Tag Archives: fairy tale

Birdsong

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In this story, a talented, homeless orphan is taken in (in more ways than one) by a bird catcher who deceives her in order to take advantage of her musical ability and kind heart.

This book reminds me a good bit of The Lorax, despite having a very different story and style. Both books show individuals’ choices making a difference and both focus on interactions between individuals and the natural world. The villains in both books are multidimensional, lonely, and even sympathetic characters who lives are warped by greed. Finally, like The Lorax, Birdsong‘s beautiful pictures and unusual story fully capture the boys’ attention.

Author: Gail E. Haley
Illustrator: Gail E. Haley

 

The Elves and the Shoemaker

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There was once a good shoemaker
who became very poor.

At last he had only one piece of leather
to make one pair of shoes.

“Well,” said the shoemaker to his wife,
“I will cut the leather tonight
and make the shoes in the morning.”

The story that follows is full of craftsmanship, thoughtfulness, generosity, good fortune, and magic. I loved this book as a child (my mom bought it from someone going door-to-door pulling a wagon full of used books, if I remember correctly) and the boys really enjoy it now.

Author: Freya Littledale/The Grimm Brothers
Illustrator: Brinton Turkle

Cinderella

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This is the version of Cinderella I remember from my own childhood; I never forgot the golden dress and was thrilled to find this copy. My youngest loves fairy tales and we enjoy reading them together. This retelling hits all of the notes you would expect (pumpkin, fairy godmother, transformation) while leaving out the gory bits (we’re going to be waiting a number of years before reading the Grimm Brothers’ version). Most importantly, this book is so beautiful he doesn’t miss Disney’s talking mice.

Author: Eveyln Andreas/The Grimm Brothers/Charles Perrault
Illustrator: Ruth Ives