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Frederick's Fables : A Treasury of 16 Favorite Leo Lionni Stories
In honor of the 30th anniversary of the publication of Frederick , Knopf is pleased to issue an expanded collector's edition of Leo Lionni's timeless tales that celebrate the power of imagination and the human spirit. With the addition of three new titles-- Matthew's Dream, An Extraordinary Egg , and Six Crows --this magnificent treasury now contains 16 unabridged stories, including three Caldecott Honor books and Lionni's inimitable full-color artwork gracing every page. Add a striking new cover and a fascinating introduction by the author, and this is a volume no Lionni fan will want to be without.
In a pointer review of the 1985 edition, Kirkus Reviews said, "Lionni's stories are simple and elegant, his pictures are nothing short of stunning. Splashy colors, inventive collages, whimsy, and a sense of wonder are all here in abundance. A splendid collection...not to be missed."
In a pointer review of the 1985 edition, Kirkus Reviews said, "Lionni's stories are simple and elegant, his pictures are nothing short of stunning. Splashy colors, inventive collages, whimsy, and a sense of wonder are all here in abundance. A splendid collection...not to be missed."
176 pages, Hardcover
Published September 23, 1997
10 people are currently reading
322 people want to read
About the author
Leo Lionni
173 books468 followersLeo Lionni wrote and illustrated more than 40 highly acclaimed children's books. He received the 1984 American Institute of Graphic Arts Gold Medal and was a four-time Caldecott Honor Winner--for Inch by Inch, Frederick, Swimmy, and Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse. Leo Lionni died in October of 1999 at his home in Tuscany, Italy, at the age of 89.
Leo Lionni has gained international renown for his paintings, graphic designs, illustrations, and sculpture, as well as for his books for children. He was born in Holland in 1910 of Dutch parents, and although his education did not include formal art courses (in fact, he has a doctorate in economics from the University of Genoa), he spent much of his free time as a child in Amsterdam's museums, teaching himself to draw.
Lionni's business training gradually receded into the background as his interest in art and design grew. Having settled in Milan soon after his marriage in 1931, he started off by writing about European architecture for a local magazine. It was there that he met the contacts who were to give him a start as a professional graphic designer. When he moved to America in 1939, Lionni was hired by a Philadelphia advertising agency as art director. Later he became design director for the Olivetti Corporation of America, and then art director for Fortune magazine. At the same time, his reputation as an artist flourished as he began to exhibit his paintings and drawings in galleries from New York to Japan.
Lionni launched his career as an author/illustrator of books for children in 1959. Originally developed from a story he had improvised for his grandchildren during a dull train ride, Little Blue and Little Yellow was the first of what is now a long list of children's picture books, including four Caldecott Honor Books.
Leo Lionni has gained international renown for his paintings, graphic designs, illustrations, and sculpture, as well as for his books for children. He was born in Holland in 1910 of Dutch parents, and although his education did not include formal art courses (in fact, he has a doctorate in economics from the University of Genoa), he spent much of his free time as a child in Amsterdam's museums, teaching himself to draw.
Lionni's business training gradually receded into the background as his interest in art and design grew. Having settled in Milan soon after his marriage in 1931, he started off by writing about European architecture for a local magazine. It was there that he met the contacts who were to give him a start as a professional graphic designer. When he moved to America in 1939, Lionni was hired by a Philadelphia advertising agency as art director. Later he became design director for the Olivetti Corporation of America, and then art director for Fortune magazine. At the same time, his reputation as an artist flourished as he began to exhibit his paintings and drawings in galleries from New York to Japan.
Lionni launched his career as an author/illustrator of books for children in 1959. Originally developed from a story he had improvised for his grandchildren during a dull train ride, Little Blue and Little Yellow was the first of what is now a long list of children's picture books, including four Caldecott Honor Books.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 27, 2016
In order to produce this compendium, the editors seem to have cut a large percentage of Lionni's illustrations, the presence of which may have made the tales more enjoyable/understandable. (The book's description of itself as unabridged refers only to the text.) As it was, I disliked most of the ones I read, with special antipathy towards Frederick, and neither DS#1 (age 5) or DD (3) requested any more of these after the second day.
This was DS#1's choice from his school library. So far every book he's brought home has been a clunker. Don't know if he needs remedial training in book-picking or if the library itself is poorly stocked.
This was DS#1's choice from his school library. So far every book he's brought home has been a clunker. Don't know if he needs remedial training in book-picking or if the library itself is poorly stocked.
February 13, 2017
Stories are great but this collection doesn't have all of the illustrations of the original stories. Hate to miss out on any of this art!
February 12, 2018
cute collection of many of Leo Lionni's stories. This book has several of his award winners in it. Each story is filled with beautiful pictures and a flexable story line. I enjoyed reading this unique collection.
September 29, 2020
Leo Lionni had a way to convey such love and care in his children's stories. These stories have been with me as an educator, a mother and now as a grandmother. They are repeatedly requested at bedtime and have meant much to an older brother dealing with a two-year-old sister! "It's Mine!"
I used to shy away from these "treasuries" preferring to have the individual books to share in my classroom. Then I saw how powerful it was for lesser abled readers to carry a "chapter book" out of the library that they could truly read.
Read Leo Lionni to your children, grand children, friend's children and grand friends. This is a writer of true children's classic tales and one to remain in the hearts and minds of children forever.
I used to shy away from these "treasuries" preferring to have the individual books to share in my classroom. Then I saw how powerful it was for lesser abled readers to carry a "chapter book" out of the library that they could truly read.
Read Leo Lionni to your children, grand children, friend's children and grand friends. This is a writer of true children's classic tales and one to remain in the hearts and minds of children forever.
October 22, 2020
We read this book because we saw some plays about his fables
July 12, 2023
Frederick gathers sun rays, colors, and words for winter!
Read with my 8yo from the 1001 Children's Books to Read Before You Grow Up' list.
Read with my 8yo from the 1001 Children's Books to Read Before You Grow Up' list.
June 28, 2025
Finished this today was pretty cute
December 28, 2017
Laura loved all the different colors across the pages of Lionni's works.
July 19, 2012
We've been reading through this collection. It's truly great to find all these stories together in one book and it's a great chance to get an overview of Lionni's illustrations and the different techniques he applies to different stories. Caveat: Many illustrations are missing in this compendium, and sometimes the missing illustrations are pretty critical for the story. For instance in Frederick, there is no picture of the big stonewall the mice are living in. Sometimes the text directly refers to something in the missing picture, and I found my son repeatedly wanting to turn the page looking for some item described in the text, only to find the end of the story. So, your favorite stories might be worth seeking out in the original version, with complete illustrations.
Some of the stories are wonderfully philosophical, they really are fables: part fairy tale, part parable, more often than not do they include some lesson to be learned, but you can ponder on them and discuss the meaning, because it's not being shoved down your throat. (Well, The Biggest House in the World might be the exception.) My personal favorites are Frederick, Fish is Fish, Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse and Swimmy.
There exists a more recent version of this collection, that contains a couple more stories (see Frederick's Fables : A Treasury of 16 Favorite Leo Lionni Stories)
Some of the stories are wonderfully philosophical, they really are fables: part fairy tale, part parable, more often than not do they include some lesson to be learned, but you can ponder on them and discuss the meaning, because it's not being shoved down your throat. (Well, The Biggest House in the World might be the exception.) My personal favorites are Frederick, Fish is Fish, Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse and Swimmy.
There exists a more recent version of this collection, that contains a couple more stories (see Frederick's Fables : A Treasury of 16 Favorite Leo Lionni Stories)
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September 20, 2016A favourite of my oldest!
