Excerpt
From the Introduction: "After lullabies and nursery rhymes, a young child's literary education naturally continues with stories. Parents are often in a rush to introduce their children to classics like Winnie-the-Pooh and Charlotte's Web. But not many two-, three-, and four-year-olds are ready for these. The age-old nursery tales from the oral tradition are more closely attuned to the needs of young listeners. Strong in rhythm, rhyme, and repetition, these stories are tailored to their unique ways of viewing the world. Through these tales, children learn the basic story patterns of plot, theme, and character."