Traditional Literature stories are told by word of mouth, from one generation to the next, with the intent to keep a family story or tradition.
Categories of Traditional Literature:
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Fables:
a lesson is taught through the story; characters are typically simple
a lesson is taught through the story; characters are typically simple
The Gift
By: Kristine Franklin
Picture Book – Fable
Summary: Jimmy Joe’s favorite thing to do is fishing. Fish Woman asks him to go fishing one day and Jimmy Joe is so excited, even though she calls him Eyes-Like-Blackberries. On their fishing adventure, Jimmy Joe catches a huge salmon. However, once he caught it Jimmy Joe feels bad that the fish is lying there dead. Then, a whale came and Jimmy Joe threw the salmon back in the water. The whale ate it up right away! Fish Woman explains to Jimmy Joe that seeing the whales is a “gift”.
Interest Level: Kindergarten – 2nd Grade
Grade Level/Reading Level: 2.5 (2nd Grade 5 Months
By: Kristine Franklin
Picture Book – Fable
Summary: Jimmy Joe’s favorite thing to do is fishing. Fish Woman asks him to go fishing one day and Jimmy Joe is so excited, even though she calls him Eyes-Like-Blackberries. On their fishing adventure, Jimmy Joe catches a huge salmon. However, once he caught it Jimmy Joe feels bad that the fish is lying there dead. Then, a whale came and Jimmy Joe threw the salmon back in the water. The whale ate it up right away! Fish Woman explains to Jimmy Joe that seeing the whales is a “gift”.
Interest Level: Kindergarten – 2nd Grade
Grade Level/Reading Level: 2.5 (2nd Grade 5 Months
Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale
By: John Steptoe
Picture Book
Summary: This story tells of two young women, Manyara and Nyasha, who are the daughters of Mufara. Everyone in the village knows of these two beautiful girls, but only Nyasha knows of her sisters mean attitude. Nyasha does not want to burden or upset their father, so she keeps quiet about Manyara’s taunting and mistreatment. Instead, she keeps to herself in her garden, where she sings to her friend Nyoka, a snake. One day the king announces he is looking for a wife and Manyara jumps at the opportunity and will not let anything or anyone get in her way. She sneaks off to the King’s castle before anyone else and passes through situations in where her kindness is tested. She fails every test the king sets up for her to prove her kindness. Therefore, when Nyasha finally reaches the king the next morning, it is she who he chooses because Nyoka was all along in disguise as the king.
Interest Level: Kindergarten – 3rd Grade
Grade Level/Reading Level: 4.3 (4th Grade 3 Months)
By: John Steptoe
Picture Book
Summary: This story tells of two young women, Manyara and Nyasha, who are the daughters of Mufara. Everyone in the village knows of these two beautiful girls, but only Nyasha knows of her sisters mean attitude. Nyasha does not want to burden or upset their father, so she keeps quiet about Manyara’s taunting and mistreatment. Instead, she keeps to herself in her garden, where she sings to her friend Nyoka, a snake. One day the king announces he is looking for a wife and Manyara jumps at the opportunity and will not let anything or anyone get in her way. She sneaks off to the King’s castle before anyone else and passes through situations in where her kindness is tested. She fails every test the king sets up for her to prove her kindness. Therefore, when Nyasha finally reaches the king the next morning, it is she who he chooses because Nyoka was all along in disguise as the king.
Interest Level: Kindergarten – 3rd Grade
Grade Level/Reading Level: 4.3 (4th Grade 3 Months)
Rumpelstiltskin
By: Paul O. Zelinksky
Picture Book
Summary: One day a miller tells the king that he has a beautiful daughter, who can spin straw into gold. The king requests her to come to his castle and do so or she will be killed. The problem is, she does not know how to do so. A little man comes in and spins the straw into gold for her in exchange for her necklace, and then her ring, and finally for her first-born child once, she has one. The king marries the miller’s daughter and a year later they have a child. The little man is back for the child in which he was promised. She weeps until he says she can keep her baby if she can guess what his name is. The miller’s daughter cannot remember the little man’s name so she sends a servant to find his name. Once the queen tells him his name is Rumpelstiltskin, he flies off screaming that the devil told her that.
Interest Level: Kindergarten – 3rd Grade
Grade Level/Reading Level: 4.0 (Beginning of 4th Grade)
By: Paul O. Zelinksky
Picture Book
Summary: One day a miller tells the king that he has a beautiful daughter, who can spin straw into gold. The king requests her to come to his castle and do so or she will be killed. The problem is, she does not know how to do so. A little man comes in and spins the straw into gold for her in exchange for her necklace, and then her ring, and finally for her first-born child once, she has one. The king marries the miller’s daughter and a year later they have a child. The little man is back for the child in which he was promised. She weeps until he says she can keep her baby if she can guess what his name is. The miller’s daughter cannot remember the little man’s name so she sends a servant to find his name. Once the queen tells him his name is Rumpelstiltskin, he flies off screaming that the devil told her that.
Interest Level: Kindergarten – 3rd Grade
Grade Level/Reading Level: 4.0 (Beginning of 4th Grade)
Fractured Fairy Tales:
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs
By: Mo Willems
Picture Book
Summary: Mama Dinosaur, Papa Dinosaur and a dinosaur visiting from Norway were all very hungry. So, they decided to make three bowls of chocolate pudding and set them at the table to be eaten. They cleaned up their house, made their beds, and went into the woods. The dinosaurs were waiting for some little girl to come walking through the woods and go into their house just like Goldilocks did to the three bears. Sure enough, Goldilocks comes through the woods and goes into their house eating all of the chocolate pudding. But, just as the dinosaurs come in the front door to eat her, she sneaks out of the back door because they forgot to lock it!
Interest Level: Pre-Kindergarten – 2nd Grade
Grade Level/Reading Level: 4.2 (4th Grade 2 Months)
By: Mo Willems
Picture Book
Summary: Mama Dinosaur, Papa Dinosaur and a dinosaur visiting from Norway were all very hungry. So, they decided to make three bowls of chocolate pudding and set them at the table to be eaten. They cleaned up their house, made their beds, and went into the woods. The dinosaurs were waiting for some little girl to come walking through the woods and go into their house just like Goldilocks did to the three bears. Sure enough, Goldilocks comes through the woods and goes into their house eating all of the chocolate pudding. But, just as the dinosaurs come in the front door to eat her, she sneaks out of the back door because they forgot to lock it!
Interest Level: Pre-Kindergarten – 2nd Grade
Grade Level/Reading Level: 4.2 (4th Grade 2 Months)
Petite Rouge
By: Mike Artell
Picture Book
Summary: Petite Red Riding Hood’s Grandmere is sick, so her and her cat, TeJean are bringing her some food across the swamp. On their way, Claude, an alligator, stops them. Claude wants some of their food but Petite Rouge refuses to give her any. Claude beats them to Grand-mere’s house and dresses up as her. Petite Rouge and TeJean are fooled and when they notice they are about to be eaten, they pour hot sauce on the food. Claude’s mouth burns and he never wants to eat anyone or their food again!
Interest Level: Kindergarten – 3rd Grade
Grade Level/Reading Level: 3.9 (3rd Grade 9 Months)
By: Mike Artell
Picture Book
Summary: Petite Red Riding Hood’s Grandmere is sick, so her and her cat, TeJean are bringing her some food across the swamp. On their way, Claude, an alligator, stops them. Claude wants some of their food but Petite Rouge refuses to give her any. Claude beats them to Grand-mere’s house and dresses up as her. Petite Rouge and TeJean are fooled and when they notice they are about to be eaten, they pour hot sauce on the food. Claude’s mouth burns and he never wants to eat anyone or their food again!
Interest Level: Kindergarten – 3rd Grade
Grade Level/Reading Level: 3.9 (3rd Grade 9 Months)
Folktales: written in legacy of someone
Grandma and the Great Gourd
By: Chitra Divakaruni
Picture Book
Summary: Grandma lived in a little village with her two dogs, Kalu and Bhulu. One day she received a letter from her daughter asking her to come visit. On Grandma’s journey, she ran into a hungry fox, bear, and tiger. With her wise words she was able to persuade them to eat her on the way back from her daughter’s because she will have more meat on her bones. When it was time for Grandma to go back home, she came up with the plan to roll through the woods in a gourd she grew. Her plan worked on the very hungry bear and tiger, but not for the fox. Luckily, Grandma’s dogs came to her rescue and scared the fox away!
Interest Level: Kindergarten – 3rd Grade
Grade Level/Reading Level: 3.9 (3rd Grade 9 Months)
By: Chitra Divakaruni
Picture Book
Summary: Grandma lived in a little village with her two dogs, Kalu and Bhulu. One day she received a letter from her daughter asking her to come visit. On Grandma’s journey, she ran into a hungry fox, bear, and tiger. With her wise words she was able to persuade them to eat her on the way back from her daughter’s because she will have more meat on her bones. When it was time for Grandma to go back home, she came up with the plan to roll through the woods in a gourd she grew. Her plan worked on the very hungry bear and tiger, but not for the fox. Luckily, Grandma’s dogs came to her rescue and scared the fox away!
Interest Level: Kindergarten – 3rd Grade
Grade Level/Reading Level: 3.9 (3rd Grade 9 Months)
Tall Tales:
known for exaggeration; written in modern times; based off of someone who is still living or once lived
known for exaggeration; written in modern times; based off of someone who is still living or once lived
John Henry
By: Julius Lester
Picture Book
Summary: John Henry was important and drew attention from everyone all around, the very minute he was born. He also proved himself to be strong, fast, and hardworking by outrunning a man on his horse, breaking through a boulder only using his sledge hammer, and finally by digging through a mountain faster than a machine. The people could not believe the strength of John Henry! This story teaches the important lesson of making your life meaningful while you are alive.
Interest Level: Kindergarten – 3rd Grade
Grade Level/Reading Level: 4.0 (Beginning of 4th Grade)
By: Julius Lester
Picture Book
Summary: John Henry was important and drew attention from everyone all around, the very minute he was born. He also proved himself to be strong, fast, and hardworking by outrunning a man on his horse, breaking through a boulder only using his sledge hammer, and finally by digging through a mountain faster than a machine. The people could not believe the strength of John Henry! This story teaches the important lesson of making your life meaningful while you are alive.
Interest Level: Kindergarten – 3rd Grade
Grade Level/Reading Level: 4.0 (Beginning of 4th Grade)