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Aesop's Fables
The Hare and the Tortoise. The Lion and the Mouse. The Boy Who Cried Wolf. The Jackdaw and the Borrowed Plumage. For generations, these titles and scores of others have been synonymous with the best in the timeless literature of childhood. Although he was probably as mythical as the tales attributed to him, the legendary name of Aesop has been associated for thousands of years with an enduringly popular collection of enchanting fables. In the lavish tradition of Chronicle Books' classic illustrated edition of A Child's Garden of Verses, this delightful selection of Aesop's parables--some of them universally recognizable, others refreshingly unfamiliar--is magnificently complemented by illustrations taken from a variety of antique editions. Among the artists represented in this superbly designed and beautifully reproduced new volume are Arthur Rackham, Thomas Bewick, Walter Crane, Charles Robinson, and Randolph Caldecott. Fully captioned illustrations, a complete bibliography of sources, and a set of biographical notes on the artists make this stunning compendium an ideal gift for any child as well as a valutable companion for collectors of fine illustrated books.
96 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1990
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About the author
Russell Ash
160 books29 followersRussell Ash is best known for his annual 'The Top Ten of Everything' and other popular reference works, but he is also the author of numerous humour titles. His extensive research work encompasses biographical studies and genealogy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
February 2, 2019
This Aesop collection, edited by Russell Ash and Bernard Higton, presents fifty-three of the classic fables, accompanied by illustrations taken from various Aesop editions of the last 150 years. Here the reader will encounter old favorites, liked The Fox and the Grapes and The Lion and the Mouse, as well as many lesser-known selections like The Piping Fisherman and The Fox and the Masks.
The artwork is taken from volumes ranging in date from the 1857 edition illustrated by Charles Henry Bennett to the 1970 volume illustrated by Edward Bawden. Other artists include: Milo Winter, Alexander Calder, Boris Artzybasheff, Walter Crane, Arthur Rackham, and Randolph Caldecott.
This was a fascinating volume, not so much for the fables themselves - all of which I had encountered before - but for the insight it gives into the various ways in which Aesop has been envisioned by illustrators over the course of more than a century. Twenty-nine artists are represented, in all, and their work ranges from the Art Nouveau to a "nursery" style. Some of my personal favorites: Arthur Rackham's Venus and the Cat, Walter Crane's The Peacock's Complaint, and Ernest Henry Griset's The Wolf and the Crane.
The artwork is taken from volumes ranging in date from the 1857 edition illustrated by Charles Henry Bennett to the 1970 volume illustrated by Edward Bawden. Other artists include: Milo Winter, Alexander Calder, Boris Artzybasheff, Walter Crane, Arthur Rackham, and Randolph Caldecott.
This was a fascinating volume, not so much for the fables themselves - all of which I had encountered before - but for the insight it gives into the various ways in which Aesop has been envisioned by illustrators over the course of more than a century. Twenty-nine artists are represented, in all, and their work ranges from the Art Nouveau to a "nursery" style. Some of my personal favorites: Arthur Rackham's Venus and the Cat, Walter Crane's The Peacock's Complaint, and Ernest Henry Griset's The Wolf and the Crane.
June 14, 2020
I didn't realize so many of the fables were so short, each one amounting to about a page or less. The morals are consistent and repetitive, often advising listeners/readers to look out for him or herself first and foremost, but share wealth with the right sorts, and never fail to express warranted gratitude.
March 14, 2025
Aesop’s Fables are a classic and a staple in any culture – you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who isn’t familiar with the story of the boy who cried wolf, or the infamous tortoise and the hare race. The fables are classic because the lessons they teach are timeless, their entertainment factor eternal. Some of the fables are cautionary, some are humorous, some practical, some even downright pessimistic. But at the end of the day, we read Aesop’s Fables because they showcase one of the greatest truths that literature can bring us – that humanity has really changed very little in the last few thousand years.
