A World Full of Animal Stories: 50 Folk Tales and Legends (World Full of... #2)

Most of these stories will be entirely new to younger readers. Aitch's folk-style illustrations, primarily spot art but occasionally full spreads, add flavor to the brief one-to-three-page tales. A colorful collection that encourages readers to learn more about other cultures.

In a companion to A Year Full of Stories, McAllister compiles 50 folktales from around the world, retelling them in clear, straightforward prose. Grouped by continent, the stories offer light morals and "just-so" style explanations about animal characteristics and behavior: in "How the Jellyfish Lost His Bones," a rather grim Japanese tale in which the Dragon King who rules the sea removes Jellyfish's shell and leg bones as punishment after the creature fails to retrieve a monkey's liver to heal the queen. Readers will recognize European tales such as "The Three Little Pigs" and "The Ugly Duckling," but most of the international tales will likely be new to many children. Rich with imagery and magical happenings, this treasury offers plenty to captivate readers, and Aitch's pencil and watercolor art neatly bridges the stories' varied settings. Ages 6-9. (Oct.)

Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

K-Gr 3--In this handsome volume, McAllister collects 50 short animal tales. Some stories, such as "The Elephant and the Blind Men" and "The Three Billy Goats Gruff," may be familiar to readers. The majority of entries feature animal characters interacting with humans or mythological beasts. The stories are gentle rather than gory--no pigs are eaten in this version of "The Three Little Pigs"--and even villains tend to be chased away, never to be seen again. The content is organized by continent/country of origin (excluding Antarctica), and there are five to 12 tales from each area; Europe and North America are the largest sections. Some are associated with specific Indigenous nations/tribes; others are merely labeled "A Native American Indian Story" and include references to "the Great Spirit," a troubling simplification. The back matter consists of a list of sources, mostly folk and fairy-tale collections from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, though some stories are simply listed as "traditional." The pencil-and-watercolor illustrations are detailed with bright, eye-catching splashes of color. There are spot illustrations on every page, with the occasional full-page spread. Human characters, when they appear, are portrayed in costume. Overall, the style is folksy, but not cartoonish. VERDICT A lack of consistent sourcing makes this a low-priority addition.--Misti Tidman, Mansfield/Richland County Public Library, OH

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.