The stories have been rewritten in a style that lends itself to reading aloud. Each theme contains variations of familiar nursery tales, i.e. �The Gingerbread Man,� �I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly,� �Soddy Sallyraytus,� �The House That Jack Built,� �The Hare and the Tortoise,� and �The Three Little Pigs.� Each re-telling reflects the unique flavor of its culture and country of origin, and includes a variety of ethnicities. The way that Sierra groups the stories, by theme rather than country of origin, lets children see the similarities, and invites them to create their own stories using different characters or settings.
To �capture the oral style of traditional story-telling� (p. 39) some of the stories were recorded and them transcribed (i.e. �Sody Sallyraytus� and �The Ram in the Chile Patch�). Sierra includes pointers along the way, such as warnings not to skip lines in the chain stories, because children love to join in the familiar refrains. She also addresses the fear that some adults have about telling children �tragic� stories, such as the �The Gingerbread Man� and �The Three Pigs.� She assures the reader that children understand make-believe, and they get tremendous satisfaction from good triumphing over evil.
Stefano Vitale�s art beautifully frames each story with lush colors and intricate patterns that are representative of the different cultures. Every page is dramatically framed with richly detailed, inch-thick borders. The folk art, rendered in oil on rough wood panels, is a visual feast that perfectly complements the unique flavors represented in the stories. �Vitale's (Christmas Lullaby) oil paintings on wood panels, with their distinctive folk-art sensibility, echo the cultural cadences of each tale, while the intricately patterned borders he supplies for each page contribute vastly to the luxurious quality of this outstanding offering.� (Publisher�s Weekly, February 19, 1996)
The book�s layout makes it easy to use. It has a table of contents, an introduction that includes �Tips on Story Reading,� and an introductory paragraph for each theme chapter. The back material has notes on each tale, adaptations the author has made, and a bibliography of sources. The book has a generous heft with pages that are thick and sturdy, making it a book that will bring years of reading enjoyment to generations of children. �The striking design, careful documentation, and excellent selections make this a prime choice for classroom, library, and home.� (Horn Book Guide, September 1, 1996)
Awards for Nursery Tales Around the World
Parents� Choice Silver Honor
Publisher�s Weekly Best Books of the Year
Aesop Award
Related Websites
Judy Sierra�s Website: http://www.judysierra.net
Art of Stefano Vitale: http://www.lindgrensmith.com/vitale/
Red Paint Box: http://www.redpaintbox.com
Source
Books in Print [database online]. Available from http://www.booksinprint.com. Accessed 20 September 2004.
School of Library and Information Studies
TEXAS WOMAN'S UNIVERSITY