UNIT 1

Lesson 1

The Place of Literature in a Childs Life

From the beginnings of education in our country, children’s literature has always had a
place in the school curriculum. Although the emphasis the literary experiences of young people
at school have changed from time to time, the basic commitment to literature as a valuable
ingredient to their education has remained.

Except for the textbooks for classroom training, children have not been exposed to a
wealth of challenging reading materials for their own pleasure. Textbooks are not enough; books
that young people can read for their own enjoyment and profit are needed. The practical values
of children’s books have not been fully recognized. Because of the dearth of reading materials,
children turn to anything within their reach, anything that is accessible to them, like comics,
songbooks, and magazines that are done hardly in good taste especially the local comics that
abound in magazine stands on practically every corner. They watch mediocre TV shows and
listen to the soapbox operas and other humdrum radio programs. Movies that claim to be of
social relevance are nothing more than the glorification of the feats of infamous characters
endowed with folk-hero appeal and are nothing more than exercises in erotica.

This kind of environment produces a deprived child with questionable values in life.
Those existing conditions are not impossible to change as long as there are people who are aware
of the needs of the child and are willing to do something to counteract what brought such
conditions. These changes should be a cooperative undertaking combining the effort of those
who touch the child’s life-parents, teachers, as well as librarians.

A child’s appreciation of good literature comes partly from exposure to stimulating

stories and books which start at home.

Teachers, librarians as well as parents, can work effectively in developing in children a

love for literature to expand the horizon of children a love for literature to expand the horizon of
children and enhance their worth as children who will someday become worthwhile adults who
can contribute to their country’s progress and prosperity and who can be versatile in meeting the
challenges of rapidly changing milieu.

The world of books offers children rich opportunities for developing into citizens and
well-rounded personalities who will be assets to their family and society. Through books, they
may partly fulfill their basic emotional needs – an indispensable condition for personality
development.

Books are no substitute for living, but they can give momentary relief from trouble, or a
new insight into problems, or a source of information, comfort, and pleasure to those who know
how to use them. This is as true for children as well as for adults. There is therapeutic value of
literature that must be recognized. Literature provides emotional release, and, in reading the
writings of others, many children are able to project themselves so that they receive help for their
own problem. They come to understand human nature by learning that their problems are not
unique.

Through literature the child develop his tastes in reading for pleasure. If he experiences
satisfaction in the stories the teacher reads, he will seek out this satisfaction in other stories.

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Satisfaction, happiness, contentment, fun, joy, positive release, pleasure: all of these should
accompany the literature period in the classroom.

Literature fulfills a need in the classroom which does not confine it to the language arts
alone. It touches on every aspect of living and should be an integral part of the school program.
At least every day or in some situations or instances more than this, a teacher should read a poem
or story or tell a story to the children regardless of their age range or grade placement. There is a
wealth of good literature for every occasion that the teacher can choose from.

Children need literature in order to enrich their own language. Literature is a beautiful
language, thus freeing him to expose its meaning and requiring him to use his higher mental
processes. The processes of thinking, perceiving, remembering, forming concepts, generalizing
and abstracting are made possible as the child acquires his vocabulary.

Children’s literature contributes toward creative development in boys and girls and offers
many opportunities for creative teaching. The creative teaching of literature can contribute to
creative development in many ways:

1. It can children to write for themselves. Children who write their own literature are
always eager to see what others write.
2. It can help build a vocabulary that will help the child to express himself better.
3. It can help children build skills in expression.
4. It can develop sensitivity to sights, sounds, words, life’s problems and people.

Literature provides various experiences which enhance the development of children.

