Books in Aesop's Fables series

The Aesop for Children - Ancient Greek Fables by Aesop - The Greek historian Herodotus mentioned in passing that "Aesop the fable writer" was a slave who lived in Ancient Greece during the 5th century BCE. Among references in other writers, Aristophanes, in his comedy The Wasps, represented the protagonist Philocleon as having learnt the "absurdities" of Aesop from conversation at banquets; Plato wrote in Phaedo that Socrates whiled away his jail time turning some of Aesop's fables "which he knew" into verses. Nonetheless, for two main reasons – because numerous morals within Aesop's attributed fables contradict each other, and because ancient accounts of Aesop's life contradict each other – the modern view is that Aesop was not the originator of all those fables attributed to him. Instead, any fable tended to be ascribed to the name of Aesop if there was no known alternative literary source.

The fables of Aesop are full of wisdom garnered from life experiences: depend on yourself more than others, what goes around comes around, and always keep promises. But, learning from stories can sometimes be easier than just being told a lesson. Aesops fables show peoples strengths and weaknesses in action. Readers will see important character traits modeled for them in fables such as The Lark and Her Young Ones and The Farmer and the Stork. Accompanied by lovely illustrations, each fable offers another opportunity for learning lessons that can be used every day.

In The Athenian and the Theban, a man from Athens and a man from Thebes discuss whether Hercules or Theseus was a greater hero. Ultimately, the Athenian out-argues the Theban and Theseuss brain is chosen over Herculess brawn. A fable of Aesop, an ancient Greek, this story and the many others like it expose readers to Aesops culture while communicating morals that continue to resonate today. Readers will love the succinct, simple structure of the fables and keep turning pages to discover the colorful illustrations complementing each one.

Summer is all fun and games for the grasshopper, but hes forgetting something important: winter is coming. Meanwhile, the ant is working hard to prepare. What will the cold months bring for these two bugs? This retelling of Aesops famous fable shows readers the importance of time management and responsibility. Readers will see how the ants good work ethic pays off, while the grasshopper still has a lot to learn. Endearing illustrations bring these two relatable characters to life. Even reluctant readers will enjoy this classic story and its touching moral of friendship and hard work.