Naturally, I was already familiar with some of the more famous fables – “The Tortoise and the Hare,” “The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse,” “The Ants and the Grasshopper,” “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” – and even some of the lesser-known ones such as “The Fox and the Crow” or “The Lion and the Mouse.” A few of the fables were ones I had heard but never realized were attributed to Aesop, like “The Wind and the Sun” and “The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs.” Russell Ash and Bernard Higton’s Classic Illustrated Edition includes fifty-three fables from the 6th century BC, each with an illustration and an explanation of the moral behind the fable. One of the major highlights of Ash and Higton’s compilation is their selection of famous illustrations of Aesop’s works. The artwork of famous artists like Arthur Rackham, Randolph Caldecott, and John Tenniel appear alongside lesser-known but equally-talented artists like Ernest Henry Griset, Edwin Noble, Walter Crane, Agnes Miller Parker, Milo Winter, Percy Billinghurst, Charles James Folkard, Edward Julius Detmold, Arnrid Banniza Johnston, and many others.
Ash and Higton provide an excellent foreword recounting the uncertain history of Aesop, acknowledging the significant cultural impact of Aesop’s Fables on popular culture, and highlighting the variety of ways the fables have been presented through the years. Naturally, we don’t know that much about Aesop himself (and the stories about his life are most likely exaggerated and mythical), but we do know that his fables are the precursors to famous parables, idioms, and even cartoons. The fables are so famous that many of them are baked into our speech patterns and modern media, and the morals of each fable are timeless in a way that allows them to stay relevant. Much of this relevance is due to the fact that Aesop used animals as the primary characters in his fables – from the beginning of human history, animals have been integral to storytelling, and Aesop’s contributions to and furtherance of the traits we traditionally associate with certain animals (the crafty fox, the mighty lion, the boisterous bear, etc.) are as influential on modern anthropomorphic animals as anything else.
The fables are not necessarily rooted in their Greek culture in some cases. Fables like “The Peacock’s Complaint,” “The Frogs Desiring a King,” and “Venus and the Cat” draw on Greco-Roman mythology with various gods and goddesses as characters, but mostly the fables are timeless and not rooted to any particular geographical region. One can easily imagine storytellers adapting certain creatures – such as the tiger or the dolphin – to suit their particular time and place (as the illustrations also prove). Some fables (like “The Wind and the Sun,” “The Piping Fisherman,” and “The Astronomer”) do not use anthropomorphic animals at all, but rather human beings or elements of nature, which only adds to their versatility in any culture.
But of course, it’s the virtues taught by Aesop’s Fables that make them so completely timeless. Aesop’s advice generally involves staying in your lane and being true to your nature. The fables are full of lessons in humility, kindness, patience, simplicity, honesty, practicality, cleverness, wisdom, and contentment, as well as cautions against laziness, deceit, vanity, and many more vices that continue to plague humanity thousands of years later. Other writers of the Greco-Roman empire have emphasized similar themes – Martial’s Epigrams come to mind, as do Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations – but none in such a child-friendly, easily applicable nature as these fables. Aesop reiterates the idea that humans and animals cannot change their nature, but they can rise above their own shortcomings, which is as good an idea as any humanity has ever come up with.
It’s fascinating to see how Aesop’s Fables have impacted modern culture and media – the influence of Aesop’s talking animals is evident from C.S. Lewis to Beatrix Potter to Bugs Bunny. You’re likely to laugh out loud at some of the clever idioms and proverbs derived from the animals’ foolishness and wisdom, but you’re even more likely to wince at seeing your own flaws reflected in stories that have outlasted Sophocles’ plays and probably will outlast Pixar movies as well.
