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What exactly is a folktale?

A folktale is a story or legend handed down over a long period of time. They often explain something that happens in nature or relates a truth about life. Often, there is a moral to the story. They may explain how something came to be.

The characters are often people or animals who have to face an impossible journey or task. There is usually a battle between good and evil. I like to read folktales from other countries with my fifth grader that are similar to ones she’s grown up with. Often, in the end, goodness prevails.

Types of folktales

Trickster Tales

• One character, the trickster, is the clever or devious one
• Cause problems for others
• Rarely get caught

Examples of “Trickster Tales”

• Lapin Plays Possum : Trickster Tales From the Louisiana Bayou by Sharon Doucet
• Rosa Raposa by F. Isabel Campoy
• Pig-Boy : A Trickster Tale from Hawaiʻi by Gerald McDermott
• Jabuti the Tortoise : A Trickster Tale from the Amazon by Gerald McDermott
• How Rabbit Tricked Otter and Other Cherokee Trickster Stories by Gayle Ross
• Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti by Gerald McDermott
• Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens
• The Gingerbread Man by Jim Aylesworth
• The Tales of Uncle Remus: The Adventures of Brer Rabbit  by Julius Lester

Fairy Tales

• Conflict between good and evil
• Typically contain elements of fantasy and magic
• Start and end with “Once Upon a Time” and “Happily Ever After”

Examples of Fairy Tales:

• Cinderella
• Little Red Riding Hood
• Hansel and Gretel
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
• Sleeping Beauty
• Rapunzel
• The Little Mermaid
• Rumplestiltskin
• The Ugly Duckling
• Emperor’s New Clothes
• Princess and the Pea
• Twelve Dancing Princesses

Be sure to check out my Fairy Tale Unit Study Round-Up at This Sweet Life. It’s full of wonderful ideas for bringing the fairy tales to life.

Pourquoi Stories

• explain why things are the way they are
• explain how things came to be

Examples of Pourquoi Tales

• How the Leopard Got It’s Spots by Justine Fontes
• Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky by Elphinstone Dayrell
• Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears by Verna Aardema – Here’s a fun post about this book.
• The Story of Thunder and Lightning by Ashley Bryan
• How the Animals Got There Colors: Animal Myths From Around the World by Michael Rosen
• When the World Was Young: Creation and Pourquoi Tales by Margaret Mayo
• How Chipmunk Got His Stripes by Joseph and James Bruhac
• The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush by Tomie dePaola
• How Rabbit Lost His Tail: A Traditional Cherokee Legend by Ann Tompert

Fables

• short stories
• have a moral
• animals have human characteristics

Examples of Fables:

• The Hare and the Tortoise by Jerry Pinkney
• Town Mouse, Country Mouse by Jan Brett
• The Ants and the Grasshopper by Tom Paxton
• The Lion and the Mouse by Aesops Fables
• The Boy Who Cried Wolf by Lee Wildish
• The Crow and the Pitcher by Milo Winter
• The Dog and His Reflection by Ratna Manucha
• Mama Hook Knows Best : A Pirate Parent’s Favorite Fables by Sharon Osbourne
• You Read To Me, I’ll Read To You : Very Short Fables to Read Together by Mary Ann Hoberman

Poppins Book Nook Folktale Posts

Giveaway

Poppins Book NookGiveaway! Every month thePoppins Book Nook group will be offering readers a chance to win a brand new storybookor product that ties in with our theme for the month. This month one lucky entrant will win a copy of the E.H.M. curriculum Journeyinto the World of Folktales (PDF) and one copy of the book that is required to teach it called Around the World in 80 Tales by Saviour Pirotta to further their learning all about folktales. Entrants must be 18 years or older and reside in a country that receives U.S. Postal mail. This giveawayis brought to you by the company Enchanted Homeschooling Mom who is owner and founder of the Poppins Book Nook. By entering this giveaway you are also acknowledging that you have read and agree to all of the Rafflecopter terms & conditions as well as Enchanted Homeschooling Mom’s disclosures.  Just enter the Rafflecopter below to win: a Rafflecopter giveaway

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