Fairy Tales from Far and Wide (Barefoot Beginners) - Hardcover

Grade 2-4-The seven fairy tales in this picture-book anthology range from the familiar German "Frog Prince" to the lesser-known Swedish story, "The Sun Egg." The stories are fairly faithful to the originals, but are bland. The language lacks the strong images, the cultural nuances, and the harsher elements that enrich folktales and place them in their particular culture. The illustrations have the same problem. Although the watercolors contain superficial cultural details, the cartoonlike drawings are not distinctive.
Karen K. Radtke, Milwaukee Public Library
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