Children's Books
Steven James, 24 Tandem Bible Storyscripts for Children’s Ministry. Cincinnati: Standard Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0-7847-1320-0. Designed for adults to perform for children, these scripts are of varied types: tandem storytelling, narration with mime, “interviews” with Biblical characters, even mock sports announcing (“Look, David is swinging the stone over his head! . . . We’re clocking it at 107 miles per hour!”). Drawn from both Old and New Testaments, the scripts typically pair a serious storyteller with a goofy one. This collection demands a certain sense of humor (“Bonnie: And one day, Potiphar’s wife saw Joseph, and thought he was cute. George: Can we call her Mrs. Potty?”).
Toni Simmons, The Cheese Chase: Why Dogs Chase Cats. Edina, MN: Beaver’s Pond Press, Inc., 2004. ISBN 1-59298-059-7. A pleasant modern retelling of this traditional African-American folktale, illustrated by Brian Wolf. Cat steals the cheese and loses a friend.
Congdon, Kristin G. Uncle Monday and Other Florida Tales. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2001. ISBN 1-57806-385-x. This collection of 49 folktales from many of the diverse cultures of Florida (including Native American, African American, Afro-Caribbean, Anglo, and Hispanic) aims to serve readers of all ages. In order to reach children, Congdon has edited the tales for accessibility – an understandable decision, but since most of the more unusual older tales come from the Federal Writers Project of the 1930s, a sacrifice of the voices of the original narrators. For children and their teachers, each tale is followed by discussion questions. Adult readers will appreciate not only the variety of tales, but also the detailed introduction, “Telling Traditional Tales in Florida,” which presents thoughtful accounts of Florida’s history, cultures, and environment.
Duvall, Deborah L. The Great Ball Game of the Birds and Animals. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2002. ISBN 0-8263-2913-6. This handsomely illustrated Cherokee version of the great ball game story includes the creation of wings for bat and flying squirrel; these small animals play on the side of the birds, rather than with the mammals as is common in northeastern versions. As in all variants, the virtues of courage and persistence prevail.
Duvall, Deborah L. How Rabbit Lost His Tail: A Traditional Cherokee Legend. Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press, 2003. ISBN 0-8263-3010-X. Newest in their “Grandmother Stories” series, this book by Cherokee illustrator Murv Jacob and storyteller Deborah Duvall presents an appealing story of trickster Rabbit.
Milord, Susan. The Ghost on the Hearth. Illus. by Lydia Dabcovich. Vermont Folklife Center Children’s Book Series, distributed by University Press of New England, 2003. ISBN 0-916718-18-2. Based on a French-Canadian family story passed down through the generations from Quebec to Vermont, this moving, friendly ghost story will appeal to children of elementary school age. A farmer’s family is haunted by the ghost of a poor young girl who had worked in the household; their solution of the mystery is ingenious. The story conveys much information about northeastern rural customs in the 18th century.
Pearl, Sydelle. Elijah’s Tears: Stories for the Jewish Holidays. Gretna, LA: Pelican Publishing Co., 2004. ISBN 1-58980-178-4. Five original and engaging stories about the Jewish prophet Elijah, traditional helper to people in need. The stories are keyed to different holidays – Passover, Succot, Hanukkah, Yom Kippur – and teach the values those days embody.
Powell, Patricia Hruby. Zinnia: How the Corn Was Saved. Flagstaff, AZ: Salina Bookshelf, Inc., 2003. ISBN 10893354-38-5. This moving story of a young boy who must find Spider Woman to save his people from drought is the latest in an important series of books by Salina Bookshelf of Flagstaff, Arizona, a small publisher whose goal is to provide quality literature about the Navajo people, language, and culture. Zinnia is presented in Navajo and English on facing pages, and illustrated vividly by Navajo artist Kendrick Benally.
Simmons, Marc. José’s Buffalo Hunt: A Tale from History. Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press, 2003. ISBN 0-8263-3315-X. This fictionalized narrative of a young New Mexican boy’s first buffalo hunt with the ciboleros is based on family legends among the descendants of José Arrellanes, a traditional ballad about a famous young hunter, and research into cibolero customs. Southwestern storytellers could find good material and ideas here for performances incorporating the history of the region.
Beautifully-illustrated and well-retold books of folktales for children, published by Barefoot Books, Cambridge, MA:
A Forest of Stories: Magical Tree Tales from Around the World. Retold by Rina Singh, Illus. by Helen Cann. (2003) ISBN 1-84148-963-8.Seven international tales portraying trees (each species described) that act as friends to people.
The Barefoot Book of Monsters. Fran Parnell and Sophie Fatus. (2003) ISBN 1-84148-178-5. Superb folktales of courage, generosity, and cleverness, from six different cultures. Sources.
The Lady of Ten Thousand Names: Goddess Stories from Many Cultures. Retold by Burleigh Mutén, Illus. by Helen Cann. (2001) ISBN 1-84148-048-7. Eight stories about goddesses from China to Nigeria, North America to Greece, illustrating issues relevant to women today.
Mutén, Burleigh. Goddesses: A World of Myth and Magic. (2003) ISBN 1-84148-075-4. An alphabetical guide to the world’s powerful goddesses, with brief descriptions and anecdotes.
Pirican Pic and Pirican Mor. Retold by Hugh Lupton. Illus. by Yumi Heo. 2003. ISBN 1-84148-070-3. A Scottish cumulative tale.
Riddle Me This! Riddles and Stories to Challenge Your Mind. Retold by Hugh Lupton, Illus. by Sophie Fatus (2003) ISBN 1-84148-169-6. Riddles, riddle-poems, and riddle-stories from many cultures – an explosion of startling images and ideas!
Shakespeare’s Storybook: Folk Tales that Inspired the Bard. Retold by Patrick Ryan. Illus. by James Mayhew. 2001. ISBN 1-84148-307-9. Seven delightful tales that put us back in Shakespeare’s oral universe, with source notes and listings of the plays derived from the stories.
Tales from Old Ireland. Retold by Malachy Doyle. Illus. by Niamh Sharkey. Repr. 2002. ISBN 1-902283-97-x. Seven medieval and modern tales, with useful pronunciation guide and notes on sources.
Tales of Wisdom and Wonder. Retold by Hugh Lupton. Illus. by Niamh Sharkey. 1998. ISBN 1-901223-09-4. Tales from seven different cultures.