First published in England, this collection of short tales and fables focuses on both people and animals acting morally and wisely. Representing different cultures and religions, the tales include a West African Anansi story that came to the Caribbean, Hindu and Buddhist stories from Asia, European stories from Italy, Germany, Greece and Russia (“Axe Porridge,” a version of “Stone Soup”) and several Middle Eastern stories. Although the country or region of origin is noted in the table of contents, it is not included on the title page of each story, and often the stories don’t provide this context either. While this may abet concentration on the universal lessons about generosity and sharing, it still represents a regrettable omission. Balit’s paintings are very attractive, but the stylized rendering of people with large eyes, long noses and sad looks make most of the men and women look similar from country to country. No sources are given for the stories, also limiting the book’s usefulness. There are enough other, better-sourced and -contextualized picture books and anthologies that this can be given a pass. (Folklore. 7-10)
