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Aisopose valmide varakamber
Maailmakuulus kunstnik Val Biro toob lugeja ette Aisopose valmide tähendusrikka maailma nii sõnas kui pildis.
198 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1973
1 person is currently reading
134 people want to read
About the author
Val Biro
296 books9 followersVal Biro (pronounced Beer-oh) was a children's author, artist and illustrator, was a native of Hungary, but was a resident in Sussex in England. He received his education in Budapest and London. His studio was located in Amersham in Buckinghamshire.
"I write so as to give my alter-ego a good chance for drawing pictures, though I find that the story I invent tends to run away with itself, leaving me, the illustrator, behind! Each story tends to be based on personal experience and, equally, each tends to grow out of that into the imagination. Each book seems to take a few months to gestate, and then I write it in one long day (or night)."
"I write so as to give my alter-ego a good chance for drawing pictures, though I find that the story I invent tends to run away with itself, leaving me, the illustrator, behind! Each story tends to be based on personal experience and, equally, each tends to grow out of that into the imagination. Each book seems to take a few months to gestate, and then I write it in one long day (or night)."
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 25, 2014
This is one of my favorite books to read when i am bored, depressed, or anything like that. In any mood, I love it. The fables and the messages that are given are simply amazing and even though it's not originally mine (it's my sister's) I still love it xD
April 8, 2024
that was cute 🎀 i had forgotten so many of these myths,, i time-travelled back to my primary school years 🥺
May 12, 2019
It's fair to assume that everyone is familiar with Aesop's fables: short allegorical stories, involving talking animals or people identified only by their role in society, that convey a moral message. If Aesop really wrote these stories, he did so in Greece in the 6th century BC. If he didn't, well, they are interesting nonetheless, and a part of the Western world's collective cultural history.
As there are many collections of Aesop's fables, online and in books, I'll clarify what this book contains. It starts with a brief and interesting biography of Aesop's life by Oliver Goldsmith. Goldsmith isn't described, so I don't know whether this is the 18th century poet and historian Goldsmith or someone of the same name who wrote it for the 1973 edition of this book.
Each of the fables is accompanied by a wood engraving by Thomas Bewith depicting the tale, which is what initially drew me to this version (being a lover and collector of woodblock prints and engravings). The illustrations are quite small, but worth it.
When you look Aesop's fables up online, you get the fable by itself. Here, you get two extra parts. Most fables are prefaced by a four-line verse, while some are instead followed by a longer poem, both similar to or indicative of the story. Each fable is followed by a summary of the moral of the moral of the story. Again, there's no explanation in the book itself, so I don't know the origin of these additional parts. My guess is that they were added in the 18th century, but by whom?
In many cases the moral and the verse are repetitive, but sometimes they surprised me. For instance, here is the verse preceding "The Fox and the Grapes":
"Old maids who loathe the matrimonial state
Poor rogues who laugh to scorn the rich and great
Patriots who rail at placemen and at pow'r
All, like sly Reynard, say 'The Grapes are sour.'"
I had always thought the moral made fun of people who were only pretending they didn't want what they couldn’t get, that they were being hypocritical and false. But apparently not, because the moral is spelled out thusly: "When a man finds it impossible to attain the things he longs for, it is a mark of sound wisdom and discretion to make a virtue of necessity."
Between the verses, the morals, the engravings, the introduction, and the nicely designed hardcover book, this edition adds much to the content available online and is worth owning for any fan of the fables. The one gripe I have is that there is no table of contents or index, so the only way to find a fable is to flip through all 68 of them.
As there are many collections of Aesop's fables, online and in books, I'll clarify what this book contains. It starts with a brief and interesting biography of Aesop's life by Oliver Goldsmith. Goldsmith isn't described, so I don't know whether this is the 18th century poet and historian Goldsmith or someone of the same name who wrote it for the 1973 edition of this book.
Each of the fables is accompanied by a wood engraving by Thomas Bewith depicting the tale, which is what initially drew me to this version (being a lover and collector of woodblock prints and engravings). The illustrations are quite small, but worth it.
When you look Aesop's fables up online, you get the fable by itself. Here, you get two extra parts. Most fables are prefaced by a four-line verse, while some are instead followed by a longer poem, both similar to or indicative of the story. Each fable is followed by a summary of the moral of the moral of the story. Again, there's no explanation in the book itself, so I don't know the origin of these additional parts. My guess is that they were added in the 18th century, but by whom?
In many cases the moral and the verse are repetitive, but sometimes they surprised me. For instance, here is the verse preceding "The Fox and the Grapes":
"Old maids who loathe the matrimonial state
Poor rogues who laugh to scorn the rich and great
Patriots who rail at placemen and at pow'r
All, like sly Reynard, say 'The Grapes are sour.'"
I had always thought the moral made fun of people who were only pretending they didn't want what they couldn’t get, that they were being hypocritical and false. But apparently not, because the moral is spelled out thusly: "When a man finds it impossible to attain the things he longs for, it is a mark of sound wisdom and discretion to make a virtue of necessity."
