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The Classic Treasury of Aesop's Fables
Get in step with the colorful animals that race, waddle, and leap through these pages! From a fast-footed monkey to a two-timing fox, each creature has a story to tell and a moral to teach. These famous tales tickle the imagination and teach simple truths, ones that children and adults face every day.
Inside are twenty classic fables, including The Tortoise and the Hare, The Goose Who Laid the Golden Eggs, and The City Mouse and the Country Mouse. Passed from generation to generation, Aesop's best-loved fables are presented here with beautiful illustrations that bring these naughty, bold, brave, and lovable creatures to life.
Inside are twenty classic fables, including The Tortoise and the Hare, The Goose Who Laid the Golden Eggs, and The City Mouse and the Country Mouse. Passed from generation to generation, Aesop's best-loved fables are presented here with beautiful illustrations that bring these naughty, bold, brave, and lovable creatures to life.
56 pages, Hardcover
Published October 2, 2007
23 people are currently reading
385 people want to read
About the author
Aesop
2,482 books1,112 followers620 BC - 564 BC
Tradition considers Greek fabulist Aesop as the author of Aesop's Fables , including "The Tortoise and the Hare" and "The Fox and the Grapes."
This credited ancient man told numerous now collectively known stories. None of his writings, if they ever existed, survive; despite his uncertain existence, people gathered and credited numerous tales across the centuries in many languages in a storytelling tradition that continues to this day. Generally human characteristics of animals and inanimate objects that speak and solve problems characterize many of the tales.
One can find scattered details of his life in ancient sources, including Aristotle, Herodotus, and Plutarch. An ancient literary work, called The Aesop Romance tells an episodic, probably highly fictional version of his life, including the traditional description of him as a strikingly ugly slave (δοῦλος), whose cleverness acquires him freedom as an adviser to kings and city-states. Older spellings of his name included Esop(e) and Isope. A later tradition, dating from the Middle Ages, depicts Aesop as a black Ethiopian. Depictions of Aesop in popular culture over the last two and a half millennia included several works of art and his appearance as a character in numerous books, films, plays, and television programs.
Abandoning the perennial image of Aesop as an ugly slave, the movie Night in Paradise (1946) cast Turhan Bey in the role, depicting Aesop as an advisor to Croesus, king; Aesop falls in love with a Persian princess, the intended bride of the king, whom Merle Oberon plays. Lamont Johnson also plays Aesop the Helene Hanff teleplay Aesop and Rhodope (1953), broadcast on hallmark hall of fame.
Brazilian dramatist Guilherme Figueiredo published A raposa e as uvas ("The Fox and the Grapes"), a play in three acts about the life of Aesop, in 1953; in many countries, people performed this play, including a videotaped production in China in 2000 under the title Hu li yu pu tao or 狐狸与葡萄 .
Beginning in 1959, animated shorts under the title Aesop and Son recurred as a segment in the television series Rocky and His Friends and The Bullwinkle Show, its successor. People abandoned the image of Aesop as ugly slave; Charles Ruggles voiced Aesop, a Greek citizen, who recounted for the edification of his son, Aesop Jr., who then delivered the moral in the form of an atrocious pun. In 1998, Robert Keeshan voiced him, who amounted to little more than a cameo in the episode "Hercules and the Kids" in the animated television series Hercules.
In 1971, Bill Cosby played him in the television production Aesop's Fables.
British playwright Peter Terson first produced the musical Aesop's Fables in 1983. In 2010, Mhlekahi Mosiea as Aesop staged the play at the Fugard theatre in Cape Town, South Africa.
Tradition considers Greek fabulist Aesop as the author of Aesop's Fables , including "The Tortoise and the Hare" and "The Fox and the Grapes."
This credited ancient man told numerous now collectively known stories. None of his writings, if they ever existed, survive; despite his uncertain existence, people gathered and credited numerous tales across the centuries in many languages in a storytelling tradition that continues to this day. Generally human characteristics of animals and inanimate objects that speak and solve problems characterize many of the tales.
