Kate McAllister has compiled stories from cultures around the world: Ghana, Peru, Norway, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Japan, Tibet, and many more.
Each story is labelled with its country of origin, and is presented with a complementary picture.
The stories are all under three pages in length, some as short as one page, so they can be read quickly and should be suitable for most independent readers.
I found it interesting to discover the cultural origins of the stories, and was surprised by some. The Three Billy Goats Gruff is attributed to Norway, for instance.
Although I was familiar with some of the stories, like The Ugly Duckling, others were new for me. For example, The Owl of Cowlyd Coomb, a story from Wales about a lonely eagle searching for a mate, and the Scottish story, King of the Cats.
I particularly enjoyed Japan's, The White Butterfly, Brazil's How the Beetles Got Their Gorgeous Coats, and the Finnish Mighty Mikko, about a poor woodsman and the fox who helps him find a wife.
The source of each of these stories is listed over two pages at the end of the book, so you can track them and other animal folktales and legends down elsewhere if you like.
A World Full of Animal Stories: 50 Folktales and Legends would make a great gift for children who have a fascination with animals, and probably those who enjoy learning about different countries and cultures, too.
Title: A World Full of Animal Stories: 50 Folktales and Legends
Author: Angela McAllister
Illustrator: Aitch
Publisher: Frances Lincoln , $24.99
Publication Date: October 2017
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781786030450
For ages: 7 - 8 years
Type: Fiction