They can increase their knowledge, change their outlook, broaden their interest, develop
desirable attitudes and values, refine their tastes, modify their behavior, and stimulate intellectual
and emotional growth and on various ways help to prepare them for more effective participation
in social processes and for living life fully.
Literature is entertainment. Along with a radio, television, movies and picture magazines,
sometime should be reserved for reading. The reading of fine prose and poetry helps to take
children away from the urgencies and cares of living and refresh their spirit.
Children should properly motivate and guided to read good books. Oftentimes children
don’t have time to read because they are laden heavily with homework and they hardly have time
to read for pleasure. Over-dependence on textbooks has forced children to exist on an
impoverished literary diet.
The best initiators or motivators for developing in children the desire to read are the
parents, the teachers and the librarians.
There are many techniques, activities, devices which can be used to develop children’s
interest in literature. The task of parents, teachers, librarians and even writers is to guide the
children into the world of books where they will find joy and interesting works that can satisfy
their various purposes for reading.
However, it is not enough to encourage the children to read.
Children who, through intimate, daily contacts with the best in children’s literature—
know that a good book is the best of friends, today and forever.

5.

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Lesson 2

Children’s Reading Interests

Children’s reading materials, when chosen in the light of their needs and interests, serve
as one of the essential factors in their development in the various phases of growth. Good
literature brings the child into contact with great minds and various forms of experiences,
increasing his knowledge of human nature and of the expanding world around him. Literature
does not only increase the child’s knowledge about life and living but can also become a
springboard for creative writings, dramatics, art and music.

In order to achieve these desirable changes in the child through literature, it is necessary
to know each child – his interests, capacities, needs, and aspirations. Parents, teachers, librarians
share the responsibility of helping him find the right books and provide activities that are related
to his interests and needs.

Interest is an expression of an individual’s pattern of reaction or behavior toward himself,

his environment, his associates and the situations he may find himself. Interests develop from
early childhood and progresses onward as a result of experience. An interest can be interpreted as
a motivating force that stimulates the individual to participate in one activity rather than in
another.

Needs has been defined as the “desire for what are called or considered necessities.” Need is lack
of these necessities. Needs are strong motivation that have to be met. Needs have been classified
in several ways: physical, mental, emotional, social, moral and spiritual, aesthetic, economic and
recreational. Other educators and child psychologists classify needs of children which are also
basically man’s needs as: need for emotional security, need for long spiritual security, need to
belong, to be a part of a group, need for recreation or diversion, need for aesthetic satisfaction.

Certain basic needs are common to most people at most times. A child’s need at first are
very strongly personal, but as he grows up and matures, they become broader and more
socialized.

1. Need for Material Security

The child’s need of material or economic security comes first and begins in his mother’s
or father’s arms. It extends gradually to include his regular routine of eating and sleeping and
everything that gives him comfort and well-being.

The old fairy told were told by people who didn’t have enough to eat or to keep them
comfortable. So their stories were full of brightly burning fires, tables filled with plenty of good
food, fine clothes and splendid palaces.

2. Need for Emotional Security

Every child feels the need to be loved and wanted.

Stories about home life are popular to children of all ages. Emotional security is a higher
kind of security than material or economic security. It has an inner and spiritual quality made up
of love, courage and happiness- the fundamental factors of security which every child should
have and build into his ideals of family life. Such stories such as Laura Ingall’s “Little House on
the prairie” and Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women” fill this need.

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3. Need for intellectual Security

The children needs to know accurately and surely. Nowadays parents and teachers realize
that the child with keen intelligence has also a wide intellectual curiosity about many things.

There are many readable, accurate, and beautifully illustrated books about birds, plants,
domestic and wild animals, stars and people, and about the applied sciences from household
gadgets to radio, television, jets and rockets that are available in book stores and libraries.

4. Need for Spiritual Security

Spiritual security enables the individual to surmount dangers, overcome failures and even
tragedies. Spiritual security is a result of a strong religious belief. Spiritual security grows out of
a belief in God.

There are books, such as “Little Women” and “Little House on the Prairie” and other
books that do not refer to specific religious groups or practices. Some old fairy tales carry the
message that decent and kind people will eventually overcome hardships and evils if they face
them with courage and perseverance.

When children read the biographies of heroes or saints of different religious beliefs, such
as Saint Francis of Assisi, John Wesley, Father Damien, Florence Nightingale, and many others,
they will understand that emotional security is a driving force in the lives of men and women.

