I need some help finding stories from/about different countries

[Tonia]

I'm working on geography plans for next year - we're doing a "Countries and Cultures" theme and I need some help finding some good read-alouds. I've found lots of 'fact' books about the countries we are studying, but could use some advice on picture books, fairy tales, etc. from different countries on a kindergarten level. These are the countries we will be studying -

Canada
USA
Mexico
Brazil
Argentina
South Africa
Nigeria
Egypt
Australia
Indonesia
China
India
North and South Korea
Japan
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Israel
Turkey
Denmark
Sweden
Norway
Finland
Austria
France
Germany
Greece
Ireland
Italy
the Netherlands
Poland
Spain
Switzerland
England
Scotland
Wales

So, if you know of any good books about these countries, please post! Thanks so much!

[Alice]

Do you know the book How to Get Your Child to Love Reading? by Esme Codell?

It's a great resource. It has books listed by subject matter, including a section on books from/about different countries around the world.

[dragons in the flower bed]

Is an anthology okay? There are several excellent ones. We've been enjoying the Oxford (http://www.amazon.com/Oxford-Treasury-World-Stories/dp/0192781812) quite a bit this year, and the Usborne (http://www.amazon.com/Stories-Around-World-Young-Children/dp/0746042078) is a good complement to it.

My kids love this book (http://www.amazon.com/Korean-Childrens-Favorite-Stories-So-un/dp/0804835918), for Korea, and there are similar ones for Tibet and China.

It was hardest to find books of African folktales, but I did dig up a couple and ended up having to order them from the UK. The best of these by far is The Clever Rat by Suzi Lewis-Barned. The author's grandfather collected the stories in East Africa (and in Swahili) when he was working on developing good native texts for teaching Swahili to English speakers. They are exciting and fully illustrated in bold and beautiful watercolors.

I could actually probably list a book or two for each country in this list, but it's easy to find ones which will suit you if you go here (http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/alscresources/booklists/GrowingUpAroundWorld.cfm) and download their lists. These lists are specifically limited to individuals within the cultures writing from their own authentic experience, and heavy on the picture books. Another great way to locate books by level and subject is to use Zuckerman's search engine (http://www.zbarn.net/adult/books_content_css.php).

Have fun with those sites, and let me know if you get stumped on a particular country. I'll dig into our six foot long folktale collection to find what you need.

[Heather in MD]

Our library has a great reference book called "A to Zoo - Subject Access to Children's Picture Books" by Carolyn and John Lima. This reference book lists thousands of books according to the subject - there are over 30 for Australia alone! You might want to see if your library has it, or can get it for you. Ours lets you check out older versions of the books, the newer ones they keep at the reference desk.

I also have the "How to Get Your Child to Love Reading" that another poster mentioned - that's where I found out about the A to Zoo book!

[Kara in FL]

You might try:

The Lion Storyteller Bedtime Book by Hartman. It has stories from Greece, England, Scotland, North America, Puerto Rico, Finland, Africa, Java, India, Wales, Germany, Australia, Japan, Ireland, Spain, Norway, Brazil, Russia, and Egypt.

Usborne Stories from Around the World. This one has stories from Australia, Persia, Greece, France, South America, New Zealand, Germany, Mexico, India, Scandanavia, Italy, Holland, Morocco, China, Czech Republic, Spain, Africa, Russian, Britain, North America, Japan and Cambodia.

The Empty Pot by Demi (China)
The Egyptian Cinderella by Climo
Rechenka's Eggs (Ukraine)

My daughter (4) has LOVED the above books.

As a resource, try Books to Build On: A Grade-By-Grade Resource Guide for Parents and Teachers by Hirsch. You may be able to find this at your library. We have this and have used for book ideas.

The books below I have not read - but might give you some ideas....

The Golden Slipper by Lum (Vietnam)
Five Chinese Brothers
Fisherman and His Wife
Favorite Fairy Tales from ..... by Haviland
Count Your Way Through ..... by Haskins (although several of these got bad reviews on Amazon)
Bill and Pete Go Down the Nile by DePaola
Lon Po Po: A Red Riding Hood Story from China
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by Steptoe

Hope this helps!