One can find scattered details of his life in ancient sources, including Aristotle, Herodotus, and Plutarch. An ancient literary work, called The Aesop Romance tells an episodic, probably highly fictional version of his life, including the traditional description of him as a strikingly ugly slave (δοῦλος), whose cleverness acquires him freedom as an adviser to kings and city-states. Older spellings of his name included Esop(e) and Isope. A later tradition, dating from the Middle Ages, depicts Aesop as a black Ethiopian. Depictions of Aesop in popular culture over the last two and a half millennia included several works of art and his appearance as a character in numerous books, films, plays, and television programs.
Abandoning the perennial image of Aesop as an ugly slave, the movie Night in Paradise (1946) cast Turhan Bey in the role, depicting Aesop as an advisor to Croesus, king; Aesop falls in love with a Persian princess, the intended bride of the king, whom Merle Oberon plays. Lamont Johnson also plays Aesop the Helene Hanff teleplay Aesop and Rhodope (1953), broadcast on hallmark hall of fame.
Brazilian dramatist Guilherme Figueiredo published A raposa e as uvas ("The Fox and the Grapes"), a play in three acts about the life of Aesop, in 1953; in many countries, people performed this play, including a videotaped production in China in 2000 under the title Hu li yu pu tao or 狐狸与葡萄 .
Beginning in 1959, animated shorts under the title Aesop and Son recurred as a segment in the television series Rocky and His Friends and The Bullwinkle Show, its successor. People abandoned the image of Aesop as ugly slave; Charles Ruggles voiced Aesop, a Greek citizen, who recounted for the edification of his son, Aesop Jr., who then delivered the moral in the form of an atrocious pun. In 1998, Robert Keeshan voiced him, who amounted to little more than a cameo in the episode "Hercules and the Kids" in the animated television series Hercules.
In 1971, Bill Cosby played him in the television production Aesop's Fables.
British playwright Peter Terson first produced the musical Aesop's Fables in 1983. In 2010, Mhlekahi Mosiea as Aesop staged the play at the Fugard theatre in Cape Town, South Africa.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
March 23, 2022
I enjoyed the fact that these stories can be either read as a short book that you have in one sitting, or they can be read individually and they will still make an equal amount of sense. As well as this, the book is for everyone regardless of age which means it is not constricting in terms of who can and cannot read it with understanding (this is helped by the fact you can get large writing versions of the book) and taking conclusions from the stories (those are also written at the bottom of the stories for those who are unsure of what they mean). My version of the book also has pictures for those who find visual aids in stories important as well.
I would recommend this book for anyone who likes breaking down their reading and is even possibly looking for something that may be more fitting to be read to children or even by them.
I would recommend this book for anyone who likes breaking down their reading and is even possibly looking for something that may be more fitting to be read to children or even by them.
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June 27, 2025Some of the stories were too long for me, but some of them I thought were funny!
November 21, 2018
The illustrations are my favorite things about this book, having never been a fan of Aesop's stories, even when I was little. I read this edition aloud to the kids over a period of weeks. They enjoyed the stories, but not the morals at the end, which was my own childhood experience. The "What are we supposed to learn?" at the end robs the tales of some of their magic.
September 19, 2023
This is a collection of some of Aesop's most common Fables. Specifically, the fables of The Birds, The Beasts, and the Bat, The Bull and the Bullfrog, The Cat and the Bell, The Dog and His Reflection, The Frogs Who Desired a King, The Goose Who Laid the Golden Egg, The Lion and the Mouse, The Swallow and the Crow and the Tortoise and the Hare are all contained in this illustrated collection.
I like the compilation of fables within this book. Many of the fables I read are ones that I remember from fourth and fifth grade and I was reminded of how unique fables are, as they are convey complex morals through very simple stories. I also love the illustration style of this book.
I would use this book in the classroom as a daily read-a-loud during a unit over fables. I think having a "fable of the day" would be a good way to cover fables in a way where each fable is given enough time to be explored and considered, while also covering many fables in a single unit. I think this type of approach would work well as a bell ringer where students would read a short fable, tell their opinions of the fable and possible morals they think could be pulled from the text.
I like the compilation of fables within this book. Many of the fables I read are ones that I remember from fourth and fifth grade and I was reminded of how unique fables are, as they are convey complex morals through very simple stories. I also love the illustration style of this book.
