Fables of Aesop

by Joseph Jacobs, Richard Heighway (Illustrator)

Overview

Eighty-two of Aesop's classic fables are gathered here, "Selected, Told Anew, and their History Traced" by Joseph Jacobs. Profusely and beautifully illustrated by Richard Heighway, this edition was originally published in 1894. The book includes a set of notes at the back, summing up the provenance of each fable.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781429098076
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	03/19/2013
Series:	Applewood Books
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	252
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x (d)
Lexile:	1090L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Though many modern scholars dispute his existence, Aesop's life was chronicled by first century Greek historians who wrote that Aesop, or Aethiop, was born into Greek slavery in 620 B.C. Freed because of his wit and wisdom, Aesop supposedly traveled throughout Greece and was employed at various times by the governments of Athens and Corinth. Some of Aesop's most recognized fables are The Tortoise and the Hare, The Fox and the Grapes, and The Ant and the Grasshopper. His simple but effective morals are widely used and illustrated for children.

Editorial Reviews

This British husband-and-wife team has gleaned more than a hundred of the ancient storyteller's fables for this beguiling compendium. Well-known entries (e.g., "The Tortoise and the Hare"; "The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs") are presented cheek-by-jowl with lesser-known offerings ("The Bald Knight"; "The Crab and Her Baby"). As explained in a detailed foreword, the retellings are served up much as Aesop might have told them, unadorned by the cliched moral epigrams that have come to be attached to his tales over the centuries. The abundant illustrations invite browsing as well as close reading: the pages are peppered with droll black-and-white sketches as well as energetic full-color watercolors. A table of contents and title index are useful additions. All ages. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Gr 1-6-Containing over 100 fables attributed to Aesop, this is one of the most comprehensive collections to be published since the classic V.S. Vernon Jones's edition, which appeared in 1912. It contains obscure but interesting selections such as ``The Oak and the Reed'' and ``The Mice and the Weasels at War'' in addition to well-known favorites. The retellings are brief and do away with the stated morals. They are loosely arranged according to main characters, e.g., fables about mice are grouped together. A collector's note and information about Aesop are also included. Like Arthur Rackham, whose illustrations accompany the Vernon Jones compilation, Rowan Barnes-Murphy has chosen to alternate pen-and-ink line drawings with larger, full-color paintings. His numerous pictures are accomplished and capture the essence of each animal and human in the manner of a caricature. While the ink-and-watercolor artwork is effective, Barnes-Murphy seems to be most at home with the black-and-white line drawings. Overall, this oversized volume makes a worthwhile addition to folklore collections.-Denise Anton Wright, Illinois State University, Normal

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