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From ancient times onward, parents and grandparents have passed on their wisdom to the next generations through fairy tales, tall tales, fables, and cautionary tales. Each culture has its own special stories, such as the American tall tales, while other stories such as Cinderella are told by many cultures with their own variations. Here are some of my favorite picture book versions of fairy tales, fables, and tall tales both old and new, renowned and little known, from around the world.
I love the gorgeous illustrations and Medieval manuscript letters in this beautiful version of Sleeping Beauty
In this version of The Princess and the Pea
This beautiful version of Rapunzel
We enjoy this Spanish American version of the classic Cinderella story. Little Gold Star
My other favorite retelling of the Cinderella story is Jan Brett’s imaginative chicken-themed version: Cinders
But, if you want the classic, simple Cinderella story, Marcia Brown’s Cinderella
The charming illustrations in this edition of Little Red Riding Hood
E. Nesbit’s fanciful chapter books are favorites of mine, so I am happy to include her retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk
The Adventures of Brer Rabbit and Friends
With The Firebird
Another Russian fairy tale of the quest genre, the The Golden Mare, the Firebird, and the Magic Ring
A third Russian folk tale we enjoy is The Magic Nesting Doll
Arthur Ransome’s retelling of The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship: A Russian Tale
The Legend of the Bluebonnet
The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush
We love our American Tall Tales, especially Steven Kellog’s fun editions of Paul Bunyan
Stone Soup
Tikki Tikki Tembo
The Mitten by Jan Brett
The Ugly Duckling
The Pancake Boy
Speaking of Gingerbread Baby
Honey… Honey… Lion!
The 3 Little Dassies
Speaking of old tales, The Classic Treasury of Aesop’s Fables
Though a pricey investment, My Book House
, 
. These are quality hardcover books which each include a whole collection of funny stories. Note that some older, used editions may be in black and white, so opt for a newer version if you want a color edition.
We love 
and 
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I dislike the illustrations in many of the Dr. Seuss beginner books, but others like these two by Mike McClintock are actually quite charming: 
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Cynthia Rylant has written several great series of easy readers. Our favorites are the 
to her older brother. When we finished the chapter, she went to the bookshelf and out of the confusion of several hundred picture books she carefully selected 
, 
, and 
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1. Shirley Hughes is one of my absolute favorite children’s authors/illustrators. Not only are her distinctive illustrations carefully executed, they contain so many small details that little children delight in studying them. Her stories are always simple and engaging on the surface, but underneath they invariably present an age appropriate lesson. For example, 
encourages children who are moving that there will be good aspects of their new homes. In 
, Alfie exemplifies that even a small child can offer comfort and help to an older child. And 
is what I consider Hughes’ masterpiece: a tear-jerking tale of sibling love and sacrifice. Hughes also wrote one of my favorite book of children’s poetry:
.
, a lovely story about a pony who realizes that being gentle and kind is more important than being physically beautiful. We also enjoy 
, 
and 
. We love all her stories about Old Bear, Jolly Tall, Little Bear, Rabbit, and Bramwell!
, star Percy the Park Keeper, a sweet-natured gardener who makes friends with all the animals in the park. The largest collection of Percy’s adventures, 
, is out of print but can often be found in used condition quite cheaply.
is one of our favorite first books about feelings. Grumpy kangaroo feels a range of emotions from anger to fear to sadness to happiness throughout his day. This book is simple enough to help a one or two year old to name the emotions.
is not specifically about emotions, but it is easy to pick up the wide range of emotions the mouse feels throughout the story and point out his expressions.
is a powerful lesson for parents and children about the importance of just being there and listening to someone when they’re sad. Toddler Taylor experiences loss, and many animals think they know how to help with words, distractions, and solutions. But in the end, the rabbit is the animal helps the most because he is willing to simply listen to Taylor.
is the perfect book for the young child who struggles with terrible temper tantrums. Jilly has to learn to allow her parents to help her manage her strong emotions. I love how Jilly’s parents exhibit patience and calm throughout the story!
, 
, and 
are part of a series of books written specifically to help young children identify the emotions they feel and deal with these emotions in healthy ways. These books contain a section at the back with teaching tips, questions to discuss with your child, and further ideas for handling emotions.
takes a Catholic look at a mild fear of the dark by addressing whether God is still watching over children in the dark. We love this series by Neal Lozano!
is not overtly about emotions, but it does offer a good lesson about different situations where different feelings are appropriate to act on. Active, crazy Spencer takes his energy and wild feelings outside so that he can be calm when his new little sister is around.This book is great for reading to new older siblings to help explain how to act around a baby.
by Bruce Hale recounts the struggles of Clark, a cheerful, boisterous shark who wants to play with others but keeps knocking them over. His teacher helps him learn to control his desire to bump into others so he can make friends.
is a wonderful story about four animal friends with very different personalities who use their strengths to together complete a treasure hunt. This book is great for showing children that no matter whether you are strong-willed or meticulous or anxious by nature, you have something to contribute to a group of friends.
