I loved this book and so did my children! This would make a great Christmas gift for your children and even adults! All of this in one book! Wonderful!

This is a beautiful reprint edition of a 1912 publication. It's a collection of about 150 fables from Aesop on, retold through prose and/or verse. Each fable is accompanied by at least one illustration, almost always wonderfully evocative of a different time and world -- that of talking animals and chatty trees. Although the morals attached to each entry are applicable to anyone at any age, and the illustrations can be enjoyed by everyone, the book as a whole is best suited for an adult reader. Jerrold's language retains much of the style of the Victorian era. It's often flowery, frequently stilted, and at times obscure, and references assume a knowledge (and a vocabulary) that children simply won't have. For instance, in "The Two Statues", one of my favorites here, the editor refers to "the two Phidiases". Those who recall their history of ancient Greece will understand; those who don't, won't. Elsewhere, words like "gambolling", "tillage", "horse-mill", "jade" -- meaning "horse" -- and a slew of mythological names will baffle young minds. Nevertheless, the book is a treasure of fables, and hearing so many familiar ones recited in a more mature voice lends them a dignity that maybe the originals, for all their clarity, lacked.

Dover's re-publications never fail to resurrect a book that oughtn't be forgotten. This is one of them, and is a high-water mark for this press.


* Disclosure of Material Connection: I would like to thank Netgalley and Dover Publications for providing me with a time-limited PDF of The Big Book of Fables in exchange for an honest review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

This was a delightful read and stroll down Memory Lane. Essential reading for all, especially children who have not yet been exposed to these both educational and entertaining little stories. They are the perfect size to keep a young child's attention and can start some interesting discussion about important topics. There were a few here that I wanted to copy and send to the current batch of politicians. They apparently have not learned the lessons in this volume yet.

Highly recommended. These may seem like simple stories, but they are more than that. The morals are important for children, and adults, to learn and remember how to be decent human beings and how to recognize and protect oneself from those who are not decent human beings.

Also, fun to see where some of the sayings I am used to come from. Also fun, I used the term "Sour grapes" the other day and then read the fable from which it came. I knew it came from that story, but it made me think, both I and the person with whom I used that term knew what was meant by "sour grapes", but without that background knowledge, they would have looked at me like I made no sense. Which I guess I wouldn't have, to them.

For me, this is a 5 star book. It is easier to learn a lesson from a cute little story than to be lectured at and these morals do stand the test of time, IMHO. Definitely worth a read and re-read, by those of all ages. Highly recommended.

My thanks to NetGalley and Dover Publications Calla Editions for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.