[Alana in Canada]

We love Anansi the Spider Tales for Africa.

For Australia we just finished a lovely book called
Are we there yet? : a journey around Australia
by Alison Lester

Canadian Folktales (as such) aren't easy to find, but there's a lovely recording at Librivox of a book by W.T. Larned called "North American Indian Folk Tales." They are tales collected from the Natives in and arounfd the Great Lakes region before they were all wiped out and the stories lost. I've also seen them published as a Dover book.

A Heads-up: The Hiawatha of the poem--is NOT the Hiawatha who helped form the Iroquois Confederacy.

[Lori D.]

nt

[Ferdie]

Not sure what age you are looking for but We found a lot in the Sonlight catalog, I think it was Core 5.

Also the My Father's World Exploring Countries and Cultures Instructor's Guide has a lot of wonderful suggestions too. If you could borrow the IG from a friend it would be worth it.

[Tonia]

You guys are fabulous! These are exactly the suggestions I needed! And my library has most of them, so I will be checking them out! Thank you so much for your help! :D

[Shelly in MD]

Thanks for those sites; I had never seen Zuckerman's before. I will certainly use those!

[Myra]

Try the USborne books -
we have one about stories around the world - great art - good stories

[Laura in OH]

There is a section in there of literature by Geographical Location. I am planning on supplementing BJU Geography with that list.

All Through The Ages: http://www.nothingnewpress.com/atta.shtml

[mcconnellboys]

I have a list of U.S. picture books I used during first grade, by state (also books for territories). It's too long to attach here, but I'm happy to send it to you if you're interested.

Canada - nothing I can think of right now. Broken Paddle is a chapter book about voyageurs that we LOVED last year!


Mexico:

Mexico ABC’s, Hieman
Hummingbird’s Gift, Czernecki
Manuela’s Gift, Estes
Nine Days to Christmas, Ets
Under the Lemon Moon, Fine
How Nanita Learned to Make Flan, Geeslin
In Rosa’s Mexico, Geeslin
On Ramon’s Farm, Geeslin
Moon was at a Fiesta, Gollub
Twenty-five Mixtec Cats, Gollub
Lorenzo, the Naughty Parrot, Johnston
Day of the Dead, Johnston
Magic Maguey, Johnston
Ghost Wings, Joosse
Piggy Bank Gonzales, Kent
Butterfly Boy, Kroll
Hill of Fire, Lewis (audio)
Blanca’s Feather, Madrigal
Trandi’s Braids, Madrigal
Blue Bug Visits Mexico, Poulet
Today is the Day, Riecken
Mice and Beans, Ryan


Brazil:

Count your way through Brazil, Haskins
How Night Came From the Sea, Gerson
Amazon Boy, Lewin
In a Bottle with a Cork on Top, Skurzynski


Argentina - I don't know right now.....


South Africa- Journey to Jo'burg is a good chapter book.....


Nigeria:

Take a Trip to Nigeria, Lye
Bikes for Rent Olaleye
Grandfather’s Work, Onyefulu
Mysterious Gold and Purple Box, Watson
Saying Goodbye, Onyefulu


Egypt - I don't know, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile? perhaps.... something on the Suez Canal......


Australia:

Pumpkin Runner, Arnold
Where the Forest Meets the Sea, Baker
Bossy Boots, Cox
Bright Star, Crew
Dial-a-Croc, Dumbleton
Flood Fish, Eversole
Possum Magic, Fox (home?)
Big Rain Coming, Germein
Don’t Dig so Deep, Nicholas Harrison
Counting by Kangaroos, Hulme
Ernie Dances to the Didgeridoo, Lester
Wombat Goes Walkabout, Morpurgo
Rainforest Children, Pittawpy
Farmer Schulz’s Ducks, Thiele
Snap Vaughan
Wombat Stew, Vaughan
Biggest Frog in Australia (home)
Rescuers Down Under – video
A Waltz Through the Hills – video
Old Shell, New Shell, Ward
Old Woman Who Loved to Read, Winch


Indonesia:

Take a Trip to the Philippines, Oleksy

Vietnam?
Lotus Seed, Garland
Grandfather’s Dream, Keller
Walking Stick, Trottier


China:

Ruby’s Wish, Bridges
Story of Kites, Compestine
Visit to China, Packard
Moon Festival, Russell
Chinese New Year, Schaefer
Chinatown, Low
My Chinatown: One Year in Poems, Mak


India:

Heart of a Tiger, Arnold
Story of Little Babaji, Bannerman
Story of Little Black Sambo, Bannerman
Lakshui, the Water Buffalo Who Wouldn’t, Gobhai
Cow for Jaya, Grant
Poombah of Badoombah, Lillegard
Baya, Baya, Lulla-by-a, McDonald
Gay-Neck: Story of a Pidgeon, Mukerji (audio)
Golden Serpent, Myers
Rikki-Tikki – video
Nine Animals and the Well, Rumford


North and South Korea - I don't know......


Japan:

Old Man who Made the Trees Bloom, Jijii
Magic Fan, Baker
Crane Girl, Charles
Painter and the Wild Swans, Clement
How My Parents Learned to Eat, Friedman (audio)
Ten Oni Drummers, Gollub
Girl from the Snow Country, Hidaka
Kenji and the Magic Geese, Johnson
Yoshi’s Feast, Kajikawa
Carp for Kimiko, Kroll
Seven Gods of Luck, Kudler
Yoshiko and the Foreigner, Little
Moshi, Moshi, London
Dragon Kite, Luenn
Pair of Red Clogs, Matsuno
Cherry Tree, MacCaughrean
Emperor’s Plum Tree, Nikly
Tea with Milk, Say
Long Silk Strand, Williams


Russia:

A Look at Russia, Frost
Babushka Babayaga, Polacco
Philipok, Tolstoy
Little Kim’s Doll, Yaroshevskaya
Three Cheers for Catherine the Great, Best (audio)
Apple Pie and Onions, Caseley
A Piece of Home, Levitin
Trees of the Dancing Goats, Polacco
Uncle Vova’s Tree, Polacco
Dream Jar, Pryor
Twenty-two Russian Tales for Young Children, Tolstoy


Saudi Arabia - anything about the Islamic faith, perhaps? I think Demi has out something.....


Israel - Behold the Trees......


Turkey:

Take a Trip to Turkey, Lye


Denmark - Fat Cat, a Danish Folktale.....


Sweden - I don't know, perhaps Viking tales for both this and Denmark, Norway and Finland?
Norway
Finland


Austria - Grimm's Fairy Tales?


France:

King’s Day: Louis XIV of France, Aliki
Giraffe that Walked to Paris, Milton
Joan of Arc: Heroine of France, Tompert
King Tree, French
Boneparte, Chall
Happy Lion, Fatio
Happy Lion in Africa, Fatio
Happy Lion’s Quest
Happy Lion’s Rabbits
Happy Lion’s Treasure
Happy Lion’s Vacation
Three Happy Lions (do all these really have to do with France?)
Jean-Marie at the Fair, Francoise (and other Jean-Marie books)
Inspector Peckit, Freeman
Dinner at Mabritte’s, Garland
Truffle Hunter, Moore
Harry and Lulu, Yorinks


Germany
Greece
Italy
the Netherlands
Poland
Spain
Switzerland - I can't think of any specific titles right now for any of this particular block....


Ireland
England
Scotland
Wales:

The Queen’s Progress: An Elizabethan Alphabet, Davidson
Anno’s Britain, Anno
Country Mouse Cottage: How we Lived 100 Years Ago, Brooks
Town Mouse House: How we Lived 100 Years Ago, Brooks


Regena

[Tonia]

I hadn't thought of using All Through the Ages. I was planning on buying it for history when we start first grade, but I will just have to add it to my list a little sooner ;)

And thank you SOOOO much for that list of books, Regena - that is very helpful. I am sending you a pm about the other books.

Thanks a bunch everyone! :D

[mcconnellboys]

I don't have a website, LOL, not smart enough to be able to make one. But I think they are on several other people's websites as well as on some of the yahoo groups for WTM.

Regena

[Closeacademy]

If you want some folk and fairy tales from other countries the 398.2 section of most children's libraries is a great place to look through. We've found some wonderful stories there with beautiful pictures.:)