Folklore and Fairytales

    When we teach fairytales and folktales, we want to use stories from a variety of cultures. In the hopes that in these stories, our students may see their own culture reflected. Folktales help children learn to identify the important elements of a story and the framework of storytelling.

Cohen, C. L.; Begay, S. (1998). The mud pony: A traditional Skidi Pawnee Tale. Scholastic, Inc.

The Mud Pony retold by Caron Lee Cohen and illustrated by Shonto Begay is my first selection is a Native American legend from the Skidi branch of the Pawnee Indians of the Plains. This is a story about a very poor young boy and longed for a pony like the other boys in his tribe, so he created it out of mud. When he is accidentally left behind, Mother Earth makes his pony real so he can reunite with his people and eventually becomes their leader. 

The realistic illustrations are stunning and add so much to the story, reflecting both the tone and the culture in the story. The soft watercolor like paintings appear as though the characters and the landscape are emerging from a dream to tell the story.

I love everything about this folktale. Our hero is a sweet, poor boy who overcomes adversity to not only save his life but become the brave leader of his people. The story is clear, simple, and deep and good way to have Native American culture represented in your classroom library.

Galdone, P. (2001). The three Billy Goats Gruff. Clarion Books.

    This version of the classic Norwegian folk tale The Three Billy Goats Gruff was written and illustrated by Paul Galdone.  Three brother goats want to cross a bridge to graze in the meadow on the other side. But they must use their cunning to trick an angry and ugly troll to get there.  This particular version of the story stands out from all the others because of the lively and contemporary style illustrations, which are fun and colorful drawings. 

    In his lifetime, Galdone illustrated almost three hundred books. Many of which he adapted from fairytales like Henny Penny, The Little Red Hen, The Three Little Pigs, etc. Galdone received two Caldecott Honors for his work. 

    I’ll be honest, I love goats and that may have been a contributing factor to this story’s inclusion in this list.  The story is cute with just the right amount to humor, and suspense. 

Ways to expand on the books

• Create a “mud pony” out of clay. 

• Have children build bridges to help the goats cross to the other side of the river. 

• For young students, sort objects in small, medium, and large.

• Act out the Three Billy Goat Gruff.

Questions to ask your students

• If you could change one choice that Running Deer made, what would it be?

• How would you trick the troll to get across the bridge?

• The troll was grumpy, what makes you feel grumpy?