The Story Tree: Tales to Read Aloud

by Hugh Lupton, Sophie Fatus (Illustrator)

A collection of eight tales from various cultures, including The Little Red Hen; Monkey-See, Monkey-Do; The Three Billy Goats Gruff; and The Magic Porridge Pot.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction

64 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2001

About the author

Hugh Lupton is a prominent figure in the tradition of oral storytelling.

Reviews

[Michelle Nulty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pick a part of the book that you found was particularly poetic?
I really enjoyed the Sweetest Song- "No harm in opening the gate and picking one little flower...No harm in picking a red one to put with the other one...No harm in putting the blues and the reds with the yellow" "Tray bla, Tray- bla, cum qua, kimo... Little daughter sing me that sweetest goodest song again"

I really liked the themes of the story and the poetry because there are so many opportunities for the children to act on them through role-play, thinking as little daughter or the wolf. This poetry was also reoccurring throughout, so it is a particularly important element.

Does the poem remind you of any other story similar?
This is an african-american story based on Little Red Riding Hood and The Wolf. I prefer this story than the other little red riding hood ones because I find the story mysterious through the pattern of words and it makes you feel as if you aren't sure what is going to happen next.

What opportunities can children take from the story?
This was a story that was being taught in my school placement. There were so many opportunities for the children to engage with it such as drama, english, story-telling, hot seating and reflecting on thoughts and feeling of the characters. I also really enjoyed that it gave so many children the chance to act as the wolf and retell the story from his point of through. I feel this would be a book that not just children of all abilities could get to grips with but it can be made cross-curricular and this is why I would enjoy concentrating on this book when I become a primary school teacher.

[Zoe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stories you'll have heard before in some format, the magic porridge pot, little red hen. Perfect for quick bed time story.
Like the repetitive sentence at the start of each story, ties the stories together and fun for child to recite with you.

[Alyssa Haverfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the unique illustration style and the selection of various cultures’ fairy tales. They are old tales, and you can tell, but they are presented and told nicely.

[Hilary · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book to be negative and sad ... Not something I would share with the children in my life.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful collection of stories from different cultures around the world meant to be read aloud. The stories include "The Magic Porridge Pot", "Monkey-see, Monkey-do", "The Sweetest Song", "Little Lord Feather-Frock", "The Three Billy Goats Gruff", "The Little Red Hen", and "The Blue Coat". While the stories are meant to be read aloud, they are accompanied by illustrations. The book also features a "Sources & Acknowledgments" page as all story collections should. The book is published by Barefoot Books, one of my favorites. (Check out their website at www.barefootbooks.com) They have a fabulous mission statement and I always seem to love their books. I enjoy this collection of stories quite a bit. If you are looking for stories to read aloud to your child, this is a great place to start!

[Sam Willis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A compilation of fairy tales from different cultures. It's cool because it tells you what cultures the stories come from and has the actual sources in the back of the book. The story format is extremely repetitive which is great for really young kids and it even has a CD of the author reading each fairy tale. There's a lot going on in the pictures so it should keep the children's attention. Probably best for children under 5 years old.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The boys and I loved reading these stories together! Jackson was requesting this one, over and above his other books - that's a big deal. The tales were all sweet, filled with meaning, and simple enough to be understood by my 2nd grader without a hefty conversation. We will be reading and listening again and again!

[Kirjapallo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tämä Tarinatie oli kyllä aivan erinomainen ääneenlukukirja! Tämän kanssa voisi periaatteessa pitää satutuokion ihan suoraan aika pienillekin lapsille (3+), eli ei tarvitse ryhtyä muokkaamaan tekstiä tarinankerrontaan sopivaksi, vähän vaan rekvisiittaa mukaan. Jokainen tarina oli omalla tavallaan tosi kiva. Tämä oli kyllä sellainen aarre että tilasin tämän heti itselleni omaksi... :D

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my two-year old's new favorite storybook. Tales from other cultures intertwine with a few memorable classics like The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Great art, great story! As always, you can find this and other Barefoot Books on my website.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book with great CD to accompany it. I used the first story, The Empty Porridge Pot, to compare with Strega Nona by Tomie DiPaolo. There are seven versions of traditional tales in the book and each has a great twist from the country it is told from.

[Donna-Lee]

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[Chinasa Izeogu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I focused on The Magi Porridge Pot which reminded me of the Strega Nona story.

[Jeremiah Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book of short stories from different cultures. Most are too repetitive for my enjoyment, but the kids like them. My favorites are The Blue Coat and The Magic Pot.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, short folktales from around the world. I also think the accompanying CD is well done. It may help that the reader has a British accent. :)

[Stacey Mulholland · Rating 4 out of 5]

My four-year old loves listening to the cd in the car.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming children's book with brightly illustrated pictures and classic stories.

[Maritza Mejia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect Read Aloud for April Earth's Day Month: This is a fantastic collection of stories from different cultures around the world with a lot of repetitions and Green Tress.