Folklore

 Creating stories is an important part of the human experience. The oldest of stories, folklore, or traditional literature includes nursery rhymes, folktales, myths, epics, legends, fables, songs, and ballads that have been passed down over time. Today, when we think of stories, we usually think of books that are created by an author and written down. However, long ago, stories were told aloud and each time a teller told the tale it was revised. Many of these tales have survived over time and have eventually found their way into books. Many of these books are books that are shared with children and these tales have taken on a wide variety of cultural traditions. 

One fable that I recently read is Town Mouse Country Mouse by Jan Brett. This classic tale of a town mouse and a country mouse takes on a new twist by the talented Jan Brett. In this tale, two mice couples are introduced, who are eager to get away from their everyday lives. They agree to swap homes and delve into unexpected adventures. This is an unusual twist to a familiar fable (Aesop's Fables) filled with suspense and humor as well as lush green country scenes that alternate with elegant details of a fine Victorian townhouse; which also make this a wonderful picture book! Fables present a clear moral which is usually explicitly stated. Many common sayings come from fables. For example, "Better beans and bacon in peace than cakes and ale in fear." This is a saying that came from the original Town Mouse, Country Mouse. 

One folklore I read recently is a folktale named Rabbit's Snow Dance by Joseph and James Bruchac. The rhythmic drumming and singing of impatient Rabbit bring on the snow out of season, in this traditional Iroquois story. Rabbit persists with his special song, despite pleas from his forest and pond animal friends. His actions result in a shortened tail and, as we know, rabbits still have a short tail today! This fun, retelling follows Rabbit and his friends as he learns the importance of being patient, the seasons, and friendships. 

Both these books have a sort of lesson that can be learned. They both are retellings of a story that has been passed down and both books have very detailed pictures of the characters and their settings. They also have talking animals. Some differences would be that in the fable, a clear lesson is explicitly stated. However, in the folktale, the themes are not always stated but express the values of the people who created them.