The Barefoot Book of Earth Tales

by Dawn Casey (adapter), Anne Wilson (Illustrator)

In this beautiful anthology of folktales, young readers will learn about the way different cultures around the world live in harmony with the rhythms and patterns of nature. They will discover how to tread lightly on our precious Earth by following the easy eco-tips and by trying out some of the fun and creative activities that accompany each story. Children will discover how the residents of the Kingdom of Benin deep within the Nigerian rainforest consume less and conserve more; how the Comanche Indians respect Mother Earth by giving more than they receive; among Bali s coral reefs and volcanic mountain peaks is the lesson that everything in nature is connected.

Genres: Nature, Fiction, Picture Books, Childrens, Short Stories, Environment, Cultural

96 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2009

About the author

Dawn Casey traveled in Africa and Asia before working in a garden studio, publishing multicultural children's books. She now dreams up her own stories, inspired by the everyday magic of the world. She lives with her husband, two little ones, and a tabby cat.

Reviews

[Abigail]

Seven traditional stories from around the world are gathered in The Barefoot Book of Earth Tales, each with an environmental theme, each presented with an accompanying craft or project that allows the young reader to become more involved with the narrative. Some of the selections here - like the Aboriginal myth of The Sun Mother, from Australia - are creation stories, explaining how the world came to be, and what humanity's relationship to the earth (and its creatures) ought to look like. Others, like the Nigerian tale, Why the Sky Is Far Away, are pourquoi tale and cautionary fable in one, warning against greed and over-consumption, while explaining a natural phenomenon. Grumpy Gecko, a cumulative tale from Bali, highlights the interdependency of all life, while the Comanche legend, She Who Is Alone, points to the need for balance, for both giving and taking, when it comes to our relationship with the natural world.

Rounding out the selections are The Magic Garden, a Kazakh story in which two unselfish friends use an unexpected windfall to create a beautiful garden that will be of benefit to future generations; Amrita's Tree, a historical legend from the Bishnoi people of India, in which a young girl's brave actions save the forest that is so important to the survival of her people; and Stink Water, a Welsh tale in which a human and fairy couple must work out a plan for waste disposal that is mutually satisfactory. An engaging collection, well worth the time of young folktale lovers and environmentalists, The Barefoot Book of Earth Tales is illustrated in vividly colorful folk-motif style by Anne Wilson, who also collaborated with Dawn Casey on The Great Race: The Story of the Chinese Zodiac . All in all, a recommended title!

[Lisa Vegan]

Taken individually, I thought only a very few of the stories were truly excellent, but as a package, this is a wonderful book. The stories, activities that follow each story, and the illustrations work together to form a lovely book with some heft, a book that’s lovely and thought provoking. I enjoyed the theme of the earth and its inhabitants (usually people) taking care of all living things on the planet and protecting them and living with them.

Amrita’s Tree from India, She Who is Alone from the American Southwest, Why the Sky is Far Away from Nigeria, The Magic Garden from Kaakhstan, Grumpy Grekco from Bali, The Sun Mother from Australia, and Stink Water from Wales are the seven stories, and I’ve listed them in approximate order from my most to least favorite. (I read another version of Stink Water whose humorous story and colorful illustrations I enjoyed more than the version in this book: Slop!: A Welsh Folktale by Margaret Read MacDonald and illustrated by Yvonne Lebrun Davis.)

Each of the suggested activities that follow every story are at least somewhat tangentially related to it. They all look interesting; some are will be more doable than others, depending on what type of area and what type of home different readers/listeners have.

The illustrations work well within this book of stories, and it was kind of fun to see the same basic style of art as part of stories from different cultures.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer]

This collection of folktales from around the world focuses on the environment and our relationship with it. Each story is preceded by an introduction, and followed by an activity that relates to the tale. Dawn Casey tells these tales simply but colorfully; you could almost picture her telling these aloud before a group of children. Some of the stories were familiar: "Why the Sky is Far Away" I first heard as a Caldecott honor book by Elphinstone Dayrell; "She Who is Alone" is a version of Tomie de Paola's The Legend of the Bluebonnet. Even though I'd heard those tales before, I still enjoyed these versions. "Amrita's Tree" was the reason I interloaned the book; I was looking for a story about tree-hugging that took place in India in the 17th century. My favorite was the Australian story, "The Sun Mother", but I liked them all. I must order this for my library. Recommended!

[Книжни Криле]

„Приказки за земята” (изд. White Wall Media) на Даун Каси и Ан Уилсън е приказна антология, чиято мисия е да помогне на децата да опознаят различни култури, да открият нови умения и да станат по-грижовни към природата. Как се постига това с помощта на седем приказки и прилежащите към тях творчески проекти? Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле": https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...

