Aesop's Fables

by Graeme Kent

Illustrated book.

Genres: Childrens, Classics

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

For eight years, Graeme Kent was Head of BBC Schools broadcasting in the Solomon Islands. Prior to that he taught in six primary schools in the UK and was headmaster of one. Currently, he is Educational Broadcasting Consultant for the South Pacific Commission.

Reviews

[Jolene Aho]

“Aesop’s Fables” is a collection of stories that each teach a lesson. It includes familiar stories such as "The Hare and the Tortoise”, “The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing”, “The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse”, and “The Fox and the Grapes”. Each story is only one page long and includes a moral at the end.
Fables are an example of traditional literature because they have been passed down for thousands of years. Fables are short stories, often with animal characters, that teach a moral lesson. Aesop was a slave in Greece thousands of years ago, and he is credited with originally telling many fables.
This collection of fables could be used to teach about main idea of a short passage. Students could also read a particular fable if it is referenced in a text they are reading. For example, I have heard the term “a wolf in sheep’s clothing” numerous times, but I was not familiar with the fable from which it originated until I read this book. These fables could also be used to introduce a topic to students. For example, “The Crow and the Water Jug” would be an appropriate story for prefacing a conversation about trying to problem solve or figure out things on your own. These fables could be used for elementary students of all ages.

[Lupe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book. I really enjoyed all the short stories within the book and reading the morals at the end of each story. It is a great way to open up communication lines with young readers to talk about the moral and the story.

[Chris]

Reading to my kids this copy which my grandmother gave me as a kid

[Bec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stunning illustrations, the pages are beautifully set out, and they included the moral at the end of each tale as an easy teaching tool. Definite keeper!

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most stories in this book are 1 page long, with a detailed illustration on the facing page. A few are 2 pages long, and there's some shorter half-page stories as well (usually with a smaller illustration). The illustrations are definitely what caught my young children's attention, although there were a few they thought looked a bit scary (even if the story itself wasn't). I also thought the illustrations were a bit on the dark and serious side, not bright and cheery at all (not necessarily bad, just wanted to point that out). We finished this book in just over 2 months as one our lunch-time read-alouds, reading 1-2 stories most weekdays. This book is extra special to me, as it was a Christmas gift from my aunt (who is now passed away) when I was 4 1/2 years old. The other Aesop's Fables I have (a chapter book with only the occassional pencil drawings) cannot compare to this one! We will likely be keeping this in our morning basket rotation, perhaps on a yearly or annual basis.

Edited to add: we re-read this book from 2024 to mid-March 2025 (it's been challenging the past few years to find a consistent read-aloud time so it takes us longer to work through books) and it's still a family favorite.

[Jim Sibigtroth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good collection of 63 fables retold in language that is comfortable for modern readers. Nice illustrations by7 Eric Kincaid.