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Theme 8: Fables, Folklore, and Fairytales
Overarching Question: In what ways do messages shared through fables, folklore, and fairytales influence and reflect culture?
Book
Aesops Fables by C. Santore
Aesop's wise and witty fables are among the most popular stories ever written--and Charles Santore's richly illustrated version is one of the most gorgeous editions ever published. Unavailable for a number of years, this dazzling interpretation features lavish art that provides a fresh perspective on Aesop's beloved characters. Santore has arranged these timeless tales by animal, making it easy to follow each creature from one situation to the next and gain a better understanding of how its actions parody human behavior.
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The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm
The original vision of Grimms' tales in English for the first time When Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published their Children's and Household Tales in 1812, followed by a second volume in 1815, they had no idea that such stories as "Rapunzel," "Hansel and Gretel," and "Cinderella" would become the most celebrated in the world. Yet few people today are familiar with the majority of tales from the two early volumes, since in the next four decades the Grimms would publish six other editions, each extensively revised in content and style. For the very first time, The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm makes available in English all 156 stories from the 1812 and 1815 editions. These narrative gems, newly translated and brought together in one beautiful book, are accompanied by sumptuous new illustrations from award-winning artist Andrea Dezsö. From "The Frog King" to "The Golden Key," wondrous worlds unfold--heroes and heroines are rewarded, weaker animals triumph over the strong, and simple bumpkins prove themselves not so simple after all. Esteemed fairy tale scholar Jack Zipes offers accessible translations that retain the spare description and engaging storytelling style of the originals. Indeed, this is what makes the tales from the 1812 and 1815 editions unique--they reflect diverse voices, rooted in oral traditions, that are absent from the Grimms' later, more embellished collections of tales. Zipes's introduction gives important historical context, and the book includes the Grimms' prefaces and notes. A delight to read, The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm presents these peerless stories to a whole new generation of readers.
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Theory and History of Folklore by Vladimir J. Propp- This link opens in a new window