[Amy]

This is a beautiful collection of 7 folktales from countries all over the world. I loved that after each story, there is an activity for children to do that goes along with the folktale. It gives children an opportunity to really interact with the folktale in a "hands-on" way. Each folktale focuses on an aspect of the natural world and supports the importance of taking care of our earth.

[Amy K]

Great stories from around the world that sent the message to be gentle to our earth. A great library find that we started around earth day and just wrapped up this evening. Each story starts with a country introduction, the story is about 10 minutes and is followed by an activity. A really organized mom or teacher would probably do better at doing those, so no input there.

[Mrs. Ruigrok]

A beautiful book with stories about nature from cultures around the world. Beautifully illustrated stories about the relationship between nature and a culture. Also has hands on activities that children can do.

[Cara]

Lovely collection of folktales - my favorite is "The Magic Garden." Also includes some fun hands on activities for kids - I would love to experiment with willow branches to make "dens."

[Kelly Chester]

What a great book the stories were amazing

[Erin]

A selection of stories from around the world, this is a charming collection of tales that describe humans' relationship with Earth. Some are creation myths, some stories about ecosystems or pollution, but they all describe the way our actions affect the world around us. I found it interesting to read about each country or culture's common stories, and then to see what crafts were associated with each story. This isn't a book I would seek out for myself, but I enjoyed it nonetheless, and the pictures were quite interesting.
Readers who are interested in the environment, who like short folktales or who like making crafts might enjoy this book. Some of the stories would be fun to read out loud and discuss, or do the crafts afterward as well.
Creation.

[Becky]

I will take a while to finish this with my daughter as it is jam packed with stories from around the world. Each of them give a view point from a different country about the relationships between man and nature or how nature interacts with each other part.

Each story is followed by an activity to do. Some of these are arty such as Australian painting. Or maybe creating a bird feeder or building a willow wigwam. I will have fun trying some of these out over the school holidays.

A good book to share with primary aged children to help them think about the world and how to look after it.

[Christine Turner]

HCPL Juv Nonfiction 398.2 Cas

In this beautiful anthology of folktales, young readers learn how different cultures around the world live in harmony with the rhythms and patterns of nature. Discover how to tread lightly on our precious Earth by following the easy eco tips and trying out some of the fun, and creative activities that accompany each story


Subject: Tales -- Juvenile literature
Ecology -- Folklore -- Juvenile literature.
Folklore -- Juvenile literature.

Note: Used 2018 for the India program.

[Книжни Криле]

„Приказки за земята” (изд. White Wall Media) на Даун Каси и Ан Уилсън е приказна антология, чиято мисия е да помогне на децата да опознаят различни култури, да открият нови умения и да станат по-грижовни към природата. Как се постига това с помощта на седем приказки и прилежащите към тях творчески проекти? Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле": https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...

[Julie]

A collection of folk tales from around the world that express the belief that the Earth and all living things are sacred. Includes an introduction and "eco-activity" for each tale.
Beautiful illustrations!

[Sunnyvale Librarian]

Stories chosen from seven world cultures celebrate the importance of living in harmony with all of nature. Bright illustrations, a large font size, and the inclusion of an activity related to each story add to the appeal.

[Audrey]

This is a beautiful book of legends from around the world. The stories teach the importance of taking care of the earth. Everything in nature is connected and when something is harmed the rest will suffer.

[Eloisa Garcia]

This is a beautiful book full of enchanting stories for children which leaves anyone's heart wanting to take care of nature and respect it as it is, finding the reasons of why it's this way and no other.
A must have in my hippie home!

[Melisa]

Most excellent- beautiful art, great stories from around the world and fun activities too

[Carolyn]

Has a little project after each tale.

[Samantha]

This is a great resource for stories and activities to do dealing with caring for the earth and our communities.

[Donna-Lee]

The American Folklore Society - 2009 Aesop Accolades - http://www.afsnet.org/sections/children/

Another winner from Barefoot Books.

http://donna-lee-randhawa.barefootboo...

[Cindy]

Folktales that cherish the earth ~ and after each folktale an activity that follows the theme. The images strengthen the folktale.

[Jennifer L]

LOVE this book. It's full of meaningful stories about people around the world who care for the earth in different ways.

[Doreen]

This could be an excellent resource! What a great way to tie classic stories, history, culture, and crafts together. (Books and Beyond!)

[Kelly]

great book with a little folk story (I think 6 or 7) about a different country and a project for each story. Good for homeschooling!

[Shelley]

Love the variety and depth of these beauty folk tales about nature, creation, etc. great for earth day focus or discussing cultures. Middle East, Celtic, India, Native American, Bali, Africa, etc.

[Susan]

I like the mix of stories and activities/recipes. Art is gorgeous as most Barefoot books are...

[Jill]

A bit heavy handed on "save the Earth" theme, but interesting stories all the same.