Gather 'Round the Fables

by Erika Mathews

The Fox and the Grapes meets the King James Bible. The Tortoise and the Hare meets political correctness in a divided society. The Lion and the Mouse meets narrative poetry. In this whimsical and humorous collection, three of Aesop’s best-loved fables are retold in a variety of styles. A hare who loves football, a tortoise who researches rare roots for a cure for cancer, a hungry but egotistical fox, and a mighty lion with a soft spot—these and other animal friends scamper, dance, and leap across the pages and into the hearts of the reader, leaving both a chuckle and a timeless life moral with a fresh twist.

Genres: Short Stories, Retellings, Poetry, Fantasy, Young Adult, Animals, Fables

32 pages, Paperback

Published March 20, 2018

Reviews

[Erika Mathews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rewriting these three fables in politically correct style, KJV style, and narrative poetic style was both refreshing and enjoyable for me! My hope is that this whimsical little collection provokes a smile, elicits a chuckle, and leaves you with a small nugget of truth for life to take with you.

[Katja Labonté · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars & 3/10 hearts. This was a fun little collection of retellings! My favourite was definitely the Fox & the Grapes retelling. SOOOO well done, and so pretty! War Between the Statuses was a thought-provoking one, and I enjoyed Kindly Love. Well done.

“Oh yes,” the mouse agreed, “and so let’s live in harmony. When life’s too much to handle, I’ll help you, and you help me. Let’s lend a paw to every creature, lofty or debased— For every act of kindly love will never go to waste.”

[R.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

These were such fun fable-retailings!! When the author asked for beta-readers, I grabbed at the chance! Three well-known fables that I know you'd love and recognize! You should go read this!!

[Kelsey Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed these unique twists on some of my favorite Aesop’s fables. They’re clever, fun, and well-written, and each tale is a perfect imitation of the style it’s told in. Since they each had a point to them even beyond Aesop’s moral, they truly are worthwhile stories. I especially liked what the author did with the tortoise and the hare in the politically correct tale . . . I smile every time I think about it.

[Angie Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very, very cute! I loved the rhyming version of The Lion and the Mouse--that takes a lot of talent! The KJV rendering of The Fox and the Grapes was also very interesting and unique. Parts of The Tortoise and the Hare felt more politically-correct than others, but it was still fun and silly. :)

3.5 stars

[Rebekah Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chuckled when reading "The Fox and the Grapes" since writing students had just done this story. I rolled my eyes and grinned while reading "The Hare and the Tortoise" as it was oh, so politically correct. And I smiled with delight when I read "The Lion and the Mouse" since it's a fable I like.

Such a fun collection.

[E.F. Buckles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short little book of fables retold in different styles was so cute! It really made me smile and sometimes even laugh out loud. :D

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a clever little trio of stories! I really enjoyed the variety of these and the stylistic choices of each. My favorite is the last one and the heart behind it. I was only previously familiar with the tortoise and the hare story, but not the others.

A very enjoyable short book and one worth spending an hour or so with.

[Sophia E. Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book caught my interest just reading the summary, and it held it throughout each of the three re-tellings. I especially enjoyed how each story was written in such a different style (one in the style of the KJV, one in politically correct terms, and the other as a lyrical poem). The politically correct re-telling of the hare and the tortoise was definitely my favorite of them all though!

[Elizabeth Dragina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly quite amazing. They were very politically correct and biblically sound. ^.^

It was mostly amusing. The 3rd one was my favorite.

A lot of effort went into the translation, but the moral was the same--the ending not always.

[Andrea Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute collection that was well written. I especially enjoyed the little mouse.

[R.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, I loved this book!! I decided to get it since the last time I read it was when I was beta-reading it! It's very enjoyable!

[Elisabeth Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting, but in a good way. I shared the "politically correct" retelling of the tortoise and the hare with my family; they thought it was as comical as I did.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a clever and cute collection of fable retellings. Each fable was retold in a different style, which was really well-done. Unfortunately, it also reminded me rather a lot of a highschool writing assignment.

I especially liked the fox and the sour grapes, and the lion and the mouse. Each of these were retold in excellent style. The tortoise and the hare was retold in a politically correct style, which did work for the fable, but the additional layer of mockery was rather heavy-handed and also a bit too much for a short fable, such that I was left wondering what moral the author was actually trying to convey with the story.

[Virginia Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

So Unique!

I really enjoyed this creative collection of retellings! All different styles but each of them was very well-written and enjoyable.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely book of 3 short stories.
The Fox and the grapes was probably my favorite. It felt SO much like I was reading the bible it was crazy!!!
The Tortiose and the hare was very amusing!
And the lion and the mouse was as another reviewer said "delightful"!
10/10 a wonderful book!