Traditional Children’s Literature

Characteristics Unknown authorship Conventional introductions and conclusions Vague settings Stereotyped characters Anthropomorphism Cause and effect Happy ending for hero Magic accepted as normal Brief stories with simple and direct plots Repetition of actions and verbal patterns

Subgenres 1.Myths- often include hero or supernatural 2. Fables- simple narrative, often with lesson in behaviour or morals like The Lion and the Mouse 3. Ballads and songs- Stories that were passed down through singing songs like There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a fly. 4. Legends- “unverifiable” tales, told as if they are non-fiction, often featuring human heros with some exaggeration 5. Tall tales- American stories from frontier times (also exaggerated sometimes) like Paul Bunyan or Johnny Appleseed 6. Fairy tales- Largest and most diverse sub genres, including Beast Stories, Trickster Tales, “Simpleton Tales”, Pourquoi Tales(or “why tales”),Cumulative Tales, Realistic Tales, Wonder Stories. 7. “Traditional Rhymes”- Nursery Rhymes like Mother Goose

Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella Robert D San Souci Illus. Brian Pinkney Aladdin 2002 This story is a Caribbean twist on the classic story of Cinderella. The story is told from the POV of the god mother of Cendrillon.

D’Aulaires Book of Greek Myths Delacorte Ingrid and Edgar d’Aulaire 1992 This is a book of classical Greek myths, written and illustrated for children.

Thumbelina Hans Christian Anderson Retold by Amy Ehrlich Illustrated by Susan Jeffers Thumbelinas story begins with a lonely woman who wanted a child. A witch gives the woman a seed, which grows into a flower that tiny Thumbelina blossoms out of. She is soon taken by a toad (while she was sleeping in a walnut shell by the window) She embraces the adventure and makes a variety of friends living out in nature.

The Golden Goose (Grimms Fairy Tales) Retold by Rose Dobbs Illustrated by Gertrude Elliott Espenscheid Published 1955 The youngest and “simplest” of brothers is rewarded for his kindness by a little old man whom he shared his food and drink with. (Much like the textbook said, I would highly suggest a newer edit if you are reading this to children/students)

Briar Rose: The Sleeping Beauty Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm Illustrated by Svend Otto S. Published 1975 Pelham This story is one of the many versions of the fairy tale “Sleeping Beauty.“ It is a story of good prevailing over evil. The prince saves the princess from the curse of the evil fairy thanks to a good fairy. In the end, “they lived contented to the end of their days.”

Rumpelstiltskin Written and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky Published 1996 Puffin This version of “Rumpelstiltskin” is an adaptation of German fairy tale by the Grimm brothers. A miller’s daughter is able to outwit Rumpelstiltskin to save her daughter.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf B. G. Hennessy Illustrated by Boris Kulikov Published 2006 Simon & Schuster This story is the retelling of the original fable in which the main character repeatedly cries out for help. He is sent help every time until he really needs help in which everyone thinks he is not really in danger.

The Lion and The Mouse Jerry Pinkney Published 2009 Little Brown Books This story tells Aesop’s fable in which a lion saves the life of a mouse who in return saves the lion from a hunter’s trap.