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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Aesop's Fables

American Tall Tales

Andersen's Fairy Tales

Asian Myths & Fairy Tales

Grimm's Fairy Tales

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	Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great The Knights' Tales Book 1 by Gerald Morris Reprint from Sandpiper Books for 4th-6th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $7.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	American Fairy Tales by L. Frank Baum from Dover Publications for 3rd-6th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Andersen's Fairy Tales Illustrated Junior Library Series 2 Paperback by Hans Christian Anderson, illustrated by Arthur Szyk from Grosset & Dunlap Fairy Tales for 3rd-6th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Beat the Story-Drum, Pum-Pum by Ashley Bryan from Aladdin Paperbacks Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 3rd-7th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $9.99 $5.50 (5 in stock)
	Bony-Legs by Joanna Cole, illustrated by Dirk Zimmer from Scholastic Inc. for Nursery-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Book of Valor A Collection of the Prose and Poetry of Old Lands beyond the Sea by Mary Aquinas 2007 reprint from Seton Press for 6th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Castaways of the Flying Dutchman by Brian Jacques from Puffin Books for 3rd-6th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $5.00 (1 in stock)
	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)
	Children's Homer Adventures of Odysseus and the Tale of Troy by Padraic Colum & Willy Pogany from Aladdin Paperbacks Greek Mythology for 3rd-8th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $10.99 $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Children's Homer Adventures of Odysseus and the Tale of Troy by Padraic Colum from Simon and Schuster Greek Mythology for 3rd-8th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $4.50 (2 in stock)
	Children's Homer Adventures of Odysseus and the Tale of Troy by Padraic Colum from Simon and Brown Greek Mythology for 3rd-8th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $4.00 (1 in stock)
	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)
	Classic Myths to Read Aloud The Great Stories of Greek and Roman Mythology, Specially Arranged for Children Five and Up by an Educational Expert by William F. Russell from Three Rivers Press in Reading Aloud & Story-telling (Location: LIR-RAST) $16.00 $9.50 (1 in stock)
	D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths - Audio CD by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire from Yearling Greek Mythology for 4th-8th grade in Audio Books & Dramas (Location: CD-AUDIO) $25.00 $14.00 (1 in stock)
	Dance Me a Story Twelve Tales from the Classic Ballets by Jane Rosenberg from Thames and Hudson for 3rd-8th grade in Dance (Location: ELE-DANCE) $12.00 (3 in stock)
	Deirdre A Celtic Legend by David Guard; illustrated by Gretchen Guard 2^nd edition from Celestial Arts for 4th-6th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $3.00 (1 in stock)
	Favorite Folktales from Around the World by Jane Yolen from Pantheon Books for 4th-Adult in Short Story Anthologies for Kids (Location: FIC-ANTH) $9.00 (1 in stock)
	Favorite Greek Myths by Bob Blaisdell from Dover Publications for 4th-6th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $2.50 (2 in stock)
	Fin M'coul by Tomie dePaola from Holiday House for Preschool-3rd Grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $5.00 (1 in stock)
	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)
	Gingerbread Boy by Paul Galdone from Clarion Books for Nursery-1st grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Gingerbread Man by Jim Aylesworth from Scholastic Inc. for Preschool- 3rd Grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $2.00 (1 in stock)
	Golden Fleece And the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles by Padraic Colum & Willy Pogany from Aladdin Paperbacks Greek Mythology for 3rd-8th grade 1922 Newbery Honor Book in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $10.99 $6.00 (2 in stock)
	In the Beginning Creation Stories from Around the World by Virginia Hamilton, Illustrated by Barry Moser from Houghton Mifflin for 3rd-8th grade 1989 Newbery Honor Book in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $20.00 $11.00 (1 in stock)
	Johnny Appleseed Story of a Legend from Puffin Books in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $4.00 (1 in stock)
	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)
	Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling, illustrated by Joseph M. Gleeson from Book-of-the-Month Club Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-6th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $6.50 (1 in stock)
	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)
	Kingfisher Treasury of Stories from Around the World by Linda Jennings from Kingfisher for 3rd-5th grade in Short Story Anthologies for Kids (Location: FIC-ANTH) $3.50 (1 in stock)
	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)
	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)
	Many Moons by James Thurber from Scholastic Inc. for Preschool- 3rd Grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $2.00 (1 in stock)
	Myths of the Norsemen From the Eddas and Sagas by H.A. Guerber from Dover Publications for 6th-10th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $14.95 $7.50 (1 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) $7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	One Grain of Rice by Demi from Scholastic Press for Nursery-Kindergarten in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $21.99 $15.00 (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) $2.50 (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)
	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)
	Rowan Hood Outlaw Girl of Sherwood Forest by Nancy Springer from Scholastic Inc. for 3rd-6th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $3.00 (1 in stock)
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	Seven Tales by H. C. Andersen by Hans Christian Andersen, translated by Eva Le Gallienne and illustrated by Maurice Sendak from Harper & Row for 3rd-6th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $7.50 (1 in stock)
	Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka, Lane Smith from Scholastic Inc. for 4th-6th grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $2.50 (1 in stock)
	Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola from Scholastic Inc. for Preschool-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $2.00 (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)
	Tatterhood and Other Tales by Ethel Johnston Phelps (editor), illustrated by Pamela Baldwin Ford from Feminist Press for 3rd-6th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $5.00 (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) $7.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Trojan War by Olivia Coolidge, illustrated by Edouard Sandoz from Houghton Mifflin Mythology for 4th-6th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine from HarperCollins for 4th-7th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine from HarperCollins for 4th-7th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Wise Words by Peter Leithart from GCB Publishing Group for 3rd-8th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Wonder Clock by Howard & Katherine Pyle 1^st edition from Starscape Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $4.00 (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) $7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories by Isaac Bashevis Singer from HarperCollins for 3rd-6th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $7.95 $5.00 (1 in stock)

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