When Hazel was young, she loved having me read folktales from different countries. She also loved fairy tales (and somewhat still does). These tales allowed us to travel with our imaginations and learn about different cultures and countries. May is Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and today's book is perfect for it and coming out just in time! It is Asian Folktales for Children retold by David Conger, Liana Romulo, Joan Suyenaga, and Marian Davies Toth and illustrated by Patrick Yee. It is recommended for ages 5 to 14.
About the Book:
**Winner of Moonbeam Children's Book Award Gold Medal**Every culture has its own unique favorites folktales, and discovering them offers a fun and meaningful way to learn about life in other parts of the world. Asian Folktales for Children brings together 7 delightful folktales from across Asia—including Korea, Japan, India, the Philippines, Indonesia, China and Thailand.
These stories have been passed down for generations from grandmothers and grandfathers to their grandchildren, sitting around the hearth or at bedtime—stories full of wonder, wisdom, and adventure.
These timeless tales introduce young readers to brave animals, clever tricksters, magical brushes, and heartwarming lessons; the stories include:
- Why Cats and Dogs Don't Get Along (Korea)
- Baka the Cow and Kalabaw the Water Buffalo (Philippines)
- The Mousedeer Becomes a Judge (Indonesia)
- Liang and His Magic Brush (China)
- The Lucky Farmer Becomes King (Thailand)
- The Clever Rabbit and Numskull (India)
- The Crane's Gratitude (Japan)
From Me:
In this book there are some famous tales from various Asian countries. Over the years we have shared many folktale books and folktales from all over the world. It was one of Hazel's favorite genres. This collection of folktales offers seven stories from seven different Asian countries. Some I have read previously and some are new, but each shares a bit of the history and culture from that country. The tales involve animals and villagers. Each tale explains something or shares a lesson. Each will also take the reader back in time and share a piece of the world.
The stories are beautifully illustrated which will make reading to younger children fun as well as for the independent readers to enjoy and see a bit of the culture. Some include magic and others do not. It is interesting to see what was important enough to a culture to pass down a story about it. It makes an interesting discussion to decide why some cultures share stories about cats and dogs or cows and water buffalo. There are some animals younger readers may not know of, but they will learn about and also learn that these animals exist in these countries. Each story is a new experience and full of things to learn.
This book is perfect for celebrating Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in a classroom or at home. A tale can be read each day and either discussed or research the country more. It is also just a fun book to read any time since truly our heritage months are to help schools, libraries, groups focus on cultures that are not as prominent. It also makes a wonderful gift for the classroom! For more resources to celebrate Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month check out these posts.
