The Book of Nature Myths

by Florence Holbrook

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Genres: Mythology, Classics, Nature, Fantasy, Fiction, Ebooks, Childrens

128 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 1902

About the author

Florence Holbrook was an American writer, educator, suffragist, and peace activist. She taught in the Chicago schools for over fifty years, and was an American delegate to the International Congress of Women in 1915, at the Hague, and in 1919, in Zürich. She was also aboard the Peace Ship with Rosika Schwimmer, and part of John Dewey's commission to study Soviet education in 1929.

Holbrook wrote books for classroom use, often about mythology and folklore subjects. "Holbrook has a theory that if children hear the best of literature from the beginning of their education they will never wish for any other," explained a 1895 newspaper profile.

Round the Year in Myth and Song (1897)
The Hiawatha Primer (1898)
From Many Lands: A Third Reader (1901, with Mary Frances Hall)
Elementary Geography (1901)
The Book of Nature Myths (1902)
Northland Heroes (1909)
Hiawatha Alphabet (1910, illustrated by H. D. Pohl)
Cave, Mound, and Lake Dwellers (1911)
Dramatic Reader for Lower Grades (1911)
"To the Teachers of All the World" (1915, with Kate Blake and Grace deGraff)
Every-day Speller (1917, with M. V. O'Shea and William Adalbert Cook)
"The Teacher" (1924)

Reviews

[Bria · Rating 2 out of 5]

"... The gentle Spirit was angry. 'I must get a firebrand and beat them with it,' he said, 'for they must learn to be good.'"

[Clivemichael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unreferenced Myths from around the world (I'm Guessing) put together as a primer in Chicago for teaching children in the early part of the 20th century. Some definite Christian reworks of older stories. Many of these stories are Native American. It would have been helpful to have acknowledged her sources. Would be useful as an aid to Teaching English as a Second Language (Vocabulary lists included)

[Bethany B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some are a bit choppy and hard to read and so they were not my favorite. Wish they stated what cultures they were from. I would rate probably a 2 however my kids ages 5, 7, and 11 adored them so had to give higher rating. They keep asking for more. I read aloud at night while camping letting them choose the various topics or stories they wanted to hear. So it was fun. I
My five year old is a bit confused by them and it's hilarious to hear him tell people his versions.

[Snufkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great eclectic mix of stories, from the frankly bizarre (jack an Jill?! Had no idea...) to the tearjerking (hare in the moon- I though it was originally a Buddhist story!)
Nicely surprised at the global scale, loved it.

[Kimi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Membosankan. :D

[Velvetink]

kindle