cover image Tales for Telling: From Around the World

Tales for Telling: From Around the World

. Larousse Kingfisher Chambers, $16.95 (93pp) ISBN 978-1-85697-824-8

This richly illustrated collection of selections from far-flung lands celebrates storytelling, an art that preserves songs and stories from long ago. Each contributor shares a tale originating with a different culture; since they are storytellers rather than authors, they try to capture in print the splendid sounds and vibrancy of oral language. Through some are more successful than others, each brief, lively narrative will absorb tellers, listeners and readers. An Indian tale describes the making of the first pair of shoes; a Chinese fable reveals the reason for stars in the night skies; a Native American legend explains the existence of rattlesnakes; an English storyteller introduces the creature known as the Hedley Kow: ``it's not a cow, that's for sure--well, only sometimes.'' Williams's endearing, expressive vignettes--some as spot illustrations, some as ribbons of color framing the text--brighten the pages while reflecting the mood and setting of each tale. The oral tradition is alive and well in this evocative, diverse anthology. Ages 5-9. (Oct.)