Under the Oaken Bough, folk and fairy tales
Under the Oaken Bough, folk and fairy tales
This is Simon’s first book and is a collection of seventeen folk and tales retold in Simon’s inevitable (and slightly irreverent) style. It exemplifies that these tales continue to change and grow today and can be exciting reading, and telling! Along with an author’s Q&A, there is a section called ‘Tips on Telling’ which can also help with writing, a list of sources and resources, and a vocabulary list or lexicon of the bigger words. Designed for upper elementary and middle school readers, parents and grandparents, teachers and librarians are loving this small book.
Each story is accompanied by a full page illustration by Rob Brookes who also designed and illustrated the cover.
Price including postage and packing.
"A delicious collection: a tempting mix of old favorites and rare gems, all shared in Simon Brooks' engaging style.
Parents, teachers and tellers will all want this for their libraries. It is made more useful by his informative notes that include folktale index motifs as well as sources and variants. His insightful Tips for Telling is an added bonus."
(Elizabeth Ellis, International Storyteller and Author)
"Simon Brooks invites us to relax and rest ‘under the oaken bough’ and the time is well spent. Whether it is his clever adaptation of an Aesop tale, the humorous fractured fairy tale of a trespassing Goldilocks or a visit with our favorite trickster Anansi, Simon’s beautiful words and imagery will transport you.
In addition to the glorious, fresh variations of familiar and unique tales, these stories are well researched. Simon offers insights on different variations of specific tales, including the Aarne-Thompson classifications, along with his personal insights. Storytellers, educators, and librarians will definitely appreciate the detailed research he shares.
Simon also offers us an extra gift with a gentle hand, specific guidelines perfected from his years of storytelling on how to find your unique voice before you step onto the stage. That section alone is worth its weight in leprechaun gold! I guarantee your imagination will be happily satiated when you rise from your time Under the Oaken Bough."
(Karen Chace, Storyteller/Author)
"Simon Brooks’ collection of folk and fairy tales is a must-have for parents to read to kids, while trying not to smile too much. Witty, funny and full of tenderness, Brooks’ slightly irreverent, post-modern versions of world tales are marked by his ability to bring his characters to life, both with breezy but still vivid descriptions of animals and people, gifted dialog for all of them, and a lovely warmth for his material. An overly talkative turtle, a Goldilocks who is quite the brat, a quick-thinking fox facing a vain and hungry bear––the characters go on and on but never resemble one another. Brooks even adds a how-to about oral storytelling itself, filled with insights for both beginners and seasoned performers. With evocative illustrations by Rob Brookes, Under the Oaken Bough is a gem."
(Odds Bodkin, Storyteller/Author)