Balinese children's Favourite Stories

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Once upon a time, Ni Diyah Tantri, the beautiful daughter of a chief minister to the king, is summoned to the royal chamber. No sooner does she enter the king's apartment than she begins to ply him with tales, each more intriguing than the last, until he is captivated by Ni Diyah TantriÆs irrepressible spirit. Balinese Children's Favorite Stories brings to life eleven of Ni Diyah Tantri's best-loved stories in a style which will appeal to children and adults alike.

In the same series as the popular Japanese Children's Favorite Stories and Filipino Children's Favorite Stories. Balinese Children's Favorite Stories is narrated with an international audience in mind and illustrated with whimsical watercolors by Trina Bohan-Tyrie.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• The Haughty Toad
• The Saintly Stork
• The Golden Axe
• The Talkative Turtle
• The Rajah who Lost His Head
• The Ant and the Dove
• The Dog who Flattered a Crow
• A Tale of Two Sisters
• The Four Naughty Boys
• The Missing Pig
• The Three Fishes.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

"Four Naughty Boys," "The Dog Who Flattered a Cow" and "The Rajah Who Lost His Head" are among the 12 tales and myths included in Balinese Children's Favorite Stories, retold by Victoria Mason with Gillian Beal, illus. by Trina Bohan-Tyrie. Some, such as "The Saintly Stork" seem based on those of Aesop, the author explains, while others are "peculiarly Balinese." Much of the artwork captures the costume and breathtaking Bali setting. ( Dec.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

School Library Journal Review

Gr 1-4-Mason and Beal's collection presents 11 tales from the Balinese tradition. Although the origin of some of the selections is obscure, Mason notes that some have their roots in Aesop. In one story, a talkative turtle must bite down on a stick in order to be carried to safety by two geese. In another, a dove saves an ant from drowning and is later rescued when the ant and its friends bite a boy before he can shoot the dove with a poisoned arrow. Other tales are reminiscent of European fairy tales. Many of these instructional tales involve animals. The watercolor illustrations vary greatly in style and coloration. The soft, hazy island ocean scene on the endpapers contrasts with the brightly colored folk-style cartoon animals and intricately detailed Balinese costumes that decorate the text. Libraries with large folk- and fairy-tale collections will want to own this readable treasury, as tales from Bali are hard to find. One that is available is Judy Sierra's The Dancing Pig (Harcourt, 1999).-Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.