The Fables of Aesop

by Frances Barnes-Murphy, Rowan Barnes-Murphy (Illustrator)

Teaching by use of fables is a very ancient mode of instruction, to be traced in a greater or lesser degree in the early history of all nations. This volume is a treasure trove of Aesop's fables, each teaching a moral. The translators have added to each little tale the moral and application. Handsomely illustrated throughout.

Genres: Picture Books, Fables

93 pages, Hardcover

First published October 17, 1994

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

British husband and wife and author / artist team Frances and Rowan Barnes-Murphy present one hundred and three fables from Aesop in this engaging collection, including many famous examples, as well as many that are less well known. Here we find such classics as The Tortoise and the Hare, which leads off the collection, as well as The Fox and the Grapes, The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse, The Boy Who Cried Wolf!, The Lion and the Mouse, The Ant and the Grasshopper, and many others. The fable of Androcles and the lion is here, although not labeled as such (here is is The Thorn in the Lion's Paw), and many lesser-known fables as well. The morals which have traditionally been appended to Aesop's fables have been omitted, owing to Rowan Barnes-Murphy's belief, stated in the brief Collector's Note, that they are unnecessary, and do not represent the original form of these pithy tales. The fables are paired with numerous black and white illustrations and thirty ink and watercolor paintings, and the book closes with an index...

I have read any number of Aesopian collections over the years, from childhood onward—a few years back I undertook a project to read a number of collections, and of course, having written my masters dissertation on Reynard, I consulted numerous Aesopian sources there as well—but the Barnes-Murphys' The Fables of Aesop is nevertheless a welcome addition to that body of works. The retellings here are appealing—brief but entertaining, as one would expect—and I thought the choice to leave out the explicit moralizing was an interesting one. The accompanying artwork was charming, and I found that I enjoyed both the brief black and white header illustrations at the beginning of each fable, as well as the more extensive color illustrations. Rowan Barnes-Murphy's animals are very expressive, expanding upon the emotional aspect of the brief texts they accompany. I also appreciated the note on Aesop at the front, as it mentions Babrius and Phaedrus, our two main classical sources for Aesop. I am always surprised at how often Aesop is treated as an "author," because these fables are attributed to him, even though he never wrote anything down, and was most likely illiterate. In any case, although not destined to become a personal favorite—an honor that would probably go to either the Milo Winter collection (what can I say? I grew up with it), or to that illustrated by Jerry Pinkney—this is one I would recommend to those seeking a solidly engaging Aesop collection.

[Becky]

comprehensive collection of Aesop's fables
black and white/ color illustrations

[Becky]

comprehensive collection of Aesop's fables
black and white/ color illustrations