Silly and Sillier: Read-Aloud Tales from Around the World (Treasured Gifts for the Holidays)

This big, beautiful book offers 20 favorite tales from around the world that will tickle the funnybone of young listeners. While most of the tales are totally new to Americans and come from countries as far flung as Iran and Italy, the Bahamas and Borneo, children will be delighted to discover some tales with themes similar to their favorites, such as “Rumpelstiltskin” and “The Three Little Pigs.” The brief, lickety-split retellings beg to be read aloud and the nearly 90 lively, colorful illustrations invite children to look at the book again and again.

Former Soviet artist Valeri Gorbachev (One Rainy Day) brings back his playfully illustrated animal pals for another romp, this time with storyteller Judy Sierra, who has collected 20 boisterous read-along tales from around the world.

A doctor of folklore (both literally and metaphorically), Sierra did a fine job assembling this motley crew of talking animals, magical monsters, and even a talking pancake: Bahaman witch Koolimasunder W. Diamondpaw loses her treasure to a little girl; a fire and a wave both get speaking lines in the Bangladeshi story "Toontoony Bird"; and a pumpkin sings for a djinni (well, sort of) in Iran's "The Singing Pumpkin." Throughout, Gorbachev provides gleeful backup, easily switching gears from dancing Japanese mice to the Brazilian wedding of Miss Lizard and Jabuti the Tortoise. (And who knew a talking pancake could have such an emotional range?)

Sierra's choices will no doubt be fun for any child to hear or read along with, but the carefully picked stories--while silly and occasionally, yes, even sillier--still teach worthwhile lessons universal to every culture. (Ages 4 to 8) --Paul Hughes