A World Full of Animal Stories: 50 Folk Tales and Legends (World Full of... #2)

by Angela McAllister (Author)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

This beautiful book of stories takes readers on a journey around the world with 50 best-loved tales, featuring creatures big and small. Prepare for a story time like no other as you delve into this beautifully-illustrated collection of classic stories featuring tales about your favourite animals from every corner of the globe.

This anthology of animal stories brings together the most loved animal-themed fables, myths and legends including "The Three Little Pigs," "The Ugly Duckling," "Why the Swallow's Tail is Forked" and the story of "Ananse and the Python." Lively retellings from best-selling author Angela McAllister are brought to life with sumptuous illustrations from Romanian-born illustrator, Aitch, in this treasury to treasure for a lifetime. For story lovers young and old this is the perfect anthology for all the family and animal lovers everywhere.

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Most of these stories will be entirely new to younger readers. Aitch's folk-style illustrations, primarily spot art but occasionally full spreads, add flavor to the brief one-to-three-page tales. A colorful collection that encourages readers to learn more about other cultures.

Publishers Weekly

In a companion to A Year Full of Stories, McAllister compiles 50 folktales from around the world, retelling them in clear, straightforward prose. Grouped by continent, the stories offer light morals and "just-so" style explanations about animal characteristics and behavior: in "How the Jellyfish Lost His Bones," a rather grim Japanese tale in which the Dragon King who rules the sea removes Jellyfish's shell and leg bones as punishment after the creature fails to retrieve a monkey's liver to heal the queen. Readers will recognize European tales such as "The Three Little Pigs" and "The Ugly Duckling," but most of the international tales will likely be new to many children. Rich with imagery and magical happenings, this treasury offers plenty to captivate readers, and Aitch's pencil and watercolor art neatly bridges the stories' varied settings. Ages 6-9. (Oct.)

Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3--In this handsome volume, McAllister collects 50 short animal tales. Some stories, such as "The Elephant and the Blind Men" and "The Three Billy Goats Gruff," may be familiar to readers. The majority of entries feature animal characters interacting with humans or mythological beasts. The stories are gentle rather than gory--no pigs are eaten in this version of "The Three Little Pigs"--and even villains tend to be chased away, never to be seen again. The content is organized by continent/country of origin (excluding Antarctica), and there are five to 12 tales from each area; Europe and North America are the largest sections. Some are associated with specific Indigenous nations/tribes; others are merely labeled "A Native American Indian Story" and include references to "the Great Spirit," a troubling simplification. The back matter consists of a list of sources, mostly folk and fairy-tale collections from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, though some stories are simply listed as "traditional." The pencil-and-watercolor illustrations are detailed with bright, eye-catching splashes of color. There are spot illustrations on every page, with the occasional full-page spread. Human characters, when they appear, are portrayed in costume. Overall, the style is folksy, but not cartoonish. VERDICT A lack of consistent sourcing makes this a low-priority addition.--Misti Tidman, Mansfield/Richland County Public Library, OH

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes



Angela McAllister

Angela McAllister took a degree in Humanities at Middlesex College before becoming a children's book author. To date, she has written more than 80 books for children, including Frances Lincoln Children's best-selling titles A Year Full of Stories and A World Full of Animal Stories.

With over 50K followers on instagram, nomadic illustrator AITCH originally hails from Romania but prefers not to put down roots in any one place; new scenery inspires and invigorates her tactile, folky illustrations and a constant string of exhibitions in cities across the continent pushes her technique further. Her dreamy characters hide among William Morris-esque gardens and bring to mind a bright and bold reincarnation of Victorian melancholy while still retaining a strong sense of her Romanian heritage.

Angela McAllister is the author of over 80 books for children and teens. Her books have won several awards, including the Red House Book Award for 'Yuck! That's Not a Monster!' and the Stockport and Portsmouth Awards for 'My Mum has X-Ray Vision'. Her picture book, 'Leon and the Place Between' has been adapted for the stage and was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Award. She has collaborated with many illustrators, including Grahame Baker-Smith, Alex T. Smith, Margaret Chamberlain, Ross Collins and Peter Bailey. She has worked on many titles for Frances Lincoln including bestselling titles A Year Full of Stories and A World Full of Animal Stories.

Nomadic illustrator AITCH originally hails from Romania but prefers not to put down roots in any one place; new scenery inspires and invigorates her tactile, folky illustrations and a constant string of exhibitions in cities across the continent pushes her technique further. Her dreamy characters hide amongst William Morris-esque gardens and bring to mind a bright and bold reincarnation of Victorian melancholy while still retaining a strong sense of her Romanian heritage.

Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781786030450
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Frances Lincoln Ltd
Publication date
October 20, 2017
Series
World Full Of...
BISAC categories
JUV002000 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | General
JUV012000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fairy Tales & Folklore | Anthologies
Library of Congress categories
Animals
Folklore
Tales
Folk literature

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