Earth Tales from Around the World
The 46 stories in this excellent collection are arranged by themeAearth, sky, animals, and wisdom, to name a few. Some stories are variations on familiar tales. "The Coming of Earth," for instance, is an example of a Native American earth-diver story. Other stories are unusual, such as the charming Vietnamese tale "Befriended by Flowers." Excellent source notes show that Caduto consulted several versions before retelling these stories in his own clear, straightforward tone. Unlike Caduto and Joseph Bruchac's "Keepers" series (Fulcrum), this volume includes stories from many cultures, rather than concentrating on Native American tales. Earth Tales is geared to educators and storytellers, with lessons at the end of each section and a list of suggested activities at the end of the book. The stories themselves are indexed by title, country, and culture, but not by subject, a minor drawback. Illustrated with simple line drawings, this is a collection that will leave children wanting to hear more.ARobin L. Gibson, Muskingum County Library System, Zanesville, OHCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.