Naturally, I was already familiar with some of the more famous fables – “The Tortoise and the Hare,” “The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse,” “The Ants and the Grasshopper,” “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” – and even some of the lesser-known ones such as “The Fox and the Crow” or “The Lion and the Mouse.” A few of the fables were ones I had heard but never realized were attributed to Aesop, like “The Wind and the Sun” and “The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs.” Russell Ash and Bernard Higton’s Classic Illustrated Edition includes fifty-three fables from the 6th century BC, each with an illustration and an explanation of the moral behind the fable. One of the major highlights of Ash and Higton’s compilation is their selection of famous illustrations of Aesop’s works. The artwork of famous artists like Arthur Rackham, Randolph Caldecott, and John Tenniel appear alongside lesser-known but equally-talented artists like Ernest Henry Griset, Edwin Noble, Walter Crane, Agnes Miller Parker, Milo Winter, Percy Billinghurst, Charles James Folkard, Edward Julius Detmold, Arnrid Banniza Johnston, and many others.
Ash and Higton provide an excellent foreword recounting the uncertain history of Aesop, acknowledging the significant cultural impact of Aesop’s Fables on popular culture, and highlighting the variety of ways the fables have been presented through the years. Naturally, we don’t know that much about Aesop himself (and the stories about his life are most likely exaggerated and mythical), but we do know that his fables are the precursors to famous parables, idioms, and even cartoons. The fables are so famous that many of them are baked into our speech patterns and modern media, and the morals of each fable are timeless in a way that allows them to stay relevant. Much of this relevance is due to the fact that Aesop used animals as the primary characters in his fables – from the beginning of human history, animals have been integral to storytelling, and Aesop’s contributions to and furtherance of the traits we traditionally associate with certain animals (the crafty fox, the mighty lion, the boisterous bear, etc.) are as influential on modern anthropomorphic animals as anything else.
The fables are not necessarily rooted in their Greek culture in some cases. Fables like “The Peacock’s Complaint,” “The Frogs Desiring a King,” and “Venus and the Cat” draw on Greco-Roman mythology with various gods and goddesses as characters, but mostly the fables are timeless and not rooted to any particular geographical region. One can easily imagine storytellers adapting certain creatures – such as the tiger or the dolphin – to suit their particular time and place (as the illustrations also prove). Some fables (like “The Wind and the Sun,” “The Piping Fisherman,” and “The Astronomer”) do not use anthropomorphic animals at all, but rather human beings or elements of nature, which only adds to their versatility in any culture.
But of course, it’s the virtues taught by Aesop’s Fables that make them so completely timeless. Aesop’s advice generally involves staying in your lane and being true to your nature. The fables are full of lessons in humility, kindness, patience, simplicity, honesty, practicality, cleverness, wisdom, and contentment, as well as cautions against laziness, deceit, vanity, and many more vices that continue to plague humanity thousands of years later. Other writers of the Greco-Roman empire have emphasized similar themes – Martial’s Epigrams come to mind, as do Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations – but none in such a child-friendly, easily applicable nature as these fables. Aesop reiterates the idea that humans and animals cannot change their nature, but they can rise above their own shortcomings, which is as good an idea as any humanity has ever come up with.
It’s fascinating to see how Aesop’s Fables have impacted modern culture and media – the influence of Aesop’s talking animals is evident from C.S. Lewis to Beatrix Potter to Bugs Bunny. You’re likely to laugh out loud at some of the clever idioms and proverbs derived from the animals’ foolishness and wisdom, but you’re even more likely to wince at seeing your own flaws reflected in stories that have outlasted Sophocles’ plays and probably will outlast Pixar movies as well.
January 8, 2021
I just love this edition of Aesop’s Fables. It’s an illustrated version featuring the work of Randolph Caldecott, Arthur Rackham, Walter Crane, and Alexander Calder. There’s everything from wood cuts and engravings to color woodblock paintings that accompany the immortal tales of Aesop.
Each opening contains a tale with moral with the recto or facing page full of the artist’s work.
You’ll delight in this volume, perfect for all ages, but best for adults who can appreciate both Aesop’s and the illustrators.
Each opening contains a tale with moral with the recto or facing page full of the artist’s work.
You’ll delight in this volume, perfect for all ages, but best for adults who can appreciate both Aesop’s and the illustrators.
