Book reviews - short stories

The Lion Storyteller Book of Animal Tales retold by Bob Hartman 

Bob Hartman is a professional storyteller and this shines through in his collections of short stories. Animal stories are always popular and have been for centuries. This collection draws on some of the very old favourites such as The Tortoise and the Hare and moves on to some original stories written by Bob himself. There are stories from all around the world, bringing great diversity to the collection. Bob tells us in his introduction that he has chosen the stories because they encourage the best human traits and his hope is that they will encourage children to be more compassionate, or kind, or gentle - storytelling is a wonderful way to achieve this as children absorb the messages in stories. This would be a great classroom and assembly resource as well as a lovely book for children and parents to share. As with his other books, there is an excellent section at the end on sharing these stories with groups to get the best out of them. The illustrations by Krisztina Kallai Nagy are enchanting and the perfect foil for the stories.

How the Whale Became by Ted Hughes

'Long ago when the world was new, all the creatures were pretty much alike.' This classic collection of stories is inevitably compared with Kipling's Just So Stories, but this is totally different and a wonderful collection in its own right. 11 stories including the title one, which tells us how the whale got to be so huge. Read about the Owl who deceives the other animals; the sly Fox who develops a taste for chickens; the  vain Polar Bear; why the Hyena laughs; how the Tortoise got a shell instead; and then there's the Bee, the Cat; the Donkey; the Hare and the Elephant.  All children should be introduced to these humorous and thought-provoking tales (ideal for reading aloud) and they deserve to be even more widely read, so it's great to see a new edition.

Illustrated Adventure Stories edited by Lesley Sims 

I love this series of chunky anthologies from Usborne Books. They are a super way to introduce children to stories and great for reading aloud. This collection contains five super classic adventure stories, ideal to capture attention - The Count of Monte Cristo, The Prisoner of Zenda, Don Quixote, The Three Musketeers and The Thirty Nine Steps. Each is retold in pacy accessible language, ensuring children are quickly drawn into the story. The illustrations, which are plentiful, hep understanding and keep interest alive. With such a positive introduction to the classics, hopefully children will go on to read the originals very soon.

Illustrated stories for boys

I love this series of chunky books from Usborne. They are beautifully produced and crammed full of illustrations. Ask boys what would be in their dream collection of stories and they would respond 'Pirates, dragons, robots and monsters'. Well, they are all here in this wonderful collection. Just the right length for young readers to read on their own, or for bedtime stories. The inclusion of classics such as Sir Gawain and Treasure Island is a great way to introduce children to the classics and instil a desire to read the whole story. The illustrations fit the stories beautifully and give plenty of scope for discussion around the story. Look out for others in the series, including

Illustrated Classics for Boys (Anthologies & Treasuries)

Illustrated stories for girls

A gorgeous gift for young girls, this beautiful treasury of 'Usborne Young Reading' titles will delight and entertain with its mix of classic fairytales and original stories. It features well-known classics such as 'The Princess and the Pea', 'The Little Mermaid' and 'Rapunzel' alongside brand new stories about mermaids, fairies, princesses and dolls. 'Usborne's Young Reading' series is developed in conjunction with experts from Roehampton University and is designed to encourage independent reading. Each story has clear, engaging text and is accompanied by original illustrations. Try these too:

Illustrated Animal Stories (Usborne Anthologies and Treasuries)

Illustrated Fairy Tales (Usborne Illustrated Stories)

Illustrated Stories from Around the World