I would use this book in the classroom as a daily read-a-loud during a unit over fables. I think having a "fable of the day" would be a good way to cover fables in a way where each fable is given enough time to be explored and considered, while also covering many fables in a single unit. I think this type of approach would work well as a bell ringer where students would read a short fable, tell their opinions of the fable and possible morals they think could be pulled from the text.
April 28, 2018
[Children’s Anthology Book]
The Classic Treasury of Aesop's Fables (1999) is an anthology book composed of twenty of Aesop's most famous fables and illustrated by Don Daily. Each story ranges from 2 to 4 pages, depending on the length of the prose, and each story is accompanied by several illustrations. The illustrations come in the form of a full page (or 2 full pages) of drawings that visually help the text story; artistically, the drawings utilize a lot of personification of animals and vibrant colors to help young readers get engaged with the material.
Each story title consists of a duo or trio of animals, these animals in turn are the main characters of that specific story. Each story is a fable that utilizes the animals and their relationships to help teach a lesson - a moral. The moral of each story is explicitly written at the end of the story, on the bottom of the last page.
Visually, the book is beautiful. The illustrations are detailed, colorful and help enhance the stories very well. Added to this is the aesthetic of blank space; the stories aren’t too long and are formatted specifically to help let the page layout breathe.
The stories are simple, easy to read, and there are several classics (The Hare and The Tortoise, The Lion and The Mouse) that deserve to be preserved and read. I would recommend this book to be read by educators to young students and to young elementary students (K-2) to read for leisure and learning.
The Classic Treasury of Aesop's Fables (1999) is an anthology book composed of twenty of Aesop's most famous fables and illustrated by Don Daily. Each story ranges from 2 to 4 pages, depending on the length of the prose, and each story is accompanied by several illustrations. The illustrations come in the form of a full page (or 2 full pages) of drawings that visually help the text story; artistically, the drawings utilize a lot of personification of animals and vibrant colors to help young readers get engaged with the material.
Each story title consists of a duo or trio of animals, these animals in turn are the main characters of that specific story. Each story is a fable that utilizes the animals and their relationships to help teach a lesson - a moral. The moral of each story is explicitly written at the end of the story, on the bottom of the last page.
Visually, the book is beautiful. The illustrations are detailed, colorful and help enhance the stories very well. Added to this is the aesthetic of blank space; the stories aren’t too long and are formatted specifically to help let the page layout breathe.
The stories are simple, easy to read, and there are several classics (The Hare and The Tortoise, The Lion and The Mouse) that deserve to be preserved and read. I would recommend this book to be read by educators to young students and to young elementary students (K-2) to read for leisure and learning.
August 20, 2022
The Classic Treasure of Aesop's Fables Illustrated by Don Daily is a Collection of twenty classic fables for ages 4-10. It includes The Tortoise and the Hare, The Goose Who Laid the Golden Egg, The Lion and the Mouse and many more. The pictures in the this book are everything. Each fable also has the moral at the bottom of the page at the end of the story. The anthropomorphism is a wonderful way to draw children into these tales. While I love this book, I only gave it three stars because many the stories are so short that it makes it difficult to understand the depth of them. There's a tiny blurb about Aesop on the back jacket, but I'd love to know more. If I were using this book in my classroom, I'd cover the morals and have the students predict the moral and see how close they could get to what the author wrote. This would be a great springboard for discussion.
June 7, 2021
Aesop’s Fables gave me fun stories to read… evergreen tales of wit, wisdom and enjoyment. I think stories like The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse, The Fox and the Grapes, The Milkmaid and her Pail, The Wind and the Sun, The Goose with the Golden Eggs… these are unforgettable to those who have read it, and we’d recollect them to our children too. At that age, I wasn’t very much after the moral part, but I think it helped my parents that these stories taught that too, and they used to quote from them, teach me what they meant, and I’d smile as I understood.
August 13, 2023
I teach Pre-K and After school age kids. Each of my students are authors and illustrators of their own books, according to my lesson plans. All of my students love Aesop’s Fables. I encourage my students to explore their own creativity and imaginations. All I have to do is read a story from this book to encourage their minds to soar with wonderful results. You should read some of the story books my kids have made. If your looking for a good book to capture kids creative minds, Aesop’s Fables is the book for you.