June 21, 2018
Having heard and read a few Aesop's Fables, I was interested in a whole collection of them. This is one of those books that I find difficult to rate. It is a case of I wanted to read it, have read it and now time to move on. Enjoyable and interesting - but not one I would read again.
December 7, 2020
São fábulas, são boas por natureza. Não precisam de apresentação e muito menos de minha opinião. O grande diferencial são as imagens que acompanham. Tantos artistas e estilos diferentes, lindo demais.
December 18, 2017
I enjoyed this book but I don't recommend it for children. There are some words that they would not understand the meanings of.
June 10, 2019
Excellent selection of fables paired with excellent selection of vintage illustrations.
February 17, 2022
Tastes like nostalgia
March 14, 2017
Around the Year in 52 Books 2017 Reading Challenge. A book with illustrations.
There have been many editions of Aesop's Fables. This particular one provides a history of the illustrations in many of them. There are 53 fables provided herein, each with a moral, and lots of different illustrators to showcase the variety of styles that have been used over the years.
There have been many editions of Aesop's Fables. This particular one provides a history of the illustrations in many of them. There are 53 fables provided herein, each with a moral, and lots of different illustrators to showcase the variety of styles that have been used over the years.
October 21, 2011
For my folklore review I chose Aesop’s Fables. It has many tales in the book but my favorite is The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse. It is about a town mouse who visits a country mouse. The town mouse thinks the country mouse is eating poorly so he invites him to his house to eat. When they both arrive there is a big dinner for them on a table so they begin to eat. All of a sudden a stranger walks in and the two mice run off. After the stranger leaves the two mice go back to the table when another stranger walks in. The mice run off to hide. This time the country mouse was tired of running away and he decided that he would rather go home to eat his rationed meal. He thought to live in luxury was too much danger and he would rather live in peace and quiet.
I think the age range is intermediate-advanced because while they are simple stories, the wording is a bit difficult for younger viewers. Also a few of the fables contain vulgar language for a young child. I chose The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse because older students can relate to it. They are at that age where they want everything that is cool because they think it will make them cool. At the end of the fable it says “A humble life with peace and quiet is better than a splendid one with danger and risk.” It will make them think that it is o.k. not to live in luxury and to be happy for what you have.
What attracted me to the book was its cover. The background is a soft yellow with a big butterfly and rose in the middle. All the colors are soft which look like it was done in pencil. The lines are thin and very detailed. The picture for The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse is like the front cover except it has more colors like blue and green and brown. The whole picture is in the middle of the page with a light gray border around it. It is also much more detailed than the cover.
I recommend this book because at the end of every fable there is a moral of the story. There are many fables in the book and that means each one can teach a lesson to a child. It is a nice book to have because as a child grows up he/she will face many problems whether he/she wants to and the stories are good as are the morals. The pictures that are included with each fable are all drawn differently with different lines and some are black and white. For example, on the next page the picture has thick lines with a thick border with not much detail. On the next page the picture is black and white with thin lines and much detail. The pictures are brilliantly done and it helps the reader understand the fable and the moral because they show what it is about. I like the fact the pictures are different because it makes it more interesting to read since they are not the same. I also like the fables too although I do have to admit I do not like some of the morals that accompany them. They can still teach readers lessons and that is all that matters. I wish I had this to read as a child it would have helped me out a few times.
I think the age range is intermediate-advanced because while they are simple stories, the wording is a bit difficult for younger viewers. Also a few of the fables contain vulgar language for a young child. I chose The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse because older students can relate to it. They are at that age where they want everything that is cool because they think it will make them cool. At the end of the fable it says “A humble life with peace and quiet is better than a splendid one with danger and risk.” It will make them think that it is o.k. not to live in luxury and to be happy for what you have.
What attracted me to the book was its cover. The background is a soft yellow with a big butterfly and rose in the middle. All the colors are soft which look like it was done in pencil. The lines are thin and very detailed. The picture for The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse is like the front cover except it has more colors like blue and green and brown. The whole picture is in the middle of the page with a light gray border around it. It is also much more detailed than the cover.
