Winner of the Caldecott Medal
A pig flying through marshmallow clouds? A camel pirouetting through the desert? Where else could a reader find such marvelous things but in a fable? From the author-illustrator behind beloved Frog and Toad, Arnold Lobel, comes a collection of humorous, silly fables that will delight readers young and old.
“The most remarkable of the author-illustrator’s 60-plus bestselling award winners.” —Publishers Weekly
“There is enough cheerful nonsense in Mr. Lobel’s fables to endear any child listener.” —The New York Times
“Lobel has come up with a magical addition to an ancient genre of storytelling.” —Newsweek
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"A collection of fables with fortune cookie-like words of wisdom at the end of each story. A full color, full page illustration mirrors each page of text. Animals are cast as the main characters in each fable making the stories that much more relatable. All of the fables have good morals and worthy bits of wisodm, but my favorite tale was the last one about the mouse who journeys to see the ocean and arrives bloodied and bruised but witnesses a sunset that verges on sheer perfection. Great read, even a great read aloud in small doses so each message can be savored. Must read/see!"
— Samantha (5 out of 5 stars)
“There is enough cheerful nonsense in Mr. Lobel’s Fables to endear any child listener.
— New York Times“Lobel has come up with a magical addition to an ancient genre of storytelling.”
— Newsweek" A fun collection of original fables with a moral to go with them. They would be great for older children, and each fable is just one page long. It would be great to use to introduce a writing unit. "
— Lisa, 1/26/2014" 1981 Award winner. Colored pencil and watercolor. Great collection of short fables with the moral of the story at the end of each. Rec for P-4. Adults and teens will like these too. Fans of Arnold Lobel will not be disappointed. "
— Erica, 1/24/2014" One of the few kid's books I really loved as a child. The illustrations are hilarious and the stories are cute and age appropriate. "
— Jennie, 1/20/2014" Delightful. Each fable has a "moral" at the end like Aesop's Fables, and each is about a different animal. A fun read aloud. "
— Betsy, 1/19/2014" This is for the slightly more advanced reader (after the Frog and Toad series and Mouse Soup). Lobel makes up some interesting fables with some interesting and quirky lessons to teach. I really loved reading this to my son, and he now loves getting it down when he wants a short read. "
— Laurie, 1/17/2014" Illustrated by the author using gouache and pencil. Winner of the 1981 Caldecott Medal. I loved these. They were just outlandish enough to be hilarious. The writing was right on. And the illustrations were great as well, providing an additional level of humor. A new favorite. "
— Kelly, 1/13/2014" I hope Arnold Lobel is not reading this, but I wish he had illustrated Aesop's Fables rather than his own fables. His are okay, but not memorable like Aesop's. "
— Kirei, 1/13/2014" I really like that the animals tell the stories in this book. I love the moral at the end of each fable. "
— Reba, 1/12/2014" I used to check this book out very often from my school library. It has been a favorite of mine since I was a little girl. The illustrations are great and the fables are perfect for children. Love it! "
— Carrie, 12/31/2013" Used this to teach about moral lessons. Some of my kids that love to read to the class used it as reader's theater. I love the drawings that coincide with the stories and how they all involve animals. "
— Mary, 11/12/2013" Caldecoott Medal Winner 1981 - This a great way to build a common heritage and ensure the young ones have that common knowledge for further literary references. "
— Kirsten, 10/19/2013Arnold Lobel (1933–1987) was the award-winning author and illustrator of many beloved children’s books, including the classic I Can Read books about Frog and Toad, and the Caldecott Medal winning Fables.
Mark Linn-Baker has appeared on Broadway in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, and Doonesbury. His film and television credits include My Favorite Year, Noises Off, and seven seasons of ABC’s Perfect Strangers.