AESOP’S FABLES IN ILLUSTRATED COLLECTIONS

The following list accompanies the Aesop fables in the Fables chapter to be found in the Allyn & Bacon Anthology of Traditional Literature edited by Judith V. Lechner, Allyn & Bacon, 2003. There are numerous illustrated collections for children as well as picture book versions of individual tales. Besides those which retell Aesop’s fables there are also many contemporary spoofs and original fables using the classic model. A sampling of the book of fables for children include: • Barnes-Murphy, Frances. The Fables of Aesop. Collected and illustrated by Rowan Barnes-

Murphy. Lothrop, Lee, and Shepard, 1994. Over 100 fables as well as a life of Aesop are

included.

• Bierhorst, John. Dr. Coyote: A Native American Aesop’s Fables. Illustrated by Wendy Watson.

Macmillan, 1987. These are Aztec adaptations of Aesop’s fables.

• Holder, Heidi. Aesop’s Fables. Viking, 1981. These are lavishly illustrated.

• Kherdian, David. Feathers and Tails: Animal Fables From Around the World Illustrated by

Nonny Hogrogian. Philomel, 1992. 95 p.

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• Kraus, Robert. Fables Aesop Never Wrote But Robert Kraus Did. Viking, 1994. These are humorous and

ironic interpretations.

• Orgel, Doris. The Lion and the Mouse and Other Aesop’s Fables. Illustrated by Bert Kitchen. Dorling

Kindersley, 2000. Twelve well known fables are beautifully illustrated.

• Paxton, Tom. Belling the Cat and Other Aesop’s Fables. Illustrated by Robert Rayevsky. Morrow, 1990.

Also Androcles and the Lion, 1991. These are in verse.

• Pinkney, Jerry. Aesop’s Fables. Sea Star Books, 2000. Over 60 fables are included.

• Ross, Tony. Foxy Fables. Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. Dial, 1986. These are humorous interpretations.

• Pinkney, Jerry. Aesop’s Fables. North-South Books, 2000.

• Yolen, Jane. A Sip of Aesop. Illustrated by Karen Barbour. Blue Sky Press, 1995.

• Zwerger, Lisbeth. Aesop’s Fables. Picture Book Studio, 1989. Soft Alpine scenery with

Austrian costumed characters.

Humorous take-offs and original fables include:

• Anno, Mitsumasa. Anno’s Aesop: A Book of Fables by Aesop and Mr. Fox. Orchard,

1989. What makes these delightful is that along with the traditional fables we get non-

literate Mr. Fox’s ‘reading’ based on the illustrations. A good way to notice the

conventions we take for granted when reading pictures.

• Fox, Mem. Feathers and Fools. Illustrated by Nicholas Wilton. Harcourt Brace, 1996.

This original fable points up the foolishness of war.

• Lester, Julius. Ackamarackus: Julius Lester’s Sumptuously Silly Fantastically Funny

Fables. Illustrated by Emilie Chollat. Scholastic, 2001. Six original fables.

• Lobel, Arnold. Fables. Harper, 1980. Using the traditional fable format, Lobel creates

with contemporary situations. Funny.

• Scieszka, Jon. Squids Will Be Squids: Fresh Morals, Beastly Fables. Illustrated by Lane

Smith. Viking, 1998.

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