Tom Paxton

The fourth and final Aesop collaboration between singer-songwriter Tom Paxton and illustrator Robert Rayevsky, Birds of a Feather and Other Aesop's Fables presents ten of these classic morality tales, retold in rhyming verse. From the titular Birds of a Feather (also known as The Donkey and his Buyer), in which a donkey is returned to his seller after he takes to "bad company," to The Wind and the Sun, in which two heavenly forces argue as to who is the strongest, these are stories which show more will be very familiar to the Aesop enthusiast. Other selections include:

Peace Breaks Out (The Lion and the Boar), in which two combatants put aside their differences when they observe vultures in the vicinity of their combat...

Seeing Is Believing (The Boastful Athlete), in which a prodigal son returns to his home village, boasting of his incredible feats, only to be met with a demand for a demonstration...

The Laborer and the Nightingale, in which a man gains "three pearls of wisdom" from his former captive...

The Cat and the Fox, in which two friends discuss their methods of escaping danger, only to find that they must put those methods to the test...

The Frogs Choose a King, in which a group of foolish frogs long for a "real" king, only to find that they are the ones who suffer for it, when their wish is granted...

The Pot Calls the Kettle Black (The Wolf and the Lion), in which a wold learns that there is no honor among thieves, when his ill-gotten prize is stolen by the lion...

The Cock and the Pearl, in which a cock discovers a priceless jewel on his dung-heap, and reflects that that which has value for some, is worthless to others...

The Horse and the Donkey, in which a proud horse learns that it is better to share the load from the beginning, than to be forced to carry it alone...

I found myself somewhat less enthusiastic about this collection, which was not the equal of the previous three from this author-illustrator team. Paxton's rhymes were a little clunky, and sometimes felt forced, and half of Rayevsky's illustrations had an unattractive and dreary quality. Many of them had a dark brown background which made the characters difficult to pick out - an odd choice. Aesop fans are recommended to concentrate on the earlier titles from Paxton and Rayevsky, and avoid this disappointing finale. show less

Ten of Aesop's classic fables are here retold by singer/songwriter Tom Paxton, who transforms them from pithy prose to rhyming verse. From the opening selection, Patience, in which a hungry fox finds it easier to squeeze into a hollow tree than out of it, to the final offering, The Grasshopper and the Ants, in which a singing grasshopper discovers too late that he should have spent his summer storing food, this is an eminently readable version of the fables. The rhythm and rhyme of Paxton's show more poetry make it a fun read-aloud, and an excellent story-hour offering. Other selections include:

The Fox and the Grapes, in which an unsatisfied fox decides that the grapes which he cannot obtain must be sour. It is from this famous fable that the phrase "sour grapes" is derived...

Poor Old Lion, also known as The Old Lion and the Fox, in which a clever fox avoids the pitfalls of visiting a sick lion, having observed that none of the other visitors ever leave...

The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs, in which a greedy man, not satisfied with the wealth brought in by his extraordinary goose, decides to "speed things up," destroying the goose - and his good fortune - in the process...

Gratitude, also sometimes styled The Lion and the Mouse, in which a mouse proves that the small can sometimes help the mighty, and that no act of kindness is ever wasted...

The Tortoise and the Hare, in which the lesson of "slow and steady wins the race" is demonstrated by the persistent tortoise, who defeats his much faster opponent in a race...

The Dog in the Manger, in which a greedy dog determines that he will keep all the hay, and give none to the hungry horse, even though he himself has no use for the hay...

The Whispering Bear, in which the unexpected appearance of a bear tests the friendship of two men, one of whom learns that important lesson that "a friend in need, is a friend indeed."

The Boy Who Cried Wolf, in which a mischievous shepherd boy learns that it is unwise to cry for help when he does not need it...

The pleasure of reading Paxton's poems is enhanced by Robert Rayevsky's charming illustrations, with their engraving-like details and vivid hues. His foxes cavort in capes and plumes, his faces are marvelously expressive, from the proud tortoise to the chagrined hare. I understand that the Paxton/Rayevsky team has worked on other Aesop retellings, and I will make a point to hunt them down. show less

The third Aesop collection from singer-songwriter Tom Paxton and illustrator Robert Rayevsky, Adrocles and the Lion and Other Aesop's Fables presents ten fables retold in verse form. From the opening selection, the titular Androcles and the Lion, in which a runaway slave is repaid for his kindness to a lion, to the concluding fable, The Wolf and the Crane, in which a crane's kindness to a wolf is NOT repaid, these poems are excellent pieces to read aloud. Other selections include:

The Wolf in show more Sheep's Clothing, in which a lamb learns too late not to trust to appearances...

The Bald Knight, in which a knight with a sense of humor learns that it is best to just accept oneself...

The Tree and the Reed, in which a proud tree finds that he is not as strong as he thought, and that sometimes flexibility is as important as size...

The Donkey Carrying Salt, in which a donkey pays a terrible price for continuing to try to lighten his workload...

The Ant and the Dove, in which two small creatures aid one another in times of danger...

The King of the Barnyard (also known as The Fighting Cocks and the Eagle), in which the victor in a barnyard brawl finds that he has scant time to triumph over his opponent...

The Jay and the Peacocks, in which a plain jay attempts to "dress up" in the borrowed finery of peacock feathers, but learns that it is best not to pretend to be what you are not...

The Man, the Boy, and the Donkey, in which a farmer and his son discover that it is impossible to please everyone they meet up[book:on the road|6288]...

The pleasure of reading Paxton's rhymes is enhanced by Robert Rayevsky's illustrations, with their strong, earthy tones and engraving-like details. Although his work for his first collaboration with Paxton, Aesop's Fables, had a decidedly Renaissance sensibility, here Rayevsky draws inspiration from a wide range of periods, from ancient Rome to modern New York City. An excellent third collection from this duo! show less

Following upon their initial Aesop collection, published in 1988, singer-songwriter Tom Paxton and illustrator Robert Rayevsky teamed up a second time in Belling the Cat and Other Aesop's Fables, which presents ten fables, retold in verse-form. Here the reader will encounter such ubiquitous favorites as Town Mouse and Country Mouse, in which a country mouse learns that the simple life of peace and quiet is best. Here too are lesser-known, but equally appealing selections, such as the show more humorous Who's Helping Whom? (also sometimes known as The Stomach and the Feet), in which the stomach and feet debate their importance to one another. The other fables include:

The titular Belling the Cat, in which a group of mice, determined to protect themselves from a dangerous cat, discover that a good idea isn't always practicable...

The Night Singer (The Caged Bird and the Bat), in which a songbird learns too late not to call attention to herself...

Many Friends (The Hare With Many Friends), in which a hare learns the value of true friendship when all her supposed "friends" cannot be bothered to help her in a time of crisis...

The Crow and the Pitcher, in which a clever crow finds a way to get the water he needs...

Honesty Is the Best Policy (The Honest Woodcutter), in which an honest woodcutter is rewarded, and a dishonest one is punished...

The Bird Who Lost His Song, in which the kite loses his ability to sing when he attempts to imitate the sounds of a horse's neigh...

The Milkmaid and Her Pail, in which a careless milkmaid loses her milk when she becomes distracted by her visions of what she will do with it...

And finally, The Dog in the River (The Dog and the Bone), in which a greedy dog loses the bone he has by reaching for something more...

Paxton's verse makes for an entertaining read, with the enjoyment considerably enhanced by reciting each selection aloud. Accompanied by Rayevsky's engraving-like illustrations, with their whimsical sartorial details, this collection should appeal to young Aesop fans and nursery-rhyme lovers. A worthy second volume from this duo! show less