📖 Overview
Tell Me Another Story is a collection of folk tales and stories for children published in 1918 by educator and author Carolyn Sherwin Bailey. The book contains over 50 stories drawn from various cultural traditions and adapted for young readers.
The tales range from fables and fairy stories to moral lessons and simple narratives about everyday life. Each story stands alone and can be read individually or as part of the larger anthology, making it suitable for both classroom use and bedtime reading.
The stories incorporate recurring themes of kindness, honesty, friendship, and doing what is right. Characters face choices and challenges that reflect common childhood experiences, while magical elements and animal tales add fantasy and wonder.
This collection exemplifies Bailey's educational philosophy that stories should both entertain children and help develop their character through accessible narratives and clear moral lessons. The straightforward retellings preserve the essence of traditional tales while making them relevant to modern young readers.
👀 Reviews
Readers appreciate the collection of 41 folk tales and stories from various cultures, particularly for reading aloud to children ages 4-8. Parents note the stories are short enough for bedtime but contain enough detail to spark discussions.
Liked:
- Clear moral lessons without being heavy-handed
- Diverse cultural representation
- Appropriate length for young attention spans
- Quality illustrations that complement the text
Disliked:
- Some dated language and cultural references
- A few stories contain elements modern parents find too dark
- Print editions can be hard to find
Ratings:
Goodreads: 4.1/5 (127 ratings)
Amazon: 4.4/5 (18 ratings)
One parent reviewer noted: "The stories are simple but not simplistic. My 5-year-old asks for them repeatedly." Another mentioned: "The folk tale adaptations stay true to their origins while remaining accessible to modern children."
Several reviewers mentioned successfully using the book in elementary classrooms for cultural education units.
📚 Similar books
Folk Tales for Children by Laura Lee Hope
Stories blending traditional folktales with life lessons follow the same pattern of teaching through narrative as Bailey's collection.
A Story Garden for Little Children by Maud Lindsay The collection presents simple tales structured for young listeners with gentle morals and familiar themes that mirror Bailey's storytelling approach.
The Book of Stories for the Story Teller by Fanny E. Coe This compilation provides educators and parents with tales selected for oral storytelling in the same tradition as Bailey's work.
For the Children's Hour by Carolyn S. Bailey, Clara M. Lewis The anthology contains stories crafted for young children's comprehension levels using the same educational principles found in Tell Me Another Story.
The Children's Book of Virtues by William J. Bennett This collection pairs traditional stories with character lessons following Bailey's method of teaching through storytelling.
A Story Garden for Little Children by Maud Lindsay The collection presents simple tales structured for young listeners with gentle morals and familiar themes that mirror Bailey's storytelling approach.
The Book of Stories for the Story Teller by Fanny E. Coe This compilation provides educators and parents with tales selected for oral storytelling in the same tradition as Bailey's work.
For the Children's Hour by Carolyn S. Bailey, Clara M. Lewis The anthology contains stories crafted for young children's comprehension levels using the same educational principles found in Tell Me Another Story.
The Children's Book of Virtues by William J. Bennett This collection pairs traditional stories with character lessons following Bailey's method of teaching through storytelling.
🤔 Interesting facts
🌟 Carolyn Sherwin Bailey won the Newbery Medal in 1947 for her book "Miss Hickory," making her one of the early female recipients of this prestigious children's literature award.
📚 Many of Bailey's stories, including those in "Tell Me Another Story," were influenced by her experience as a kindergarten teacher and her belief that children learn best through storytelling.
🎓 As an educator at Columbia University Teachers College, Bailey developed innovative methods for teaching children through folklore and fairy tales.
✍️ During her career spanning over 50 years, Bailey authored more than 70 books for children and educators, establishing herself as a pioneer in early childhood education literature.
🌍 Her collections of stories often incorporated diverse cultural elements and folktales from around the world, helping to introduce young American readers to global perspectives in the early 20th century.