Product Description

"The Country Mouse and the City Mouse," "The Fox and the Grapes," "The Hare and the Tortoise"--these and other well-loved fables are ilustrated with intricately detailed paintings that provide a perfect counterpoint. "(A) magnificent volume . . . illustrated with elegant paintings in opulent colors."--Publishers Weekly. Full color.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7099837 in Books
• Published on: 1993-04-01
• Original language: Greek
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Salter refurbishes 58 of Aesop's fables with delicate flame-toned illustrations. Underscoring the timelessness and adaptability of the Greek storyteller's work, the British artist borrows motifs and styles from a number of the so-called cradles of civilization. In her full-page illustrations, slightly flattened perspectives recall antiquity, while the use of serial borders and of floral and geometric patterns seem specifically Middle Eastern. A fox and a stork pose with with a black-figure vase suggestive of pre-classical Athens; other pictures incorporate architectural flourishes (various types of capitals or arches) that evoke the style of an entire period. Small, color images interspersed with the text echo the facing illustrations; for spreads without full-page art, Salter produces stately framed miniatures or, alternately, abstract decorations. While the stories themselves receive perfectly satisfactory treatment, the concluding morals, unnecessarily modified, can take on a fortune-cookie flavor ("you will often be judged by the company you keep"). The moral here: judge this book by its cover full of sumptuous art. Ages 6-up.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 1-5-- Fifty-eight of the fables attributed to Aesop are given a fresh and totally inviting look here. In retelling the tales, Gatti uses spare but evocative language and includes the requisite moral for each. Many of Aesop's best-loved selections are included, but quite a few equally clever, if lesser known, fables find their way into this collection. Great attention has been paid to the arrangement of type, and both text and illustrations are beautifully reproduced on a heavy white paper stock. Employing a style reminiscent of illuminated manuscripts and Persian miniatures, Salter excels in the decorative aspect of her work. Detailed borders surround the stylized animal characters and enrich each story. Executed in gouache, the paintings are most successful when occupying a full page. The smaller paintings are attractive but lack the detail found in the larger ones. The colors are a pleasing mix of earthy brown, red, and green. While many versions exist, this book's artwork sets it apart. --Denise Anton Wright, Illinois State University, Normal
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Greek

Customer Reviews

Beware! Amazon doesn't know what it's doing!
Careful! These reviews do not all refer to the same edition of Aesop's Fables. Read them carefully. You will also discover this set of reviews replicated most (but not all) the time you click on any other edition with the title "Aesop's Fables." The database does not understand that they all aren't the same book. Sigh.

DON'T be confused!
The paperback edition of "Aesop's Fables" should NOT be confused with the Hardcover edition of the same name, that other reviews on this page refer to. While I think the illustrations are quite lovely and the fables familiar, I (probably through no one's fault but my own), did not get what I expected. There are only 13 fables, some of which are little more than a few lines long, and there is no additional commentary or context. The price is reasonable for what it is, but this is not a soft cover edition of the hard cover of the same name!

Aeosps Fables are more than good, theyre grrrrrrrrreat!
On my birthday in second grade, my parents gave me a package containing these stories, written by the ancient Aesop. I read through it, at first not enjoying it much, thinking ,"What fun could it be to read something wrtitten by some old guy?" after reading through one fable, I was changed. My heart lightened, and I finished the book inside my favorite blanket within a day,and my parents were surprised that I had already finished. And even if it was heavy reading for a second grader, I loved it and have read it several times over again. I suggest that everyone should read this book because of the helpful morals that allow you to understand everyday life.