I recommend this book because at the end of every fable there is a moral of the story. There are many fables in the book and that means each one can teach a lesson to a child. It is a nice book to have because as a child grows up he/she will face many problems whether he/she wants to and the stories are good as are the morals. The pictures that are included with each fable are all drawn differently with different lines and some are black and white. For example, on the next page the picture has thick lines with a thick border with not much detail. On the next page the picture is black and white with thin lines and much detail. The pictures are brilliantly done and it helps the reader understand the fable and the moral because they show what it is about. I like the fact the pictures are different because it makes it more interesting to read since they are not the same. I also like the fables too although I do have to admit I do not like some of the morals that accompany them. They can still teach readers lessons and that is all that matters. I wish I had this to read as a child it would have helped me out a few times.
April 3, 2015
I chose the book "Aesop's Fables" By Russell Ash. This collection of folklore has many famous and classical folklores for children including, "The Hare and the Tortoise", "The Boy who Cried Wolf", "The Lion and the Mouse" and many more. I gave this book a rating of 4 out of 5 because the language of each story was short and simple, making it very easy for children to understand. I also like the fact that for each folktale it was only a half of page, making it short and to the point, with a picture on the other side of the page. The illustrations and color were very detailed and effective and related to the folktale being told. The characters in each story were the same exact characters that would be used in any other version of the story. Also, the plot of each folklore was the same but obviously told in a different writing method/style. I think this book would be appealing for children because it has some of the classical, favorites in them that children know and like to read. Lastly, I would definitely use this collection book of folklore tales while with children because like I mentioned earlier there are many classical ones in here that they might enjoy and also there are many in this book that they might not know and I could introduce the children to them, making them interested in one they have never heard of.
December 10, 2009
K-4th Read aloud/independent reading
This edition of Aesop's Fables has a selection of fables with 40 color illustrations and 20 black and white. There are introduction pages before the fables, a source page for the illustrations and an acknowledgment page. Most of the fables in this book feature an animal and all contain a moral at the end. Children will appreciate the short length of the fables instead of being drawn out. The sentences vary in length and the typeset would be easy for children to read. I enjoyed these fables when I was younger and still do today.
Social Emotional Learning/Language Arts
Children could choose their favorite fable and write a paper on how the moral reflected the fable.
This edition of Aesop's Fables has a selection of fables with 40 color illustrations and 20 black and white. There are introduction pages before the fables, a source page for the illustrations and an acknowledgment page. Most of the fables in this book feature an animal and all contain a moral at the end. Children will appreciate the short length of the fables instead of being drawn out. The sentences vary in length and the typeset would be easy for children to read. I enjoyed these fables when I was younger and still do today.
Social Emotional Learning/Language Arts
Children could choose their favorite fable and write a paper on how the moral reflected the fable.
October 24, 2011
Aesop's Fables: A Classic Illustrated Edition is a folklore book intended for Primary and Intermediate readers.
The book contains a collection of various fables which can be enjoyed by children of various ages. As is the case with all fables, animals talk and lessons are learned.
This particular collection of fables is nicely done and includes colorful pictures with each fable. The plot and themes are classic and children will not only enjoy the individual stories, but they may learn something too! The length of the individual fables makes them ideal for a quick bedtime read, especially after a rough day when somethng short, sweet and poignant might be needed. Most of the stories were known to me, but the book was still enjoyable and the artwork added to the fables.
The book contains a collection of various fables which can be enjoyed by children of various ages. As is the case with all fables, animals talk and lessons are learned.
This particular collection of fables is nicely done and includes colorful pictures with each fable. The plot and themes are classic and children will not only enjoy the individual stories, but they may learn something too! The length of the individual fables makes them ideal for a quick bedtime read, especially after a rough day when somethng short, sweet and poignant might be needed. Most of the stories were known to me, but the book was still enjoyable and the artwork added to the fables.
