ANNOTATION

A collection of familiar short moral tales.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

For centuries Aesop's fables have entertained readers. The overconfident hare who loses the race to the slow and steady tortoise . . . the clever fox who steals a piece of cheese from the foolish crow . . . and the tiny mouse who saves an angry lion from a hunter's trap. Tom Lynch uses crisp text adaptations and brilliantly colorful fabric collages to bring fresh life to these much loved tales.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

"Using fabric collages, Lynch stitches together a smorgasbord of (13) fables into a colorful picture book quilt," wrote PW. Ages 4-8. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

Using fabric collages, debut author/ artist Lynch stitches together a smorgasbord of fables into a colorful picture book quilt. He's rounded up a baker's dozen of the parables and presents them in a format that's short and sweet--one per double-spread--each ending with "So remember!" and a pithy moral. The succinct retellings and large type make them appropriate for an audience just beginning to read on their own. Many of the familiar fables contain easy-to-follow lessons, such as the fox and the thirsty goat ("Look before you leap"). However, the lessons of lesser-known parables may elude younger readers--such as the tale of Zeus refusing a wedding gift from a snake ("Never accept the offerings of a villain," when nothing in the tale suggests the snake's evil intentions) or the tale of a caged songbird and a bat ("Regrets and precautions are useless after misfortune has come"). Still, the sprightly needlework (the embroidery on the peacock is stunning) enhances each scene and may well inspire readers to meet the challenge of a few more sophisticated tales. The artwork, rendered in bright scraps of fabric, maintains a homespun feel in keeping with the fables' humble origins, and preschoolers will especially enjoy the assorted animal characters who tumble across the pages. Ages 4-up. (Sept.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

Children's Literature

Everyone probably knows the tale of the foolish hare and the steady tortoise who race. It teaches even very young children that slow and steady win the race. We will also want to remember that often gentle persuasion works better than brute force. The wind lost to the sun when they tried to dispute who was the most powerful. These fables, along with eleven others, are retold in simple language. Aesop, a sixth century Greek slave, was a clever and witty storyteller. He never wrote anything down, but the lessons have been passed along by countless generations. Each fable tells of animals with foibles who learn valuable lessons, passing on the values of loyalty, kindness, and modesty. The fabric collages used to illustrate the foolish monkey, clever fox, and others are whimsical and colorful. Not only could the text be used in the classroom, but the pictures lend themselves to an art project for children. 2000, Penguin Group. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Laura Hummel

School Library Journal

Gr 3-5-The lessons are boldly fresh, yet old as time, in this baker's dozen of stories set in rough-hewn appliqu scenes. The ubiquitous tortoise and hare open the assembly of well-known and less familiar tales. Other old favorites include the competition between the Sun and the North Wind, the mouse that rescues the lion, and the fox that flatters the crow into dropping its bit of cheese. The narrative is generally competent, faithful to the spare language usually associated with Aesop. Occasionally Lynch incorporates contemporary vernacular that seems a bit out of sync with other more formal and reserved passages. "`Hold on there,' said the Tortoise. `I'll bet if we had a race I would win!' `You've got to be kidding!' laughed the Hare. `Okay slowpoke, let's go!'" Occasionally the required morals are a bit ponderous: "So remember! Regrets and precautions are useless after misfortune has come." The prose waivers, but the homely creatures stitched in deep-hued fabrics are consistently humorous and appealing. The crude shapes and simple stitches are a nice blend of childlike and more sophisticated artistry. Readers already familiar with the fables and those meeting them for the first time will enjoy this striking presentation.-Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Rosemary Wells - New York Times Book Review

The most original of this season's Aesops is a first book from a talented newcomer, Tom Lynch, who offers a baker's dozen of traditional Aesop tales. They are hilariously written, the best of the batch for reading aloud. But what is so interesting about his Fables From Aesop is the art. It is stitchery collage, every character done in brightly colored cloth, with sun, moon and decorations all sewn on in wonderfully textured stitches...this artist is a kind of genius in his chosen medium, and his book a real winner. The fabrics have been carefully chosen for texture and contrast, and they manage to express all the drama in the stories without distracting from the words themselves. You can almost touch Tom Lynch's foxes, his goats and even his ticks. I think a child will want to listen to these cheerfully written stories over and over. Many youngsters will want to pull those nubbly ticks right out of the fox's coat. Best of all, children will want to get into the sewing box and try to make a book like this all by themselves. Read all 6 "From The Critics" >