The child is moved by stories about parents’ self-sacrifice for their children, a boy’s
aspiration to obtain an education, or a country’s struggle for independence. Through reading of
good books covering experiences broader than his own a child or even an adult will realize that
there can no security for anyone unless there is a security for all.

5. The Need to Belong

Growing out of the need for security is the need to belong and to be accepted member of
a group. A child starts by saying, “My Mommy” or “My Daddy” or “My Big Brother” with great
pride. These may be signs that he is beginning to identify himself with his family and then later
on will identify himself with his gang, his school, his community, his town or city, and then his
country and perhaps with other world groups.

It is important to give children books of people of other lands, races or creeds that are
honestly and appealing presented.

6. The Need to Love and be Loved

Every human being wants to love and be loved. It is in his family that the child learns his
first lessons in the loves of affectionate relationships. His sense of security develops from these
family patterns. When family relationships are normal and happy, a child starts his life with
healthy attitudes. If he feels he is loved and he knows that his love is accepted, he in turn will
learn to love other people outside his family. If he feels unloved and unwanted, he is suspicious
and antagonistic towards other people.

Stories about good family relationships are helpful to young people.

Stories about animals defending or protecting their young are appealing.

The need to love and to be loved, family affections, warm friendships devotion to pets,
lead a child in later years to look for stories about romance. A well-written story showing all the

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aspects and complications of romance, its danger as well as its happiness, can provide young
people the needed guidance into life’s fundamental problem.

Fairy tales about prince and princesses help little girls to think of themselves as a
princess and little boys think of themselves as a prince.

7. the Need to Achieve, to Do or be Someone Worthy of Respect

Children, as well as adults, have a strong desire to achieve, to do something for which
they will be respected and loved.

The child’s first heroes are his father who buys things for him and his mother who
prepares his food.

Children enjoy the tales of adventures, mystery and the career stories. Interest and
devotion to a worthy cause, untiring service to the needs of others leads children to read about
the lives of people who had worthy achievement and stirs him to emulation.

8. Need for Recreation or Change

One of the needs of the human beings is rest or play as a part of the desire for change. If
we work and study hard, we need rest or play.

Children need freedom from pressures. Some children suffer from failure in school,
family troubles, or feelings of social and physical as well as mental inferiority.

They seek escape in books. Sensational comic books, useless materials of any kind, may
provide children with temporary release from their problems. Children need literature that will
take them away from the ill-effects of the increasing social, political, economic, and fears of our
modern world.

Books of many kinds may be used to meet the child’s need for healthy change. The old
fairy tales are full of heroes and heroines who accomplish difficult and sometimes impossible
tasks through their good deeds, courage and perseverance. Modern fairy tales provide laughter
and imaginative adventures that dissolve fear and tensions.

9. The Need for Aesthetic Satisfaction.

The need to adorn, to make beautiful, and to enjoy beauty is another human need. Man
seeks aesthetic satisfaction in one form or another and at various degrees of taste. Man may find
satisfaction in music, dancing, painting, sculpture, and literature. Aesthetic satisfaction comes to
both the adult and the child. The development of the child’s aesthetic taste depends not only
upon his innate capabilities but also upon the material he is given and upon how it is presented.

Good literature can help children to understand and satisfy these basic needs vicariously
if not in reality.

The reading interests of children as shown by the result of several researches give a
sequential development from on age level to the next. These developmental reading preferences
provide a scientific basis in the preparation and the selection of their reading materials.

Before the age of two years: Reading interests arise from experience that go back to early
infancy. The beginning of this early interest in books is observed in the child’s handling of
books, his interests in looking at pictures, his poses as though he is reading and making baby
sounds as he looks at the pictures, and his desire for storytelling and being read to me. Many

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children enjoy being read to. Many children enjoy being read to because of the different sounds
of words they hear.

From three to six years:

At this age group children show love for factual stories with attractive illustrations that can be
discussed with an older person. Children are interested in ”what happened” “what could
happen”, and fanciful stories.

