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Folk Tales, Fairy Tales, Nursery Tales and Variations... A Huge List of Books

At the ECEC Conference in Saskatoon, one of the seminars was on Folk Tales, Fairy Tales, Nursery Tales and Variations. The seminar leader presented us with the following extensive list of books, all at the early childhood level, with these themes. If you end up teaching a unit on these things, here is a list to go hunting with! This is the list we recieved... someday I want to go and try to organize it more. (I'm not done typing this all out! Ahhh this was long! - Ames)

One suggestion with these lists is to bring them into a unit on multiculturalism. How can one story be presented in different ways all around the world?


Cinderella and Variations
  • Ashpet. Retold by Joanne Compton, illustrated by Kenn Compton. (An Appalachian tale.)
  • Bigfoot Cinderrrrrella. By Tony Johnston, illustrated by James Warhola.
  • Chickerella. By Mary Jane and Herm Auch.
  • Cinder Edna. By Ellen Jackson. (Cinderella's neighbour, who has a similar upbringing.)
  • The Cinderella Rebus Book. By Ann Moris.
  • Domitila. Adapted by Jewell Reinhart Coburn, illustrated by Connie McLennan. (A Cinderella tale from the Mexican tradition.)
  • The Glass Slipper. By Eleanor Farjeon. (A novel length telling; this will give you a guess where Disney got its version.)
  • The Irish Cinderlad. By Shirley Climo, illustrated by Loretta Krupinski.
  • Jouanah. Adapted by Jewell Reinharg Coburn, with Tzexa Chera Lee. (A Hmong Cinderella.)
  • The Korean Cinderella. By Shirley Climo, illustrated by Ruth Heller.
  • The Persian Cinderella. By Shirley Climo, illustrated by Robert Florczak.
  • Sootfase: An Ojibwa Cinderella Story. Retold by Robert D. San Souci.
  • Smoky Mountain Rose. By Alan Schroeder. (An Appalachian Cinderella.)
  • Tattercoats. By Margaret Greaves and Margaret Chamberlain.
  • The Way Meat Loves Salt. By Nina Jaffe, illustrated by Louise August. (A Cinderella tale from the Jewish tradition.)

Cumulative Stories
  • Aunt Pitty Patty's Piggy. Retold by Jim Ayleworth, illustrated by Barbara McClintock.
  • I'm Not Feeling Well Today. By Shirley Neitzel, illustrated by Nancy Winslow Parker. (These two do several well put-together and amusing cumulative rebus stories, great for beginning readers.)
  • The House I'll Build For the Wrens. By Shirley Neitzel, illustrated by Nancy Winslow Parker.
  • The House That Jack Built. Illustrated by Paul Galdone.
  • The Lot at the End of My Block. By Kevin Lewis, illustrated by Reg Cartwright.
  • The Pot That Juan Built. By Nancy Andrews-Goebel, illustrated by David Diaz. (The story of Juan Quezada, premier potter of Mexico. A tale in the 'house that Jack built' format, with alternate pages about the potter and building pots.)
  • The World That Jack Built. By Ruth Brown.
  • This is the Bread I Baked For Ned. By Crescent Dragonwagon, illustrated by Isadore Seltzer.
  • This is the Rain. By Lola M. Schaefer, illustrated by Jane Wattenberg.
  • This is the Teacher. By Rhonda Gowler Green, illustrated by Mike Lester.
  • This is the Van That Dad Cleaned. By Lisa Campbell Ernst.
  • We're Going on a Bear Hunt. By Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury.
  • We're Going on a Ghost Hunt. By Maria Vaughan.

Fairy Tales
  • Billy Beg and his Bull. An Irish tale retold by Ellin Greene.
  • The Brave Little Tailor. Told by Olga Dugina and Andrej Dugin.
  • Finn M'Coul: The Giant of Knockmany Hill. Retold by Tomie D. Paolo.
  • The Fisherman and his Wife. By Margot Zemach.
  • The Golden Goose. Retold by Uri Shulevitz.
  • The Golden Goose. By Barbara Reid. (A modern adaptation, with fantastic plasticine illustrations.)
  • Grandma Chickenlegs. By Geraldine McCaughrean.
  • The Little Red Hen. Illustrated by Barry Downard.
  • The Magic Fishbone. By Charles Dickens, illustrated by Robert Florczak.
  • The Old Woman That Lived in a Vinegar Bottle. By Rumer Godden, illustrated by Mairi Hedderwick.
  • The Penguin and the Pea. By Janet Perlman.
  • Puss in Boots. By Paul Galdone.
  • The Wild Swans. Written by Hans Christian Andersen. Translated by Naomi Lewis, illustrated by Anne Yvonne Gilbert. (Fantastic illustrations.)

