A Year Full of Stories

October 17, 2016
Fifty-two traditional stories from across the globe carry readers through a year’s worth of holidays and other seasonal celebrations—secular and religious, modern and ancient. Familiar offerings—such as “The Frog Prince,” paired with Valentine’s Day, and the biblical tale of Jonah and the whale (whose theme of repentance fits well with Yom Kippur)—join stories from Arabic, Iroquois, Korean, and Norwegian legend that will likely be new to many readers. Corr accompanies the tales with bright gouache illustrations whose folk art aesthetic ably bridges the many cultures on display; a closing section offers capsule descriptions of each of the holidays. Though little detail is provided about the origins of the stories themselves, this is a rich and diverse compendium that lends itself to casual perusing. Ages 6–9.

December 1, 2016

Gr 2-5-McAllister's collection of stories are arranged to represent holidays and seasons throughout the calendar year. This volume is notable for its beautiful illustrations, many of which are a full page in size. Students will enjoy locating the tales on a calendar or arriving at their own treasured holiday. Whether the book is experienced in its entirety or specific selections are shared in isolation, many curriculum standards in geography, social studies, or literature can be met using entries from this compendium. The text can also serve well for read-alouds for younger audiences. A list of each of the celebratory dates is included. VERDICT Consider for libraries where fairy tales and folktales are in high demand.-Elizabeth Swartz, Warrior Run School District, PA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2016
A seasonal collection of world folk stories.Arranged according to the calendar, the selected stories sometimes have tangential connections to the holidays or observances denoted, linked only by culture. With all the stories about Chinese New Year, for instance, why choose an unrelated Chinese folk tale like "King of the Forest," which does not even feature the animals of the Chinese zodiac? However, most stories have a thematic relationship, like the Indian "Rama and Sita" for Diwali and "The Legend of the Poinsettias" from Mexico for Christmas. Some stories are quite unusual (and sophisticated) such as the Inuit "Skeleton Woman" for World Music Day in June. Although the author includes information that Ramadan is the ninth Islamic month, the holiday is listed in June. Many will not understand that the lunar Islamic calendar means that the holiday can occur in any month in a 33-year cycle. This is a problem with other religious lunar calendars as well. The relatively small font and double-column text on some pages may be off-putting to children, but this is probably a book that adults will read aloud from. Corr's stylized gouache illustrations in vibrant colors include full-bleed pages and smaller vignettes. Short descriptions of the holidays from many cultures and religions, as well as international commemorations, can be found at the end of the volume, but unfortunately, no story sources are included. Quibbles aside, this attractive anthology will prove useful. (Folk tales. 7-11)

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November 1, 2016
Grades 2-5 With a clean, accessible layout, this anthology presents a wide array of folktales from around the world. Organized by month, stories are tied to notable days: traditions (April Fool's Day), religious holidays (Purim), internationally recognized days (World Wildlife Day), and general periods (harvest). A few will be familiar (e.g., the Valentine's Day selection of The Frog Prince ), but most are likely to be entirely new, at least to many readers: April's World Health Day is paired with the Iroquois tale How the Bear Clan Learned to Heal, while June's Ramadan offering is the Arabic The Boots of Hunain. Frequent spot art is emblematic of the culture represented (Inuit stories are illustrated in pale wintry purples and whites; India's are in bolder blues and yellows). A final calendar briefly explains each holiday. The truncated formatmost stories only get one to two pagesmeans that this serves primarily as an introduction to these folktales, but it is an introduction that provides valuable insight into a number of cultures and will hopefully spur readers to seek out more.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)