The Lion Book of Two-Minute Bedtime Stories

January 1, 2011
Preschool-G There is a lot to talk about in these 10 very short stories from around the world, retold in simple words for reading aloud to young children. The short lengths can result in abrupt endings, and although several, including two Aesop fables, end with morals, many of the best have open endings that will have kids and those who read to them laughing and talking about the deeper meaning in each tale. In The Moose and the River, from North America, a fly is the most powerful animal. In The Story That Grew, from Bengal, gossip gets comically out of control, while kindness turns a thief around in a story from the Far East. In each entry, the littlest character always wins, and the wry twists and comeuppances are part of the fun. The large, bright, line-and-watercolor illustrations on every page show charactershuman, animal, and plantin different times and places and will help hold childrens attention in repeated readings.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)