Aesop’s fables

Pinkney, J. (2000). Aesop’s fables. New York, NY: SeaStar Books.

 

Jerry Pinkney’s Aesop’s Fables tells 61 of the traditional folktales alongside beautiful pencil and watercolor pictures. From Pinkney’s introduction, I learned that Aesop’s stories were handed down orally from 620 BC, from the Greek slave, Aesop, who was freed for his cleverness and witty narratives. Aesop’s Fables are timeless and a wonderful, simple way for children to make sense of the world.

In his brief intro, Pinkney discussed how his own parents used these themes to teach children about human folly and virtue, while children just love the fast paced stories and swift justice—and the pictures. What I love about this book is that although Pinkney added his own perspective via his beautiful, classical paintings, he didn’t alter the stories. The boy really did lose a sheep because he cried wolf. The ants did not share their food with the grasshopper, even though he is such a darling character. With the advent of Disney, as described in our textbook, happy endings have become the norm, and I think children have a deep sense of justice that isn’t appeased by a fable where no one is punished, no one learns a lesson, etc. What is also so important is the cultural impact of stories like these. We refer back to them throughout our lives as part of our collective cultural knowledge, whether we even know Aesop or not. We can say, “crying wolf, “ or “slow and steady wins the race” and most listeners can relate. 

The lush and intensely colorful illustrations are of the quality that will make children remember them years later, every time they hear an aphorism like, “Sour grapes,” or “Gentle persuasion succeeds where force fails.” Pinkney’s watercolor paintings of the many animals in these traditional fables are works of art, no matter how small. And, as a delightful change, Pinkney has drawn a whole multicultural cast of characters. The traveler in “The North Wind and the Sun” is Black; the man in “The Fisherman and his Catch” is Asian. There is a woman of color in “The Milkmaid and her Pail.” No matter the reader, a child will find a host of windows and mirrors in this book.