Traditional Literature: Aesop's Fables by Jerry Pinkney

Aesop., & Pinkney, J. (2000). Aesop's fables. New York: SeaStar.

Scholarly review from Publisher's Weekly:

"Beautifully designed, this lush, oversize volume showcases Pinkney's (The Ugly Duckling) artistry in grand style. There's a king's ransom worth of material here, as Pinkney serves up more than 60 of the ancient Greek slave-philosopher's fables. Aesop's wisdom spills across the pages as freely as Pinkney's glorious watercolors, alight with the many creatures who people the tales, from fiddling grasshoppers and diligent ants to wily foxes, clever crows, brave mice and grateful lions. Each of the vigorous retellings concludes with the kind of succinct moral that centuries of readers have come to expect (e.g., "Don't count your chickens before they're hatched"; "You are judged by the company you keep"). And whether the homilies concern a wolf in sheep's clothing or sour grapes, the timeless virtues resonate as freshly as the day they were minted. Pinkney brings his considerable talent to bear on everything from thumbnail animal portraits to sweeping full-page vistas of hearth and woodlands, and his detail, delicacy of line and subtle palette create an elegant foil for the simple parables. If there's room on the shelf for only one picture book version of Aesop, this could be it. All ages."

Retrieved 10/18/2017 from Barnes & Noble Website.

Excerpt of scholarly review from School Library Journal: 

"K-Gr 4-A visually appealing selection of 61 fables that mixes the well known ("The Fox and the Grapes," "The Tortoise and the Hare") with some that have been nearly forgotten ("The Mermaid and the Woodcutter"). In tone and format, this book is reminiscent of early 20th-century Aesop collections for children. Like Arthur Rackham and Milo Winter before him, Pinkney accompanies the stories with a blend of full-page paintings and smaller illustrations. As in those earlier collections, his text uses elevated language and an extremely formal sentence structure."

Retrieved 10/18/2017 from Barnes & Noble Website.

This book is recommended for all ages by Publishers Weekly and for K-4 by School library Journal. 

I recommend this book for grades 3-5. I believe the formal sentence structure and the inclusion of early 20th century vocabulary make this book a great fit for grades 3-5. Many will already be familiar with the stories which will help build confidence in reading these short tales. The morals for each tale lead easily to discussion and reflection. The beautiful illustrations are enchanting, and will lend interest even to reluctant readers.

Keywords: Morals, Fables, Animals, Folklore

This book fits well with 3rd Grade Kentucky Academic Standards for English Language Arts 

Standard #2:  "Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text."

Standard # 3: "Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events."

and 

Standard # 4: "Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language."

Retrieved from the Kentucky Department of Education Website 10/18/2017.