March 22, 2016
I read most of these as a child, and I am in the process of reading them to my daughter now, out of the Children's Illustrated Library (I don't have this specific version, but I could not find that one to log.) I think it's important to read them as a matter of cultural literacy (to have the cultural vocabulary--slow and steady wins the race; sour grapes; etc.), but as stories in and of themselves, they aren't precisely mesmerizing. For a child, however, they are short and to the point, and they seem to hold my four year old's interest well enough.
January 11, 2011
It appears that even though many of these fables are accredited to Aesop, many of them may not actually have been written by him. Either way, these fables continue to be developed and adapted to each author's style.
Out of the many fables of this books, I read "The Singing Crow", and "The Fox and the Goat". All of these fables are short and to the point, with these two being no exception. Even though they are short, they all teach a lesson. In "The Singing Crow" the lesson was to beware of those who over compliment. In "The Fox and the Goat", the lesson was to look before you leap.
Out of the many fables of this books, I read "The Singing Crow", and "The Fox and the Goat". All of these fables are short and to the point, with these two being no exception. Even though they are short, they all teach a lesson. In "The Singing Crow" the lesson was to beware of those who over compliment. In "The Fox and the Goat", the lesson was to look before you leap.
October 15, 2018
This is a beautifully illustrated collection of these fables. I had, of course, read many of these at one time or another, but I had never read the entire collection together. My 5 year old daughter and I enjoyed reading one or two at bedtime. Warning that many of these are very dark, and yes, as one reviewer noted, the vocabulary is sophisticated, but I didn’t mind that and viewed it as an opportunity for vocabulary expansion. My daughter also really enjoyed these and looked forward to this “bonus”read after our usual stories.
January 27, 2012
As fábulas que todos conhecemos, numa edição muito bonita com ilustrações de calibre. A montanha que pariu um rato, a lebre e a tartaruga, a cigarra e a formiga e o burro em pele de leão são pequenas histórias com morais deliciosas que nos acompanham no dia-a-dia sem nunca perderem expressão. Vale sempre a pena recordá-las!
June 6, 2012
Exquisite illustrations paired with clear and consistent but sometimes painfully-stilted tellings of these familiar tales. The stories are upright and respectable, and their morals are fine, but neither of my daughters are really that excited about them; this is a book I read them because *I* want to.
April 24, 2014
This was my first introduction to reading Aesop's Fables. I remember hearing some of Aesop's fables when I was growing up, like "The Tortoise and the Hare" but I do not ever remember reading them. I was surprised how short his fables are. This was a cute book, and every fable had a moral at the end of it. This would be good for narrative skill, and print awareness. I'd recommend it for ages 0-6.
February 26, 2009
This book talks about different stories dealing with morals of societies everyday life experiences. It has good illustrations for children to view or gain an idea sense of what/where our morals come from. I really liked how each story matched the moral staying, example would be the "
March 5, 2016
This is my favorite book of fables ever. I love the illustrations of Arthur Rackham, Walter Crane (The Baby's Own Aesop), Randolph Caldecott, and Alexander Calder. This not just any book of fables. It is an art lover's edition. If you like fables and art you want this book.
February 23, 2008
I love his fables. Another thing I read for English in third grade.
September 3, 2009
It was neat to read this for the historical aspect but more than a few of these were kind of hard to follow, or at least find the moral. It was kind of like reading the Dao.
October 22, 2009
Mildly entertaining, but I feel I have a better moral compass having read these tales.
August 25, 2011
Complete book, read to my kids, had a great discussion with them on the meaning of the fable and what the moral means. Great wisdom for life.
June 21, 2013
The Classic Illustrated format works fabulously for this collection. The short, one-paragraph versions of the classic stories lend themselves well to the variety of artistic styles.
September 10, 2016
great story's with stupid and pointless meaning
September 28, 2016
This is a decent edition with large pictures in the original or near original published prose (for adults) so while it is more accurate, there will be plenty of $5 words.
October 23, 2021
Compilação de fábulas com ensinamentos para todas as idades. As ilustrações embelezam a edição com grande requinte. Recomendo a leitura!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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