The Spider and the Fly

Author: Mary Howitt

Illustrator: Tony DiTerlizzi

Publisher: Simon and Schuster 

Publication Date: 2002

Genre: Alphabet, Animals, Picture Book, Poetry, Fable

Audience: Pre-K-2

Awards: Caldecott Honor Book, ALA Notable Children’s Books, Beehive Award Master List (UT)

Overview: A haunting tale, based on a 1800’s poem by Mary Howitt, about a devious spider who coerces an innocent little fly into his parlor of no return. The illustrations in black and white provide details about the story that would not otherwise be known.

Activity: This fable could be used around Halloween, as a light horror story.  You could then have students write their own horror story.  Have students share their stories with the rest of the class. 

Reviewer’s Name: Kristen

The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses

Author/Illustrator: Paul Goble

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Publication Date: 1978

Genre: Animals, Fables, Folktale, Picture Book

Audience: 3+

Awards: Caldecott Medal, ALA Notable Children’s Book, CBC/ NCSS Notable Children’s Book in Social Studies

Overview:  One day a young native American girl gets lost in the wilderness with a herd of wild horses and loves living with them.  A few years later hunters find her, and she goes home to her parents, and realizes that she misses being with the wild horses, so she goes back to live with them.  In the end she lives forever among the horses, where she belongs. 

Activity: Incorporate this story with a lesson about Native American culture.  Have students write their own Native American legend. 

Reviewer’s Name: Kristen

The Tortoise and the Hare

Author/Illustrator: Janet Stevens

Publisher: Holiday House

Publication Date: 1984

Genre: Fable

Audience: Gr. K-2

Overview: This is a classic tale of the underdog coming through in the end. The Hare takes on the Tortoise, certain that he could win the race, but things do not turn out the way the Hare had planned.

Activity: The children will have arts and crafts time and they will be making windsock animals out of two liter bottles, streamers and construction paper. They can create whichever character from the story they would like. Make sure you supply coloring utensils, glue, stapler, and tape.

Reviewer’s Name: Traci Daelemans

Henrietta and the Golden Eggs

Author:  Hanna Johansen

Illustrator: Käthi Bhend

Publisher: David R. Godine 

Publication Date: 2002

Genre: Fable

Audience: Gr. 3+

Overview: Henrietta is a poor chicken who lives among three thousand three hundred and thirty-three chickens. She is poor because she is smaller than the others. However, let’s see what destiny has prepared for our poor Henrietta in order to become special.

Activity: Ask the students about why they feel themselves specials and why they think their classmates are special too.

Reviewer’s Name: Jose Morales

Fables

Author/Illustrator: Arnold Lobel
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: 1980
Awards: The Caldecott Medal
Genre: Folklore
Audience: Gr. 2+

Overview: These one-page fables provide a simple moral for children to be able to understand and relate to.

Activity: Have students write their own fables and draw a picture to go along with it, or have students write and/or illustrate about an event that relates to the moral in one of the fables.

Reviewer’s Name: Patricia Carroll