Creighton University

This is a good coloring book for the youngest of colorers.  WSC; BC; and AD.  I am happy to see AD included because it is one of the rare fables about helping others.  WSC is surprising in several regards.  One is that the wolf converses with sheep and they notice no difference.  Another is that he eats one sheep before the shepherd notices him.  The best illustration is the colored one on the front cover.  8" x 10".  31 pages.

The rear cover introduces this dense 396-page volume well: “Did you know that, in France, children memorize and recite fables at least once during their schooling?  Yet, these fables were not even written for children. This book explores this paradox by analysing nearly 260 illustrated editions of Aesopian fables published for young readers between 1500 and 2020. These editions reveal that, far beyond their moral lessons, fables have become a cornerstone of French education. From their institutionalization in republican schools to their constant adaptation through illustrations, this book sheds light on the connection between text, image, and education. As the first in-depth study of this corpus, it questions the historical and social impact of fables in shaping the education of French children over the centuries.”  Elements of the book that I picked up include La Fontaine’s hegemony in the world of French fables, people’s affectionate recollection of learning fables in school, the inter-generational impact of having learned fables in school, and constant reinterpretation of the fables in a crowded publishing market.  Moving through the 114 illustrations, many in color, was like walking through my history of collecting fables.  One appendix was particularly helpful, “Annexe 9” on fable references in “Le Petit Français Illustré.”  It helped me to see how close we are to gathering all seven cover-illustrations of La Fontaine “modernized” by Cristophe.

This is a re-presentation in larger format (10” x 10”) of a 7.25" x 7.25” book Nuinui did in 2022.  This book is not only larger in format; it also adds two fables not containing pop-up pages: “The Sick Lion and the Fox” and UP.  Claims on the two books can be confusing because that edition claimed “9 Pop-Up Magiques,” referring to pop-up pages.  This edition proclaims “Six Fables en Pop-Up!”  They are referring here, I believe, to fables containing pop-ups.  Six fables contain nine pop-up pages.  As I wrote there, my prizes go to the last two fables: to "La Belette entrée dans un grenier" for the hole in the barn allowing us to see inside and to OF for the frog that explodes out as one opens the page.  Other stories include GA; FG; TH; and "Le Loup devenu Berger."  Good imagination and great construction!  There is a curious discrepancy in the bibliographical information.  The earlier book was illustrated by Elisa Bellotti, while this is illustrated by Silvia Brunetti.  The illustrations are the same!