Fables
This book is a collection of 20 one page fables by Arnold Lobel, who wrote the Toad and Frog stories. It won a Caldecott Medal and we loved Toad and Frog, so we got it from the library without knowing what to expect.
The fables are very entertaining. There is a bunch of great lessons. And my little one thought the pictures were fantastic. Cartoony and dreamy, matching the heart of the fable well.
The only reason we didn’t put this one on the favorites list - it was a close call - is the way a fable teaches.
The fox is sinister, downright scary. The wolf is naughty, and clearly wants to eat the chicken. The snake actually eats three frogs. The crow lies to the bear, but then plays semantics to argue he never lied. The ostrich is a bit of a stalker. The pelican is a pig. The kangaroos, mom, dad and kid, are all just really badly behaved, and the crocodiles are, well, an animal most little ones are not huge fans of.
And it goes on\. The fables are great, but this one might just be written for mom and dad as much as the little one.
Cautions: Just what was mentioned previously. The method a fable uses to teach can be a bit scary for children. (Think the three little pigs - when Nan read that one, even though she was told not to, that one gave my little one my little one’s first nightmare - or something like Hansel and Gretel or Little Red Riding Hood or basically any of the more well-known fables or fairy tales from years ago).