, a creative book that presents the concept of free will in an engaging manner for young children. Check out my review 
as an extension of reading about emotions and feelings. This game helps children practice skills to deal with emotions and empathize with others.
and its counterpart for girls 
are two books about purity written specifically for Catholic children. These books talk about purity of heart and body as a precious gift from God and how one must resist temptations to impurity. These two books provide a gentle introduction to purity that even our very young children need in this day and age.
is a retelling by Margaret Hodges of a classic Arthurian legend of a humble knight rescuing a fair maiden. Complete with intricate and richly colored illustrations which will fascinate children, this story offers a glimpse into a world of chivalry, knighthood, and honor.
with equally lavish illustrations. This retelling features a real fire-breathing dragon that George fights, but you can discuss with children how the
tells your child the story of Saint Elizabeth complete with gorgeous illustrations.
is an awesome book from modern day mystic Carryll Houselander. This is the first in a series of stories that explain Christ’s suffering and redemption to young children through simple stories.
to 
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is a collection of first-person narrative style lives of 26 well known saints. The text is simple enough that a more advanced reader might be able to tackle this independently.
and its sequels are simply written stories about all sorts of living things. The authors’ intent is to awaken the child’s interest in and sense of wonder at God’s creation.
is a collection of stories featuring Milly-Molly-Mandy’s adventures and everyday dilemnas. Good discussion points are what virtues Milly-Molly-Mandy is showing, or occasionally not showing, in each story.
are too childish for a 6 or 7 year old, you may find your child enjoys them more at this age and will understand more of the humor. This book is a great opportunity to talk about the four temperaments. Is Rabbit choleric? Pooh phlegmatic? Tigger sanguine? Eeyore melancholic? (If you unfamiliar with the temperaments, check out 
!)
, the father offers a special arrowhead for whichever of his children first shows true bravery. Stories like these provide great discussion themes: what is bravery or courage, are there different types of courage, how would your child act in the story, how could your child show courage in daily life?
is the first in a long series of mysteries featuring the Hollister family. Each book features the large Hollister family who exemplify cheerfulness and teamwork as they help others by solving mysteries. These are not great classics of literature, but wholesome, simple, enjoyable books for if you are looking for a light read aloud.
are fun, easy to read mysteries about four siblings which an advanced early reader could read on their own but are also great read alouds. The later books in the series fall off greatly in quality, but the original books by Gertrude Warner from the 1940s are enjoyable classic children’s stories, with good lessons about responsibility, perseverance, and kindness. Prepare to be amazed at the ingenuity of four children making a home in an old boxcar. Journey with the Aldens to Surprise Island for a unique tropical vacation and find a castaway. These were my very favorite books at this age!
is an American classic about Mr. Popper, a housepainter, and the escepades of his penguins. Funny and touching both, this is a book about dreams coming true, showing both the good and bad consequences.
and 
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books chronicle the adventures of Billy and his pony Blaze at home in the country and on vacation in the west. Billy and Blaze explore lost trails, rescue dogs and calves in distress, and even save the country from a forest fire. These books encourage self reliance, bravery, perseverance, and friendship.
and its sequels chronicle the adventures of three children who travel back in time to encounter Jesus and the Gospel in a personal way.
are simple stories about a modern day Catholic family. Each short chapter has a moral and discussion questions included. These stories are also great to read aloud.
is an imaginative story about a family of little people with tails living in the human world. This series abounds with ingenuous inventions and clever solutions to problems.
is a beautiful new book that introduces little children to Mary’s love and her many appearances to her earthly children. Full review 
has the traditional antiphon, then a short kid-friendly meditation on the station with a picture to look at. 
is a good choice. There are a few interactive pages to help the child follow along. This second edition has a sturdy board book style construction to hold up to little hands using it every week!
! There’s a one page story about the saint of the day and a coloring page. Great for engaging young ones! 
is a parable retelling that has quickly become a family favorite. Full review 
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by Regina Doman is the perfect book to nourish a love for unborn babies in your child. This is a sweet story about an unborn baby’s experience in the womb and chats with its guardian angel.