Children from six to seven

Children of six to seven do not read too well yet. Much of their literature is simple in
content and style and often they are read to them by adults. Children want stories about children
of their own kind. They like funny stories and animal tales.

Children eight and ten:

Children between the ages eight and ten begin to read for themselves. Their interest is in
folk and fairy tales. Along with these tales they love stories about real children. Boys and girls
have the same reading interests.

Children from eleven to twelve

Around eleven to twelve years:

Girls show more interest in stories about home life and domestic happenings, in romance
and in quiet social situations. Boys show greater interest in vigorous adventure and aggressive
action.

Bright, average and slow pupils have nearly the same interests. Bright pupils read more
informational materials and non-fiction and show interest for humor and adventure.

High school age level:

The older group of children show interest in history, biography, magazine articles dealing
in social and natural environment. They enjoy humor and reading about hobbies, about children
and their own age group. They read stories that deal with situations that are not only impossible
but nonsensical and they also read books about travel, nature, history, description about other
lands and people.

They prefer honest, factual material in books dealing with science. The content is what
interests them most – new information, explanations of how animals live and how things work,
how to explore and experiment rather than rhapsodies about the glories of nature and the
wonders of the subject treated in the book.

From his early years an individual’s interests are affected by his physical condition, his
mental and emotional status, and the social and economic environment in which he was reared.

An adult person’s interests as well as the child’s interest undergo changes. This is also
true with their needs.

Every child is unique so his needs and interests, and reading ability should be fully
understood to serve as guide in helping him select his reading materials.

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Lesson 3

Selecting Books for Children

Good book selection not only requires a thorough knowledge of children and their
individual needs, interests, ad abilities, but likewise demands an equal understanding of the field
of children’s literature.

A teacher must have an understanding of children – their needs, desires, thoughts,

interest, and abilities. The teacher must know when to give a book, a story or a poem to child or
to a group of children according to the degree of understanding of which a child or group is
capable of. The ability to understand is the result of intelligence, of experience, and know of
environment. She must know that among children of school age, pleasure from reading books is
dependent upon skill in reading. If a selection is suitable and interesting in content, but too
difficult for a child t read it to him. One must choose books that are simple enough for the child
to read himself and as the child grows in reading ability, the teacher must provide books adapted
to his developing skill.

Children are surrounded with literature of many kinds. They sample the literature of the
times from the singing commercials on radios and televisions to the comic books and comic
strips from newspapers.

The six years of elementary school are the most crucial period of the child‘s life. This is
the time when the child will establish reading habits that will prevail through high school and
adult life.

A good elementary school reading program should provide for two inseparable and
interdependent ideas;

(1) The development of reading skills, and

(2) The encouragement of reading pleasures.

They joy of reading and taste for good books must be developed and encouraged by the
teacher and not left to chance. The extent to which children find joy in good books depends upon
the teacher. Pleasure in reading comes from the discovery that reading many kinds of books or
stories can bring satisfaction. Each book enjoyed strengthens a child’s desire to read further. The
constant purpose of a teacher is to interest children in a varied and well-balance program of
reading.

Books are a source of information, comfort and pleasure for people who know how to use
them and how choose them. We must know two facts: a book is a good book for children only
when he enjoys it; a book is a poor book for children, even when adults rate it as a classic, if
children are not able to read and enjoy it.
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 A teacher must not only know a variety of books in many fields, their variety of books in
many fields, their virtues and limitations, but he must also know the children for whom they are
intended- their interests and needs.

Certain basic needs of children as well as are:

(1) Material security- it embraces everything that gives him a sense of comfort and well-
being. The old fairy tales were told by people who seldom had enough to eat or to keep them
comfortable. So the tales were full of splendid palaces, rich clothes, and sumptuous food.

(2) Emotional security- The need to love and to be loved. Stories of home life are
popular with children of all ages.

(3) Intellectual security- The need to know things more accurately. One must realize
that the keener a child’s intelligence, the wider his intellectual curiosities. Books full of
information on various subjects- birds, plants, domestic and wild animals, stars, people from the
other lands, airplanes, jets, rockets, are now available, accurate, and well-illustrated books.

Children’s encyclopedia are increasing not only in number but also in attractive
formats such as: collier’s encyclopedia, Compton’s Pictured Encyclopedia, Junior Edition of the
Encyclopedia Britannica, The book of Wonder, Book of Knowledge, etc.

Dictionary are also available for very young children. The Thorndike Century
Beginning Dictionary; The Golden Dictionary; the new Winston Dictionary for Children;
Webster’s Elementary Dictionary; The Rainbow Dictionary, etc.

(4) The need to achieve. To do or be something worthy of respect. Autobiographies

and biographies appeal to children. Stories about adventure, the mystery and career stories are
popular with children.

(5) Need for recreation and diversion- Fairy tales, stories of adventure and romance
are examples. Books of laughter help dissolve fear and tensions.

(6) Need to belong- To be a part of a group. Stories about family life, the school, his
community, his country and later about the world about him. Children not only need to belong to
their own group but, to identify themselves warmly and sympathetically with other groups and
peoples. Children should read books about people of other races, creeds or nations which are
honestly and appealingly presented.

The publication of an increasing number of books for children increases the difficult
of book selection and at the same time, emphasizes the need of good book selection. We must
not only rely upon the choices of children for they are not born with good taste in literature but
they must be guided in their choices.

Criteria for Book Selection:

1. Fiction

(1) Theme- The theme of a book reveals the author’s purpose in writing the story. It is
the idea of the story, the meaning behind the story. The theme of a book might be the love of
animals, the feeling of belonging to others and acceptance of self, the achievement through
difficult or overcoming fear. The theme should be worth imparting to young people and should
be based upon justice and integrity. The theme or purpose of the book should be interwoven into

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the structure of the book naturally through the events in the story and the development of the
characters. Children avoid preachy, moralizing books.

(2) Plot- The plot is the plan of the story; it tells what the characters do and what
happens to them. It is the action of a story built around a theme. The plot should around a theme.
The plot should develop through action and incident, rather than through detailed descriptions or
character delineation. Children crave suspense and action in their stories. The plot should be
credible and well-constructed.

(3) Quality of Content- Aside from the plot, the quality of the content of the book
must be examined. The story must be worth telling or reading. Is the story appropriate to the
experience and background of the children for whom it is intended.

(4) Characterization-The characters in the story whether they are people or animals
should be convincingly real and lifelike. The characters should be so depicted that everything
they do, think, and say will seem natural and true. They should act and speak in accordance with
their age, culture, and educational background. There must be growth and development in
personality of the characters. This development of his problems. The change should be gradual
and convincing rather than swift and unrealistic.

(5) Style- The style of a book refers to the manner or the way the author has written it.
Every author has his own individual style. A good writing style must be appropriate to the plot,
subject, theme, and characters of the story. The writer must present the story clearly and in
simple manner that is easily understandable. The dialogue should be natural and suited to the
characters. It should be well-written.

Some examples of books which are considered excellent for their richness of language
are: A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh, Grahame’s Wind in the willows, E.B. White’s Charlotte’s
Web, De Jong’s The House of Sixty Fathers. They have well-constructed plot, suspense, quick
climax and satisfactory ending.

(6) Format- The physical aspects of the book must also be considered. The binding
should be durable and practical , one which can withstands frequent use and handling. The
quality of paper must be considered. A dull-finished paper that is thick enough to prevent any
penetration of ink is very desirable. It should not be very white but creamy in color. Typography
is also important. The type should be large enough for easy reading by the age level for which it
was intended. The space between the lines should be wide enough to make the text clear. The
margins should be simple, usually larger at the bottom than at the top. All of these factors should
create an attractive appearance of the book.

(7) Illustration- The illustrations for a picture book are as important as the text.
Children prefer colored pictures, but some of the most popular picture books and storybooks are
black and white. The illustration should be appropriate to the text. Children are fond action in
pictures as well as in stories. A book is made more desirable to children by the presence of
numerous illustration. Large pictures are preferred to small ones. beautiful illustrations and
design deepen and enrich the child’s enjoyment of a book.

Beautiful and satisfying books for children result from a combination of three arts- the
art of the writer, the typographer, and the illustrator.

The text is the author’s expression of life as he sees it and given in a form that children
can understand and share. The selection of type, engraving, binding, the whole process of book

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designing calls for imagination and insight. The illustration may enrich and expand the author’s
meaning and add to the enjoyment of children.

Criteria for Other Type of Books:

II. Biographies

The same criteria for fiction books may be used for biographies. A biography should
be true to all the facts known about the subject’s life. The hero of a biography must be real-life
hero, with real-life faults, weakness and doubts.

Biography for children should be about heroes of action and deeds. Lives about people
from the Old Testament can be told to children- lives of Moses, David, Jacob, Abraham, Joseph.

The teacher can introduce an episode or two from the lives of great men and women or
a brief summary of the whole life in connection with the celebration of certain national heroes or
great men.

III. Informal Books

Books that are primarily concerned with facts should be accurate, easy to read and
understand, adequately treated, well presented in such a way that it will be easy to find what one
is looking for.

IV. Reference Books

Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

As soon as children can read, they should have reference books of their own. When
they start asking questions, they should learn how to look up information for themselves. They
discover the fun of digging up the information they need in encyclopedias. They derive great
pleasure in adding new words to their vocabulary – and not only the words they learn in their
spelling lesson.

Dictionaries and Encyclopedias for the Young

1. Dictionaries

The Thorndike- Century Junior Dictionary, Scott. (Edited by E.L Thorndike)

Webster’s Elementary Dictionary: A dictionary for Boys and Girls.

The Winston Simplified Dictionary for Schools. Winston. (Edited by J. K. Brown and W.D.
Lewis)

2. Encyclopedias

The Modern Children’s Library of Knowledge. Groiler Society Ltd.

Champlin’s New Yong Folks’ Cyclopedia. Holt

Compton’s Pictured Encyclopedia. F.E. Compton and Co.

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The Lincoln Library, Frontier Press. (Edited by M. J. KInsella)

The New Wonder Book of Knowledge. Winston. (Edited by Henry C. Gill)

The world Book Encyclopedia W. F. Quarrie.

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Lesson 4

History of Children’s Literature

A knowledge of the historical background of children’s literature through the ages helps
us understand the forces affecting the development of children’s literature and their
characteristics at different periods. The development of children’s literature reflect the spirit and
interests of the period.

Before the intervention in the fifteenth century of the printing press, which made the
books more widely available, children listened to stories told by their elders. The stories were
about the adventures of the older people, about animals and imaginary characters. These stories
were passed on by word of mouth from generation to generation before they were collected for
printing.

Early Beginnings: Anglo-Saxon Period

As far back as the Anglo-Saxon Period, monks and other learned men wrote “lesson
books” for children. These lesson books were designed for teaching. The first man to write books
for children was Aldhelm(640-709), abbot of Malmesbury and bishop of Shernorne. His De
Septenario, de Metris, Enigmatibus, ac Pedum Regulis contained the meaning and use of number
seven in the bible, riddles, and puzzles in Latin which children were asked to solve.

The Medieval Period

By the fifteenth century, books on manners and morals began to appear in England by
1430. One of these was William Caxton’s Boke of Curtayse published about 1477. Another was
The Babies Boke which had the subtitle Manners and Meals in the Olden Times. This book
contained rules of behavior for boys who trained to become knights during Ages of Chivalry.

ABC Books

In the sixteenth century, ABC books or primers appeared. They were so called because
they were used at the hour of prime as a book of private devotions in the Angelican Church.
Henry VIII had ordered the printing of both Catholic and Protestant primers that contained the
alphabet and Christian principles. Thus, the term primer came to be applied to all the first books
for children in school.

Hornbook

The hornbooks, which were not really books, appeared toward the end of the sixteenth
century. These were the first books designed for children to handle. They were about 3 by 4 ½
inches long and 2 inches wide. Capital letters followed by vowels and their combinations with
consonants were printed across the top. The Lord’s Prayer was printed at the bottom. The paper
used for this was covered with a transparent horn – hence the name “hornbook” – and was held
in place by metals like silver, brass and copper. These books could be hung around the necks of
children. The hornbooks were used to teach the alphabet and combinations of letters and to
continue religious instruction.

Chapbooks

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 In the sixteenth century, printed became cheaper. Single sheets of paper printed on one
side only called broadsides were issued. These broadsides contained ballads of Robin Hood. In
1697 Charles Perault, a Frenchman, published his collection of tales entitled Comtes de Ma Mere
L’ Oye or Tales of My mother Goose. Translations of these tales were published separately as
chapbooks in England. These books were called chapbooks because they were sold by itinerant
peddlers called chapmen.

Puritan Period

In England and America, books for children were influenced by Puritan ideas. The books
stressed fear of god, religious instruction and preparation for death which the children did not
enjoy. Children read books that interested them although the books were for adults like John
Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress (1678), Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe (1714), Jonathan Swift’s
Gulliver’s Travels (1726), Mallory’s Death of King Arthur, Reynard the Fox, and Aesop’s
Fables.

Between 1683 and 1691, the New England Primer, a book made especially for the
children of the American colonies appeared. It was a small book, about 3 by 4 ½ inches and had
about 100 pages. It contained the alphabet, words and syllables for spelling lessons, the Lord’s
Prayer, catechism, hymns and verses, rhymes for each letter of the alphabet.

First Picture Book

In 1658, the first illustrated school book appeared. It was known as Orbis Pictus (The
world in Pictures). It was invented by Johann Amos Comenius, Bishop of Moravia and an
educator who believed in teaching children by letting them see things with their own eyes. The
book was originally written in Latin and German, but was later translated by Charles Hooke in
England in 1664.

17th century and 18th Century Books

Books in the seventeenth century stressed religion and morals due to the rise of Protestantism. In
1715, Dr. Isaac Watts published Divine and Moral Songs for children, a companion volume to
The New England Primer. Some writers consider Isaac Watts as the starting point of the history
of children’s literature, and the “The cradle Hymn” as the first children’s poem.

The battledore (1746-1770) succeeded the hornbook. It was a 4 by 6 ½ three-leaved

cardboard that folded like a pocketbook. It had the alphabet and easy-reading matter that made it
popular until 1840.

John Newberry Era

John Newberry (1713-1767) was a writer and publisher who first thought of publishing
of books solely for children. He was called the “Father of Children’s Literature” for he conceived
the idea of publishing books for the enjoyment and entertainment of children. In 1744, he
published his Little Pretty Pocketbook, the first book that can be truly called a child’s book. He
also published a collection of nursery rhymes and called it Mother Goose Melody. An award for
the most distinguished children’s book-the Newberry award-was named after him in 1922.

The Didactic Period

Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) was a French philosopher who started a new
philosophy in the education of children. His book Emile embodied the philosophy that children
be given freedom to develop their natural interest and learn from actual experience. He

13
advocated that children be taught about the real things and the world in which they live. Another
writer of this period was Thomas Day who published his History of Sanford and Merton, a story
about a good little boy and his teacher and both tried to reform a bad boy. The Peter Parley
books were informational books about countries of the world, about the wonders of the science
and historical figures.

The Return of Fairy Tales Old and New

The influence of didacticism was unable to control permanently children’s love for fairy
tales. The publication of Grimm’s Fairytales revived the interest for the imaginative stories.
Jacob Wilhelm Grimm collected the old German stories not for the entertainment of children but
to record them scientifically for posterity. These stories were translated into English in 1823 and
were called Grimm’s popular stories.

Hans Christian Andersen published his Fairy Tales in 1846. He was regarded as the great
master of the literary fairy tale. Among his tales were “Thumbelina”, the”Emperor’s New
Clothes”, and “The Nightingale”.

Edward Lear’s Book of Nonsense mark the need for laughter in the normal development
of children.

