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Tadpoles Tales

2009 The Ant and the Grasshopper. Diane Marwood. Illustrated by Gabriele Antonini. Apparent first printing. Paperbound. London/Sydney: Tadpoles Tales: Franklin Watts. £3.99 from Bookpoint Ltd, Oxford, England, Sept., '11.

This version of GA has several surprising twists. The ant finds the grasshopper out in the cold. When he asks for grain, the ant asks him where his grain is. "I was singing so much that I didn't find any." The ant's answer is "You can have some grain, but next year you must find your own." The story is followed by two simple puzzles. "Tadpoles are structured to provide support for newly independent readers," as the final page puts it. One such support is large print. One weakness in this presentation is that only one page illustrates a single ant, but after the first introduction of "ants," the text uses only the singular. A child might well ask which of the ants is doing the talking.

2009 The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Retold by Elizabeth Adams. Illustrated by Daniel Howarth. Apparent first printing. Paperbound. London/Sydney: Tadpoles Tales: Franklin Watts. £3.99 from Bookpoint Ltd, Oxford, England, Sept., '11.

This version of BW is well told and illustrated. The boy's second trick, weeks after the first, makes the villagers cross. The next day he has to issue his third cry, to which no one responds. "And the boy went home without his sheep." The story is followed by two simple puzzles. "Tadpoles are structured to provide support for newly independent readers," as the final page puts it. One such support is large print.

2009 The Fox and the Crow. Retold by Diane Marwood. Illustrated by Barbara Nascimbeni. Apparent first printing. Paperbound. London/Sydney: Tadpoles Tales: Franklin Watts. £3.99 from Bookpoint Ltd, Oxford, England, Sept., '11.

This version of FC is lively and well illustrated. One great double-page near the center of the book pictures the vain crow (13). Its text is "Crow had always thought she was beautiful." The fox gobbles up the food and says only "Silly Crow!" What the crow had found is pictured as cheese but described only as "food." The story is followed by two simple puzzles. "Tadpoles are structured to provide support for newly independent readers," as the final page puts it. One such support is large print.

2009 The Fox and the Goat. Retold by Elizabeth Adams. Illustrated by Liliane Oser. Apparent first printing. Paperbound. London/Sydney: Tadpoles Tales: Franklin Watts. £3.99 from Bookpoint Ltd, Oxford, England, Sept., '11.

This version of the traditional story has two particular features, I believe. One is the fine illustration of the fox demonstrating to the goat the delightfulness of being in the well (8-9). A similar illustration appears on the cover. The other unusual feature occurs on 12-13: the fox points an apparently insulting finger at the perplexed goat. The fox's only response to the goat's query at the end is "Silly Goat!" The story is followed by two simple puzzles. "Tadpoles are structured to provide support for newly independent readers," as the final page puts it. One such support is large print.

2009 The Hare and the Tortoise. Retold by Elizabeth Adams. Illustrated by Andy Rowland. Hardbound. London/Sydney: Tadpole Tales: Franklin Watts. $14.58 from Blackwell, Oxford, August, '11.

Here is a new series from Blackwell's containing maybe ten titles, about six of which are fables. I just ordered the other four fable editions in paperback from the publisher. The story itself runs from 3 through 21 with vivid full-page illustrations. Hare here is marked by short lines all over his body. Tortoise wears a helmet with goggles perched over the visor. Again, a first single page is followed by illustrations on two-page spreads. Tadpole Tales are meant for the very young: "newly independent readers" according to the last page. Two pages before that page of explanations offer puzzles. Nice work!

2009 The Lion and the Mouse. Retold by Diane Marwood. Illustrated by Anni Axworthy. Hardbound. London/Sydney: Tadpole Tales: Franklin Watts. £8.99 from Blackwell, Oxford, August, '11.

Here is a new series from Blackwell's containing maybe ten titles, about six of which are fables. I just ordered the other four fable editions in paperback from the publisher. The story itself runs from 3 through 21 with vivid full-page illustrations. The first illustration echoes the cover: the mouse is on the lion's nose. Thereafter, all illustrations are two-page spreads. Tadpole Tales are meant for the very young: "newly independent readers" according to the last page. Two pages before that page of explanations offer puzzles. Nice work!

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