Folk Tales
  • The Adventures of That Most Entertainng Feline, Puss in Boots. Written by Philip Pullman, illustrated by Ian Beck. (This book comes in a comic book-type format for the illustrations.)
  • Baba Yaga, A Russian Folktale. Retold by Eric Kimmel, illustrated by Megan Lloyd.
  • Bony-Legs. Written by Joanna Cole, illustrated by Dirk Zimmer. (An easy-read variation of "Baba Yaga.")
  • The Bourbon Street Musicans. Written and illustrated by Kathy Price.
  • The Bremen Town Musicans. Retold from teh Brothers Grimm, illustrated by Janet Stevens.
  • Bruh Rabbit and the Tar Baby Girl. Written by Virginia Hamilton, paintings by James E. Ransome. (A very readable version of the story, with enough dialect to get the feel.)
  • The Emperor's New Clothes. Retold by S.T Mendelson.
  • The Emperor's New Clothes: A Tale Set in China. Told by Demi.
  • Epossumondas. Written by Colleen Salley, illustrated by Janet Stevens.
  • The Fine Round Cake. Adapted by Arnica Esterl, illustrated by Andrej Dugan and Olga Dugina. (Wonderful illustrations. Not your usual "gingerbread boy" variation.)
  • The Frog Princess. A Tlingit Legend from Alaska. Retld by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger.
  • The Hungriest Boy in the World. Written adn illustrated by Lensey Namioka.
  • Love and Roast Chicken: A Trickster Tale from the Andes Mountains. By Barbara Knutson.
  • More Tales of Uncle Remus. As told by Julius Lester, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney.
  • Noodlehead Stories. World tales kids can read and tell. By Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss. (Includes suggestions on how to tell teh stories out loud.)
  • The Rooster's Antlers: A Story of the Chinese Zodiac. Retold by Eric A. Kimmel, illustarted by YongSheng Xuan.
  • Stega Nona. An old tale retold and illustrated by Tomie De Paola.
  • The Three Sillies. Written and illustrated by Steven Kellogg. (A fun retelling of an already funny story.)
  • The Three Sillies. Retold and illustarted by Kathryn Hewitt.

Hallowe'en Stories
  • A Dark Dark Tale. By Ruth Brown.
  • The House That Drac Built. By Judy Sierra, illustrated by Will Hillenbrand.
  • The Teeny Tiny Teacher. By Stephanie Calmenson.
  • A Terrifying Taste of Short and Shivery. Retold by Robert D. San Souci. (30 creepy tales.)

Nursery Stories, Songs and Chants
  • Baa Baa Black Sheep. As told and illustrated by Iza Trapani. (The original rhyme, with lots of extra verses, turning it into a story on sharing. Iza does a whole series of nursery rhymes, in a very readable format.)
  • Goldilocks and the Three Bears. A tale Moderne. By Steven Guarnaccia.
  • Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Retold and illustrated by Jan Brett.
  • The Gunniwolf. Retold by Willhelmina Harper.
  • Henny Penny. Told by Paul Galdone.
  • Ladybird, Ladybird. By Ruth Brown.
  • Millions of Cats. By Wanda Ga'g.
  • Nanny Goat and the Seven Little Kids. Retold from the Brothers Grimm by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Janet Stevens.
  • The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Told by Robert Bender.
  • The Three Little Pigs. Retold and illustrated by Barry Moser.

Stone Soup and Variations
    • Bone Button Borscht. Written by Aubrey Davis, illustrated by Dusan Petricic. (A Jewish version.)
    • Burgoo Stew. Written by Susan Patron, illustrated by Mike Shenon.
    • Button Soup. By Doris Orgel. (A modern version, in an easy read format.)
    • The Real Story of Stone Soup. Written by Ying Chang Compestine, illustrated by Stephane Jorisch. (A Chinese version, with a somewhat different but very interesting recipie.)
    • Some Friends to Feed: The Story of Stone Soup. By Pete Seeger and Paul DuBois Jacobs, illustrated by Michael Hays. (Includes the song, and a CD.)
    • Stone Soup. By Ann McGovern.
    • Stone Soup. By John J. Muth. (A Chinese Version)

    Story Collections
    • A Book of Dragons and A Book of Giants. By Ruth Manning-Sanders, illustrated by Robin Jacques. (This author has done a series of books like this.)
    • Can You Guess My Name? Traditional Tales From Around the World. Selected and retold by Judy Sierra.
    • Chinese Children's Favourite Stories. Text and illustrations by Mingmei Yip.
    • The Enchanter's Spell: Five Famous Tales. Retold and illustrated by Gennady Spirin.
    • Martin Pippin in the Daisy-Field. By Eleanor Farjeon.
    • Nursery Tales Around the World. Selecfted and retold by Judy Sierra.
    • Three Tuneful Tales. Retold by Marilyn Helmer.

    Tall Tales
    • The Day Jimmy's Boa ate the Wash. By Trina Hakes Noble.
    • Jack and the Whoopee Wind. Written by Mary Calhoun, illustrated by Dick Gackenbach.
    • Larger Than Life: The American Tall Tale Postcard. By Cynthia Elyce Rubin and Morgan Williams.
    • Mike Fink. Retold and illustrated by Steven Kellogg.
    • Paul Bunyan. By Eric Blair.
    • Steamboat Annie and the Thousand Pound Catfish. Written by Catherine Wright, illustrated by Howard Fine.



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