Tales of Wise and Foolish Animals: Retellings of Traditional Fables

“The younger children like all of Valery Carrick’s stories. They are clearly and simply told and the vigorous black-and-white drawings by the author make the tale dramatic even to children who cannot read it for themselves.” — Mary Gould Davis, Director of Story Telling, New York Public Library. Russian storyteller Valery Carrick (1869-1942) recounts fourteen familiar and lesser-known fables, accompanying them with drawings that are as striking and straightforward as the stories themselves. Some of the tales — “The Fox as a Shepherd,” “The Hare, the Hippopotamus and the Elephant,” “The Hare and His Shadow” — are particularly well known. The simplicity and directness of Carrick’s narratives, along with his distinctive illustrations, place these versions among the most delightful retellings of traditional fables. Other less-familiar tales of crafty foxes, mighty lions, greedy wolves, and other creatures will please parents as well as children.