Exploring Fables: From Seamus Heaney to Arnold Lobel --Teaching With Analog & Digital Texts

A text set is a collection of related texts organized around a topic or line of inquiry.  In this post I reference a collections of texts (analog and digital) that I have used  (or plan to use) when teaching fables.  Most of these texts I have used with 2nd grade children, but given that these are fables--the texts will work with older children too. 

Read Aloud

1. Lobel, Arnold. (1983). Fables. New York: HarperCollins. (540 L)
2. Mora, Pat.  (2001). The Race of Toad and Deer. Illustrated by Domi. Toronto, ON: Groundwood Books. (Lexile N/A)
3. Mora, Pat.  (2001). La Carrera del Sapo y el Venado. Illustrated by Domi. Toronto, ON: Groundwood Books. (Lexile N/A)
4. Nunes, Shiho S. (2013). Chinese Fables: The Dragon Slayer and Other Timeless Tales of Wisdom. Illustrated  Lak-Khee Tay-Audouard. Tuttle Publishing.
5. Pinkney, Jerry. (2015). The Grasshopper and the Ants. New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
6. Pinkney, Jerry. (2013). The Tortoise & the Hare. New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
7. Pinkney, Jerry. (2009). The Lion & the Mouse.  New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
8. Rosen, Michael. (2013). Aesop's Fables. Illustrated by Talleen Hacikyan. Tradewind Books.
9. Subramaniam, Manasi. (2014). The Fox and the Crow. Illustrated by Culpeo S. Fox.  Karadi Tales Picturebooks.

I-Pad App

Seamus Heaney: Five Fables. Touchpress Limited.  (The Fables: The Two Mice; The Fox, the Wolf and the Farmer; Preaching of the Swallow; The Fox, the Wolf and the Carter; and The Mouse and the Lion). Right now app is $2.99

Really, need I say more?

Partner Reading Bruchac's Turtle's Race with Beaver.

Independent/Partner/Small Group Reading/Reader's Theater

1. Blau, Lisa (Scripted). The Lion and the Mouse. Reader's Theater Script. Download from here. 
2. Brett, Jan. (2003). Town Mouse, Country Mouse. New York: Puffin. (530L)
3. Brown, Marcia. (1989). Once a Mouse. New York: Aladdin. (530L)
4. Bruchac, Joseph (Abenaki). (2003). Turtle’s Race with Beaver. Illustrated by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey. New York: Dial. (Lexile N/A)
5. Daugherty, James. (1989). Andy and the Lion. New York: Puffin. (510L)
6. Lionni, Leo. (1973).  Swimmy.  New York: Dragonfly Books. (640L)
7. Meighan, Julie. (2015).  Aesop's Fables: A Collection of Children's Plays. Jem Books.
8. Montgomery, Carol. (2010). The Beaver and the Lumberjack. Reader's Theater Script. Download from here. 
9. Palatini, Margie. (2010). Lousy Rotten Stinkin' Grapes. Illustrated by Barry Moser. Reader's Theater Script.

Fables to Listen To (Audio Texts)

1. Storynory. The Rat and the Elephant.  Read by Bertie. London, UK: Storynory. (Downloadable and also includes written text)
2. Storynory. The Grasshopper and the Ants. Read by Bertie. London, UK: Storynory. (Downloadable and also includes written text)
3. Storynory. The Fox and the Crow.  Read by Bertie. London, UK: Storynory. (Downloadable and also includes written text)
4. Storynory. The Little Mouse.  Read by Bertie. London, UK: Storynory. (Downloadable and also includes written text)
5. Storynory. Androcles and the Lion. Read by Natasha.  London, UK: Storynory. (Downloadable and also includes written text)
6. Storynory. The Lioness and Small Respect.  Read by Natasha. London, UK: Storynory. (Downloadable and also includes written text)
7. Storynory. The Hare and the Tortoise. Read by Natasha.  London, UK: Storynory. (Downloadable and also includes written text)
8. Storynory. The Boy Who Cried Wolf.  Read by Natasha.  London, UK: Storynory. (Downloadable and also includes written text)
9. Storynory. The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse.  Read by Natasha.  London, UK: Storynory. (Downloadable and also includes written text)

 

Story Emulations: (Texts for Students to Emulate as Writers & Illustrators)

1. Wang, Gabrielle. (2013).  The Race for the Chinese Zodiac. Illustrated by Sally Rippin and Regine Abos. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
2. Charise Mericle Harper & Chris Duffy (Eds.) (2015). Fable Comics. New York: First Second Books.