Synopses & Reviews
Engaging characters are brought to life in cheery cut-paper illustrations. This international collection of folk tales bring together six of Barbara Baumgartner's most successful performances on one volume. For the first time ever, this well-loved storyteller has written down her stories for school-age children to enjoy at home. Engaging characters-from the clever monkey who outwits a hungry crocodile, to a magical dragon that brings secret gifts to a kind young boy-are brought to life in Judith Moffatt's cheery cut-paper illustrations. Readers will also enjoy Bringing the Stories to Life with Stick Puppets, a special section at the end of the book. Following simple instructions for making their own puppets, children will learn how to act out the tales in the book. Through her animated stories, Barbara Baumgartner teaches young listeners the simple truths of folk tales and the wisdom that each imparts.
Synopsis
This collection of six traditional folktales are portrayed in cut-paper illustrations, and provide readers with valuable life lessons. A section on making and using puppets to dramatize the stories for younger readers is included for older readers. Illustrations.
About the Author
Barbara Baumgartner works as a Library Coordinator for The Free Library of Philadelphia and teaches courses in Children's Literature and Storytelling in the Graduate Division at Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia. Barbara has collected some of her favorite folktales, from a variety of cultures, and has retold them in two DK collections, Crocodile! Crocodile! And the forthcoming Good as Gold which are suitable for reading aloud to ages 3-6 and for independent reading by ages 7-10. She began telling stories when she was a teenage babysitter, and one of her favorites at that time was "The Gingerbread Man." She is a graduate of Oberlin College (BA), Drexel University (MLS), and Union Institute (PhD). By the time she reached high school, Judith Moffatt knew exactly what she wanted to do with her life professionally: become a children's book illustrator. She often works in pen and ink and watercolor, but cut paper is her favorite medium. Ms. Moffatt is a native of Massachusetts, where she lives and works in an old farmhouse with her husband and their Airedale terrier.
Table of Contents
Crocodile! crocodile! -- Crocodile hunts for the monkey -- The squeaky old bed -- How the chipmunk got his stripes -- The grateful snake -- Sody saleratus.