Author Description

Is your three-year-old getting tired of hearing you read Goldilocks every bedtime? Are your kids getting tired of telling it? Do you wish you knew another fairy tale to help them sleep? And do you wish you had a quick and easy way to learn to tell stories to your toddler? Tell Me a Fairy Tale is a book for parents who enjoy telling stories to their children. From the classics of the Grimm Brothers and Mother Goose to Native American and Japanese favorites, each chapter includes a short description of the characters, a plot summary, and a section on how best to tell the story. Suggestions include ways to leave out the scary parts, eliminate sexism, or update them—without changing the story's meaning. Tell Me a Fairy Tale will turn you into someone with real storytelling skills and teach you how to bring smiles and giggles to your child's face. Your son, daughter, or grandchild will delight in your telling—instead of just reading—them stories. Bill Adler has condensed dozens of plots and listed their characters—and shows you how to become a mesmerizing storyteller. You can make a tale as long or as short as your sleepy child needs, personalize it with your child's name, and convey through the spoken voice the true magic and wonder of the originals. This collection includes, along with all the old favorites, A Wolf and Little Daughter from Africa, Br'er Rabbit and Tar-Baby from the American South, The Fox and the Grapes from Aesop, The White Hare and the Crocodiles from Japan, American Folktales, European classics, and even some Shakespeare for tots. Each selection comes complete with specific suggestions for telling the story, updating it, and adapting it to make it relevant to your child's life. Tell Me a Fairy Tale is a wondrous book, a must for every parent who wants to spend quiet, comfortable time with his or her child. It will make the bedtime ritual a time of love, laughter, and adventure for everyone.