February 2, 2018
Cute stories. A couple I knew, most I didn't. The moral of each story is written right there at the end of each fable. 👍🏻😀
I'm making my way through Amazon's 100 Best Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime. 47 down.
I'm making my way through Amazon's 100 Best Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime. 47 down.
December 4, 2025
The Classic Treasury of Aesop’s Fables is a timeless collection of short moral stories, featuring familiar tales such as The Tortoise and the Hare. With simple language and clear lessons, it’s perfect for middle-school readers and excellent for classroom discussion.
May 7, 2017
You can't go wrong with any of these stories. I love Aesop's fables, humor and always a great moral for all.
August 23, 2018
It's probably not a complete collection of Aesop's Fables but the illustrations are beautiful.
March 27, 2019
This book was a gift to my newborn son. I was impressed by the amazing illustrations, and I love the simple straight forward stories.
July 3, 2021
We read this aloud along with our homeschool study of Ancient Greece.
July 2, 2022
The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous; I already adore Aesop and the wonderful pictures were the icing on the cake.
March 22, 2023
“Please all, and you will please none.”
November 3, 2023
The artwork in this version of the fables is stunning and very well done, however the writing is far too truncated and not as well written as other versions I have encountered.
November 23, 2025
The illustrations were lovely. Some of these were dumb. If it’s a children’s book, maybe use the word donkey instead of ass.
October 29, 2008
I have said it before and I will say it again, “I love children’s books!” Though I do not have any children of my own, I cannot help but buy them. Though not exclusively for children, Aesop’s Fables have to be right up there with them. I enjoy reading each story and then try to think of as many analogies as I can, some obvious and some not so obvious. There are times when I am feeling a little down about life and I grab my book off the shelf and just sit down in the hallway (back against one side and feet up on the other) and just open up to a page. My goal is to read the fable and see how it can help with whatever issue I seem to be having. It usually ends up being an hour (and multiple fables) later when I realize that I don’t remember what was troubling me…and I feel a lot better. I love them all!
March 14, 2011
This is a wonderful collection of fables that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. This version was a classic treasury of Aesop's Fables. These fables are classic. There were many that I had long been familiar with such as The Tortoise and the Hare, The City Mouse and the Country Mouse, and The Lion and Then Mouse. There were others included in this collection that were new to me, but equally entertaining. Each fable had an illustration that went with it. The artwork was full of detail. Children of all ages will delight in these fables. Each fable had a moral to it or something to be learned. Children would enjoy learning these valuable life lessons. After each fable, the moral of the tale is written at the bottom of the page.
Currently reading
December 31, 2021Short stories with hidden meanings, excellent for reading in EYFS and KS1.
The Lion and the Mouse - "Kindness is more important that strength"
The Goose that laid the Golden Egg - "Be happy with what you've got and look after it"
The Wolf and the Shepherds Son (The boy who cried wolf) - "No-one believes a liar even when he is telling the truth"
I really enjoy these books which are great for developing children understanding of their world / feelings. They teach important hidden lessons within them which would be a great conversation starter and could be used in PSHE lessons as a focus topic.
The Lion and the Mouse - "Kindness is more important that strength"
The Goose that laid the Golden Egg - "Be happy with what you've got and look after it"
The Wolf and the Shepherds Son (The boy who cried wolf) - "No-one believes a liar even when he is telling the truth"
I really enjoy these books which are great for developing children understanding of their world / feelings. They teach important hidden lessons within them which would be a great conversation starter and could be used in PSHE lessons as a focus topic.
Read
April 1, 2016This is traditional literature because Aesop's tales are stories that have been passed down through ages, which is a trademark of traditional lit. There are countless versions of Aesop's Fables available to readers.
This version is a compilation of twenty Aesop's fables. I would use this in middle elementary in a study of folktales. Students can do a character study of one of the stories. They can write about a time they acted like of of their characters.
This version is a compilation of twenty Aesop's fables. I would use this in middle elementary in a study of folktales. Students can do a character study of one of the stories. They can write about a time they acted like of of their characters.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews