18 timeless Ukrainian animal fables retold in warm, modern English by a native Ukrainian storyteller - a read-aloud folktale collection with a full-page color illustration for every tale, for children ages 4-8 (grades PreK-3).
From the fireside storytelling tradition of Ukraine come clever foxes, boastful hares, patient turtles, cunning wolves, and one very wise nightingale - heroes of folk tales passed from generation to generation. While the classic English translations of Ukrainian fairy tales are long out of print, or too archaic and dark for young children, these retellings are made for today's listeners: each short fable is the length of a single bedtime, and each closes the day with a gentle moral - never take what you do not need, true strength lives in a kind heart, and truth always finds its way.
Inside this collection of Ukrainian folk tales in English:
- 18 short animal fables - one tale plus one picture makes one perfect bedtime
- A full-page color illustration for every story, in a vivid Ukrainian folk-art style
- A prologue introducing Ukraine's folk storytelling heritage for parents, teachers, and librarians
- A closing dedication from the author to the Ukrainian land and language
- Gentle animal stories curated for young listeners - kindness, courage, and wisdom
- Entirely in English - no knowledge of Ukrainian required
The complete collection: How the Nightingale Taught a Man Wisdom, The Hare and the Frog, The Heron, the Turtle, and the Crayfish, The Bear and the Worm, About the Sun, the Frost, and the Wind, The Horse, Why the Wolf Refused a Dog's Life, The Clever Little Bull, The Wolf and the Cat, The Boastful Hare, The Ant and the Dove, The Hare's Shade, The Fox and the Sparrow, The Hedgehog and the Hare, The Fox as Judge, Why the Cuckoo Doesn't Hatch Her Own Chicks, The Bear and the Cunning Fox, and The Linden Tree and the Greedy Old Woman.
Written by Liudmyla Pytel, a Ukrainian author and former preschool teacher, these adaptations preserve the melody, rhythm, and moral depth of the originals while keeping the language simple enough for early readers to enjoy on their own.
A natural pick for bedtime, family read-alouds, winter story time, and classroom folktale units in grades PreK-3 - pair the fables with Aesop for a compare-and-contrast lesson young students love. A meaningful addition to world-folklore, multicultural, and Ukrainian-interest shelves in school and public libraries curating books by Ukrainian authors, and a heartfelt gift for birthdays, Christmas, and St. Nicholas Day (December 6, when Ukrainian children traditionally receive presents) - especially for families with Ukrainian roots and for every child who loves animal stories with a moral. Part of the Stories from Ukraine series, alongside Magical Journey Through Ukraine, Legends of Ukraine, and Ukrainian Mythology.
