Tortoise Tales is a 1974 anthology of 13 animal-centered fairy tales from around the world that have been collected and retold by Ruth Manning-Sanders. These tales are written for a younger level of a reader unlike Manning-Sanders' more familiar "A Book of..." series.

Tortoise Tales
AuthorRuth Manning-Sanders
IllustratorDonald Chaffin
Cover artistDonald Chaffin
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
GenreFairy tales
PublisherThomas Nelson
Publication date
1972 (UK), 1974 (USA)
Media typePrint (hardcover)
Pages95 pp
ISBN0840763891

According to the dust jacket: "Animals are a basic part of the traditional stories of most countries. ... The author has selected short, simple stories, each so lively that it makes an immediate impact on the listener or reader. This collection has the right combination of humor, pathos, and suspense to captivate preschoolers as well as older children."[citation needed]

The tale "Gar-room!" features the trickster spider Anansi.

Contents edit

Reception edit

Kirkus Reviews wrote "Disappointingly only the first three tales are about Tortoise" and "You'll recognize most of the ploys but these are for slightly younger readers than are most of Manning-Sanders' collections and they are appropriately snappy and short."[1]

It also appeared in library programs[2] and school reading lists.[3]

References edit

  1. ^ "Tortoise Tales". www.kirkusreviews.com. Kirkus Media LLC. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  2. ^ "1996 Florida Library Youth Program: Rhythm and Books - Feel the Beat!". www.archive.org. State Library of Florida. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  3. ^ "Year 3 Reading List" (PDF). www.holmewood.kent.sch.uk. Holmewood House School. 15 October 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2015.