Written, according to legend, by the Greek slave Aesop, these one or two page fables offers the readers lessons and morals for a variety of circumstances. The edition that I read did not contain all of Aesop’s fables (there are over 350+ stories), but did include many of familiar ones, Androcles and the Lions, the Fox and the grapes, story of the tortoise and the hare, the country mouse and the city mouse etc. For the most part I was disappointed (I think my previous exposure to the Aesop Fables was from the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show and the "Aesop & Son" segments—very funny and much more insightful than the original)—most of the tales appear to be pointless, with some either hypocritical or abhorrent—many of the fables the reader is presented with a character of honorable behavior that is taken advantage of by those who are not. I suppose the moral of any story is life is hard—get used to it! I would not recommended this to any child—even though this book is often marketed that way—only 2 out of 5 stars. ( )

Aesop’s Fables has become one of the most popular collections of traditional European children’s literature. These legendary fables consist of the most common and traditional morals that millions of people still read today. Popular folktales such as The Tortoise and the Hare, The Boy Who Cried Wolf and The Lion and the Mouse present classic life lessons for children that most anyone could agree with. For example, the moral of The Tortoise and the Hare is: slow and steady winds the race. This is truly a very important and helpful lesson for all children to learn. While each fable results in its own unique moral, Aesop’s Fables should be included in every child’s education due to its common and socially accepted life skills and morals. ( )