Between the verses, the morals, the engravings, the introduction, and the nicely designed hardcover book, this edition adds much to the content available online and is worth owning for any fan of the fables. The one gripe I have is that there is no table of contents or index, so the only way to find a fable is to flip through all 68 of them.
March 9, 2017
Goldsmith, Oliver. Treasury of Aesop’s Fables. New York: Avenel Books, 1973.
Fable
While this collection is over fifty years old, it truly is a “treasury” for fans of fables. Some of Aesop’s most classic works are fill the pages of this book, bursting with strong morals for readers all ages. One tale that resonated strongly with me, and I feel would be great for any elementary level lesson on appearance, was The Ant and the Chrysalis. In this fable, an ant comes across a chrysalis nearing its transformation. The ant looks at the chrysalis with disdain and pities him, for he is held “prisoner in his scaly shell.” The ant carries on as if nothing happened. A few days later when taking the same path, he sees the remains of the shell—the chrysalis is gone. In its place, he sees a gorgeous butterfly- wings spanning across the sky. The butterfly rises above, literally and figuratively, leaving the judgmental ant out of site. Simple and to the point, this traditional fable teaches readers that appearances can be deceptive and we shouldn’t judge others based on their looks. Implementing fables can prove beneficial with all grade levels to reiterate major themes. For example, in a kindergarten or first grade classroom, this would be a great short story to share with students before reading "The Ugly Duckling" to reaffirm the major motif. Moreover, it lends itself to a variety of creative opportunities for students to then generate their own creative tales that validate why we shouldn’t judge books by their covers. A truly classic tale, this fable reminds us to have maintain an open mind regardless of what we see on the outside- spread your wings and soar, butterfly!
Target Audience: Ages 5-7
Fable
While this collection is over fifty years old, it truly is a “treasury” for fans of fables. Some of Aesop’s most classic works are fill the pages of this book, bursting with strong morals for readers all ages. One tale that resonated strongly with me, and I feel would be great for any elementary level lesson on appearance, was The Ant and the Chrysalis. In this fable, an ant comes across a chrysalis nearing its transformation. The ant looks at the chrysalis with disdain and pities him, for he is held “prisoner in his scaly shell.” The ant carries on as if nothing happened. A few days later when taking the same path, he sees the remains of the shell—the chrysalis is gone. In its place, he sees a gorgeous butterfly- wings spanning across the sky. The butterfly rises above, literally and figuratively, leaving the judgmental ant out of site. Simple and to the point, this traditional fable teaches readers that appearances can be deceptive and we shouldn’t judge others based on their looks. Implementing fables can prove beneficial with all grade levels to reiterate major themes. For example, in a kindergarten or first grade classroom, this would be a great short story to share with students before reading "The Ugly Duckling" to reaffirm the major motif. Moreover, it lends itself to a variety of creative opportunities for students to then generate their own creative tales that validate why we shouldn’t judge books by their covers. A truly classic tale, this fable reminds us to have maintain an open mind regardless of what we see on the outside- spread your wings and soar, butterfly!
Target Audience: Ages 5-7
August 19, 2016
δεν ξετρελάθηκα με την εικονογράφηση, κατά τα άλλα οι κλασσικοί μύθοι του Αισώπου
August 4, 2010
The first book that was ever read to me.
December 31, 2020
While I've heard most of these Fables over the years, I found it enlightening to read them as they were written rather than in nursery fashion and primary drawings to illustrate them. This version (1973) gives a biography depicting him as a slave who gained his emancipation with wit and intelligence, yet had a simplistic way about him that fooled many. There are pen and ink drawings for each fable, making it a nice old (at what age does a book become "antique?") volume to gift.
May 27, 2024
A delightful collection of fables, perfect for reading at the start of a class when you need your 10th graders to stop acting like 3rd graders. The morals are just obvious enough to guilt someone, but the tales are just amusing enough that they may listen anyways. I'm being a little facetious, but they did provide a lovely way of starting out class. Additionally, this copy of the book smells amazing.
September 17, 2018
I picked this up for a song, and couldn’t be happier. I read most of these fables as a pre-teen, and this superb tome is the perfect collection of the fables that I endeavor to read time and time again.
June 12, 2018
Fables a good book the author writes it nicely but I gave it 1 star because I am not a fable fan but the author did a great job
October 22, 2024
Some good moral lessons and other humorous lessons. I enjoyed it for what it was. Super glad I didn’t have to analyze and tear apart every word like I did in school 😂
January 26, 2025
You must consider, that the time that is past is no more; that To-morrow is not OURS; and the present NOW is all we have to boast off.
September 4, 2025
The great thing about creating a college level folklore class is rereading some of your childhood favorites.
April 13, 2015
I like Aesop's fables and this was interesting to read. It was a bit odd but it is and old copy.
March 1, 2023
Tokios įdomios ir pamokančios pasakos. Verta paskaityti savo vaikams :-)
April 28, 2017
Fables are fun to read. In this book It has many good story and morals. The animals play the leading characters they tell you the story too. This what make it more exciting .
December 16, 2017
I really like the stories in these books, they all teach important moral life lessons we can all learn from.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews