra Books (NY) for 1st-4th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $8.95 $6.00 (2 in stock)
	Rumpelstiltskin by Paul Galdone from Sandpiper Books for Preschool-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.95
	Rumpelstiltskin by Paul O. Zelinsky from Puffin Books 1987 Caldecott Honor Book in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.99
	Sleeping Beauty & Cinderella by C. S. Evans, illustrated by Arthur Rackham 100th Anniversary from SeaWolf Press for 1st-4th grade in Seawolf Illustrated Classics (Location: FIC-SW) $7.95
	Snow Princess by Ruth Sanderson from Crocodile Books for Preschool-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $17.95
	Snow Queen A Retelling of the Fairy Tale By Hans Christian Andersen by Hans Christian Andersen, Retold by Allison Grace MacDonald and Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline from HarperCollins for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $17.99
	Snow White by Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm, illustrated by Charles Santore from Sterling Publishing Co. for Kindergarten-4th grade in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER) $16.95
	Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs: A Tale from the Brothers Grimm by Brothers Grimm, translated by Randall Jarrell and illustrated by Nancy Ekholm Burkert Sunburst Edition, 1987 from Square Fish Publishing for Kindergarten-3rd grade 1973 Caldecott Honor Book in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER) $9.99
	Steadfast Tin Soldier by Hans Christian Anderson, translated by M.R. James, illustrated by Marcia Brown from Atheneum for Kindergarten-3rd grade 1954 Caldecott Honor Book in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $19.99
	Stone Soup by Ann McGovern from Scholastic Inc. Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $3.99
	Stories for Children by Isaac Bashevis Singer from Farrar, Straus and Giroux for 1st-3rd grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $17.99
	Story of Jumping Mouse A Native American Legend by John Steptoe from HarperCollins Native American Fable for Preschool-2nd grade 1985 Caldecott Honor Book in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $6.99
	Tale of the Mandarin Ducks by Katherine Paterson from Puffin Books for Preschool- 3rd Grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.99
	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) $16.95
	Tales of Wonder Volume 2 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) $16.95
	Three Bears by Paul Galdone from Sandpiper Books for Nursery-1st grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.99
	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 Billy Goats Gruff by Paul Galdone from Sandpiper Books for Nursery-1st grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.99
	Three Little Kittens by Paul Galdone from Clarion Books Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for Nursery-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Three Little Pigs by Steven Kellogg from HarperCollins for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.99
	Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury Reprint from Margaret K. McElderry Books for Kindergarten-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.99
	Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel from Square Fish Publishing Humorous Folk Tale for Kindergarten-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.99
	Twelve Dancing Princesses by Marianna Mayer from William Morrow & Company for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.99
	Twelve Dancing Princesses by Ruth Sanderson Reprint from Crocodile Books for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.95
	Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen, Jerry Pinkney First edition from HarperCollins for Preschool-2nd grade 2000 Caldecott Honor Book in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $17.99
	Viking Tales by Jennie Hall from Living Book Press for 1st-4th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $8.99
	West African Folk-Tales by William H. Barker from Yesterday's Classics for 1st-6th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $10.95
	Wise Words Family Stories That Bring the Proverbs to Life by Peter Leithart 3^rd edition from Canon Press for Kindergarten-5th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $15.00
	Yeh-Shen A Cinderella Story from China by Ai-Ling Louie from Puffin Books for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)

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