March 27, 2014
"Frederick's Fables: A Treasury of 16 Favorite Leo Lionni Stories," is a magnificent compilation of Leo Lionni fables into one book. It includes an introduction written by Bruno Bettelheim, and 13 of Lionni's timeless fables. Just as important as the words Lionni uses, are the colorful pictures that help stimulate the child's imagination. Even the adult reader will find themselves captivated by the images in the same way that they appeal to a child's imagination. I would describe Lionni's work as a mix between fairytale and parable. Each fable entails some sort of moral lesson that is valuable for the child to come away with.
The last fable in the book, entitled "The Alphabet Tree," would be helpful to use as a lesson in kindergarten classrooms. It talks about an Alphabet Tree whose letters had been scattered into a lower corner of the tree due to a large gust of wind. One day a "word-bug" flew by and taught the tree/letters how to make words for the purpose of becoming too strong for the wind to blow away. The Alphabet Tree then formed three and four letter words and were relieved when the wind had no effect on them. Then one day a caterpillar comes along and convinces the worlds to get together and form sentences so that they will mean something. In my classroom I would use this fable to create a classroom Alphabet Tree. I would have each student write words on pieces of paper, and then they would all stick them on the tree. Once all the words were on the tree we would try to form the words into sentences. Once the class has agreed on the sentences, they will be decorated and taped down to our tree.
The last fable in the book, entitled "The Alphabet Tree," would be helpful to use as a lesson in kindergarten classrooms. It talks about an Alphabet Tree whose letters had been scattered into a lower corner of the tree due to a large gust of wind. One day a "word-bug" flew by and taught the tree/letters how to make words for the purpose of becoming too strong for the wind to blow away. The Alphabet Tree then formed three and four letter words and were relieved when the wind had no effect on them. Then one day a caterpillar comes along and convinces the worlds to get together and form sentences so that they will mean something. In my classroom I would use this fable to create a classroom Alphabet Tree. I would have each student write words on pieces of paper, and then they would all stick them on the tree. Once all the words were on the tree we would try to form the words into sentences. Once the class has agreed on the sentences, they will be decorated and taped down to our tree.
July 21, 2008
I like Lionni, but not enough to buy his entire collection separately! I'm glad for the compilation.
It's true that they took out some images from his stories. However, this is something you see in *all* compilations, otherwise they wouldn't be any cheaper than buying the books separately and they'd be huge, too! So either they take out whole pages, text and all; or they cut the images down so you can hardly see them; or they do as they did here - they keep the text intact and the pictures the right size, but take out some images.
And you know what? I can live with that.
Is it a perfect solution? Nothing is. I suggest any book you're *really* attached to, you buy separately so you have it intact.
It's true that they took out some images from his stories. However, this is something you see in *all* compilations, otherwise they wouldn't be any cheaper than buying the books separately and they'd be huge, too! So either they take out whole pages, text and all; or they cut the images down so you can hardly see them; or they do as they did here - they keep the text intact and the pictures the right size, but take out some images.
And you know what? I can live with that.
Is it a perfect solution? Nothing is. I suggest any book you're *really* attached to, you buy separately so you have it intact.
February 24, 2013
Besides the adorable illustrations of mice and other animal creatures, the stories themselves are light and happy but not in an annoying everything-is-wonderful way...instead, each story has a quiet depth and subtle whimsy. I like that the stories are not predictable with a frightening conflict that is resolved by magic (not all of them anyway). Even though most children's stories have happy endings, the stories themselves are bright and beautiful.
March 21, 2016
Not a bad little collection of stories. I felt as though many of them had a lot of initial development towards the beginning but then ended kind of abruptly, hence the 3 stars. But overall a decent children's book.
Want to read
August 31, 2008I liked it. I like how the person read the story, and I like how the little mouse has lots of ideas.
Read
February 10, 2012This is on the hardcover shelf.
April 3, 2013
Okay maybe Frederick is my favorite...or swimmy..
January 29, 2014
My seven year old son enjoyed these tales.
January 27, 2021
One of my favourite and most-read books as as child. Like Aesop's fables, but weirder...
July 10, 2013
This is a treasure I turn to often with my kids. Fun whimsical art and verse.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews