Spider and the Sky God

Retold by: Deborah K. Newton Chocolate

Genre: Traditional Folk tale: Beast tale. A small spider out smarts animals much larger then himself.

Age Range: K-3rd. It is an easy read and not challenging for older readers. Excellent for story time with younger readers.

Plot: Ananse the Spider goes to the Sky God high above to become a great story teller. The Sky God tells him he must bring him Onini - the Python, Mmboro - the Buzzing Hornets, Osebo - the Leopard, and Mmotia - the Fairy. After outsmarting all four and capturing

Characters: Kwansu Ananse, Sky God, Aso, Onini - the Python, Mmoboro - the Buzzing Hornets, Osebo - the Leopard, and Mmoatia - the Fairy.

Setting: The forests of West Africa

Theme: Little things can accomplish big tasks.

Illustrations: Dave Alders; Lots of geometric shapes and vivid colors which is part of African Culture.

Equity: Derived from traditional African folklore, this tale is good representation of a culture and is excellent for introduction into a culture.

Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella

By: Robert D. San Souci

Genre: Traditional Folktale

Age Range: Independent K-3rd. This is a great storytelling book and also introduces a different language. This may prove challenging for young readers but serves as great introduction to a new language.

Plot: It is your basic Cinderella story with the French-Creole culture instead of English.

Characters: Nannin', Cendrillon, Madame Prosperine, Vitaline, Paul

Setting: An island in the Caribbean.

Theme:

Equity: Appropriate with culture. Names, language, dress, and food represented in a respectful way.

The Girl Who Spun Gold

By: Virginia Hamilton

Genre: Traditional Folktale

Age Range: Independent K-3rd. This is a fantastic storytelling book similar to the popular "Rumpelstiltskin". The language varies challenging third graders while still offering a good variety for Kindergarten through second.

Plot: One day, Quashiba and her mother were spinning thread and laughing while working. Young Big King came through the trees angry at all the noise. Quickly Quashiba's mother ran to the king trying to calm him down. She lies, saying they are rejoicing for her daughter is weaving gold thread. The king soon marries the daughter, giving her anything her heart desires. After a year and one day, the king decides he wants his golden thread. He locks Quashiba in a room as large as a playing field. Lit'mahn, a tiny magical creature shows up. He offers to help but if she cannot guess his name within three days having three tries on each day, then he will change her to creature smaller than her. After the second night passes, the king tells her a story of how he ran into Lit'mahn and told her his name. That night she guessed his name correctly and was allowed to stay with the king.

Characters: Lit'mahn, Quashiba, Quashiba's mother, Big King

Setting: West India

Theme:

Illustrations: Done by Leo and Diane Dillon. There is a large use of gold reflecting the title of the book. The illustrations are strictly paint

Iron John

By: Eric A. Kimmel

Genre: Traditional: Folktale

Age Range: Independent 1st-4th. It is longer than an average children's literature book and is adapted from a larger story from the Brothers Grimm. Because of it's length and challenging words, for first and second graders it would be useful in story time as the illustrations can assist in keeping their attention. In third and fourth grade, the more independent readers will find it challenging enough without discouraging them.

Plot: This adaptation begins with Iron John locked in a cage in a king's collection of wild beasts. One day, the king's son Walter is playing in the collection and his ball bounces into Iron John's cage. Asking for the ball back, Iron John makes a deal that he will give the ball back if Walter releases him. Once releasing him, Walter asks to come with Iron John out of fear of his father. Iron John takes him and has him guard his hidden spring making sure nothing falls in. One day a hair falls in, the next Walter sticks his finger in, and the next, his hair. Iron John and Walter must part ways and Walter finds a king and asks for work. He gets work in the garden with Elsa under the name Walter-in-the-mud. One night the king throws a masquerade ball and Walter attends with the help of Iron John, throwing flowers to Elsa. Next with the help of Iron John, he disguised himself as a knight and won the jousting tournament giving the garland to Elsa. After the tournament, robbers ambush and kill the king and take away the princesses. Iron John helps Walter save them but Walter is badly wounded. Iron John, with his curse lifted, reveals himself a king to the weeping princesses and explains the only way for the golden knight to live is the with the tears of the maiden who loves him. Once the princesses find out it is Walter, they refuse! Elsa rushes to his side and cries relentlessly. Walter takes her as his bride and rides off with Iron John to their lands far away.

Characters: Iron John, Walter, Elsa, the Princesses.

Setting: Woods/countryside

Theme: Looks can be deceiving. Walter turned out to be a strong, brave knight but was disguised as a filthy worker and the princesses wrote him off as such.

Illustrations: Done by Trina Schart Hyman. The illustrations are mixed media using charcoal and water color. Realistic drawings help describe the scenes of the story.

John Henry

By: Julius Lester

Genre: Traditional Folklore

Age Range: 1st-4th grade. Children will be able to tell fantasy from reality and can strengthen their imagination through the use of personification in the book, allows children to become familiar with death, and the vivid illustrations assist in keeping attention.

Plot: John Henry is tall-tale in American history. He was born and immediately began to grow and grow, and in the days that followed proved to be larger than life. He first beat Ferret-faced Freddy in a race around town, then with his two twenty pound sledge-hammers swung his way through a boulder that not even dynamite could blow though. Next, came a difficult challenge for John Henry. While working on the railroad the boss brought in a steam drill to get through the mountain that stood in front of them. John Henry challenged the steam engine to a race and won. Sadly, John Henry worked his big heart too hard and had died. The morning after, John Henry was placed on a flatbed railroad car and taken to Washington D.C. with crowds of people cheering and crying as he passed.

Characters: John Henry, the Sun

Setting: Virginia in the late 1800's

Theme: Near the end of the book there is quote. It reads: "Dying ain't important. Everybody does that. What matters is how well you do your living." This reflects the story well because John Henry helped when he could and worked hard with a positive attitude.

Illustrations: Done by Jerry Pinkney. Vivid enough to keep the attention of younger kids attention and good use of color.

Award: Caldecott Medal 1995

The Littlest Wolf

By: Larry Dane Brimner

Genre: Traditional

Age Range: K-3rd grade. Talking animals, center of own world, striving to accomplish skills, peer-group acceptance, and repetition are all reasons why this book fits for this age group.

Plot: As Big Gray watched over his pups playing in the fields, he found Little One hiding up against a great oak tree. Asking why he wasn't playing, Little Wolf told Big Gray that he wasn't as good as his brothers and sister. Each time Big Gray said "That is as it should be". With each time, Little Wolf became more confident and accepting of himself. At the end of the day, Big Gray tells Little Wolf to remember the acorns on the great oak tree and see what they become.

Characters: Little Wolf, Big Gray, Tyler, Frankie, and Ana

Setting: Bright sunny day in a field.

Theme: Acceptance of self and realizing one's own potential.

Illustrations: Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey. Big, bright illustrations taking up more space on the pages than words keep children's attention while also helping tell the story.

Lon Po Po

By: Ed Young

Genre: Traditional

Age Range: 3rd grade - 5th grade. Reading level is increasing as well as independent reading. Children are able to see problems more clearly and have a sense of right and wrong as well as a sense of justice. This is a folk tale and is intriguing to this age group.

Plot: A Chinese version of the famous story "Little Red Riding Hood", a mother leaves her three children Shang, Tao, and Paotze alone for the night to go visit their grandmother. While gone, a wolf tricks the children and gets into the house. The oldest, Shang, finds out it is the wolf, tricks the wolf using gingko nuts and saves herself and her sisters.

Characters: Shang, Tao, Paotze, and the wolf.

Setting: Deep in the woods of ancient China

Theme: Chinese version of "Little Red Riding Hood"; folk tale

Illustrations: Watercolor illustrations help visualize beautifully what is happening through out the story.

Awards: Caldecott Medal (1990)