Synopses & Reviews
Humans of all eras and cultures have lived with fear--whether fear of becoming jaguar prey, of being besieged by Vikings, or of nuclear holocaust. For millennia we have created folktales to help us transform this fear into action, into a solution, into hope. Kathleen Ragan, editor of the anthology , scoured the globe and collected these sixty-three tales that respond to fear in its wide variety of incarnations. From the old Japanese woman who tricks the tengu monster to the bluebird who uses the Chinook Wind to teach her mother compassion, is a "satisfyingly pointed and ingenious" () collection of positive, even utopian, folktales arranged thematically around topics such as the nature of fear and courage and the importance of laughter.
Review
"A first-rate thematic anthology, communicates a healing humor, excellent for home reading and classroom study." Ruth B. Bottigheimer, author of Fairy Tales and Society
Review
Outstanding.
Review
"Outstanding." Curled Up with a Good Book
Synopsis
"Kathleen Ragan is a contemporary Scheherazade."--Jack Zipes
About the Author
Kathleen Ragan is the author of Fearless Girls, Wise Women, and Beloved Sisters and Outfoxing Fear. She has lived in or traveled to fifty countries and currently lives in Australia.Jack Zipes (Ph.D. Columbia University) is a Professor of German at the University of Minnesota. In addition to his scholarly work on children's literature, he is an award-winning storyteller in public schools and has worked with various children's theaters. His major publications include Sticks and Stones: The Troublesome Success of Children's Literature from Slovenly Peter to Harry Potter (2000), Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales, Children, and the Culture Industry (1997), Fairy Tale as Myth/Myth as Fairy Tale (1994), The Brothers Grimm: From Enchanted Forests to the Modern World (1988), and Fairy Tales and the Art of Subversion: The Classical Genre for Children and the Process of Civilization (1983).