Best-Loved Folktales of the World

This collection of over two hundred folk and fairy tales from all over the world is the only edition that encompasses all cultures. Arranged geographically by region--West and East Europe, British Isles, Scandinavia, and Northern Europe, Middle East, Asia, the Pacific, Africa, North America, the Carribean and West Indies, and Central and South America--and lovingly selected from the personal favorites of folklorists and writers, this book is a major anthology in its field. Gathered together in this wide-ranging collection are familiar classics like "Snow-White" and "Sleeping Beauty," and stories that equal them from all major cultures. Together they offer magic, adventure, laughter, reflection, vivid images, and a throng of colorful characters. More important, they offer insight into the oral traditions of different cultures and deal with universal human dilemmas that span differences of age, culture, and geography. Animal fables, proverbs, ghost stories, funny tales, and tales of enchantment provide a unique reading experience for all ages. A category index groups the tales by plot and character, e.g., humorous, supernatural, and "pourquoi" tales, married couples, enchanted sweethearts, etc. Like all great literature, these tales can be read with fascination on many levels, making Best-Loved Folktales of the World a classic and enduring collection.

Joanna Cole has taught elementary school, worked with a news magazine, and was for several years a senior editor of children's books. Today she is a full-time author writing for children. She is best known as the author of the Magic School Bus series. She has written more than 90 nonfiction and fiction books for children, and she is the winner of the 1991 Washington Post /Children's Book Guild Nonfiction award for the body of her work. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and daughter.

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