SERIES MADE SIMPLE

Abby Visits the Big City: The City Mouse and the Country Mouse Remixed

by Connie Colwell MILLER
9781607539520. ea vol: illus. by Victoria Assanelli. 24p. (Aesop's Fables Remixed). Amicus. Jul. 2016. lib. ed. $20.95. ebk. $42.80.
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PreS-K—Presented as early literature lessons, these brief contemporary stories feature familiar problems with younger siblings, a cousin, and a bragging classmate. Competently constructed as parallels to the venerable fables, the stories end with a child stating a lesson learned. The traditional tale is then briefly told, followed by discussion questions for readers and a final note about Aesop. Some of the retellings, particularly the one of Andrew spoiling his mother's birthday surprise, will work nicely as a read-aloud. Others are a bit thin or awkwardly phrase the moral. The illustrations are mostly populated with a diverse cast of children. However, the alternating between black dots and slanted lines for their eyes is questionable.
The traditional fables have been rewritten into trite, heavy-handed stories (populated by humans) that take away the opportunity for children to grasp the issues on their own. The stylized illustrations portray diverse, contemporary children. The original fable, a set of questions comparing the fable and the new story, and information about Aesop is included. Review covers the following Aesop's Fables Remixed titles: Abby Visits the Big City, Andrew and the Birthday Surprise, Henry's Track and Field Day, James and the Kindergartener, Mary, Anna, and the Little Brother, and Rosie's Special Gift.
Reviewed by Margaret Bush , Nov 01, 2016

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