Lewis Carroll was a mathematics professor at the Oxford University who made up stories
for a little girl named Alice Lidell whom Lewis became very fond. Alice was so delighted with
the stories and she asked Lewis to write them down for her. He called his collection of stories
Alice in Wonderland. It was followed by Through the looking glass.

Realistic Literature

This period was marked with the appearance of stories for boys and girls and simple
home situations, stories of adventure, of brave men and women, history and growth of countries,
the wonders of nature and science. The best example of realistic story was Louisa M. Alcott’s
Little women in 1868. This is the stories of the four little girls, their pretty quarrels, their courage
and their affection of one another. This was followed by Little Men.

14
Lesson 5:
Development of Children’s Literature in the Philippines

Children’s literature in the Philippines had been in existence as far back as the primitive
era. Even before colonizers came to the Philippines, the Filipinos already had their own
language, their own alphabet, knew to read and write and had a system of communication.
Due to the dearth of writing materials, oral means prevailed in the transmissions and
preservation of ideas.
Early literature for children was in the form of lullabies that mothers hummed or chanted
to their children, songs for different occasions like planting the songs verses, riddles,
proverbs, ditties, nonsense rhymes and fairy tales. Baliwayway, in Ilongot lullaby, shows how
a father expresses his hope, fears, and doubts about his growing boy’s future. Diwaya, an
Ilocano lullaby, and Panghehele of the Tagalogs, express the mother’s wishes to share the
child’s glory pride. There were tales of beasts, legends of strange events phenomena, origin of
the first man and woman stories about strange creatures like the Pugot, the kapre and other
fantastic tales. There were also stories about mythical heroes and heroines like Bernardo
Carpio, Lam-ang, Mariang Makiling and others. The early Filipinos were fond of proverbs
and riddles which embodied their own philosophy and unwritten code of morality which they
passed on to their children. Riddles were also forms of entertainment. Sometimes the children
rhymes while at play. An example is an Igorot ditty “ Bag-bagto, bag-to lambik…” a rhythmic
singing game.
When the Spanish colonizers came to the ilands, they not only brought Christianity in
their culture but also religious literature and instruction for children.
In 1593, the first book for children in the Philippines, Doctrina Christiana en Lengua
Tagala y Espanola by father Domingo Nieva was published. The book was used by the elders
for religious instruction and prayers. Children never had the opportunity to handle the book
themselves. Next came the Caton or Cartilla which contained the Roman alphabet and
syllables. These were the Filipino child’s first and only books for over 3 centuries. Children of
the very few elite families had the opportunity to attend schools in had some textbooks in the
grammar, arithmetic and logic.
In 1606, Memorias de la Vida en Lengua China was published. Pamphlets containing the
lives of saints, novenarios, prayers and sermons of the missionaries and parish priest were
circulated among the converts they were written in the principal dialects. The Pasion,the story
of the life and suffering of Jesus, had the widest popular appeal because of the verses in which
it was written. The religious peoms and hymns became popular to children. Later, the children
were exposed to metrical tales known as corridos, in which the characters were kings and
queens, knights, monsters, etc. Some of the corridos were Florante at Laura,Pitong Infantes de
Lara, ect. European heroes like El Cid of Spain, Roland and Charlemagne of France, and etc.
Were included in the corridors.
Jose Rizal wrote some children’s stories like “The Monkey and the Turtle” and translated
some fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen from Danish to Tagalog.
When the Americans came to the Philippines in the 1990’s, they introduced books in English
like Pilgrim’s Progress, Mother Goose Rhymes, Alice in Wonderland, Aesop’s Fables, Rip
Van Winkle which were originally written for American children. These stories were read by
children who have learned the English language in schools. The Filipino children, imbibed the
attitudes, values and philosophies that American children’s literature embodied. Thus
American’s literature became a part of the Literature of the Filipino Children and American
Culture easily became our culture, too.
Literature books written by American authors, but prepared in the Philippines were
published by Ginn and Company. One of these was Hugo Miller’s Philippine Folklore Stories
(1904). In 1916, a representative of Ginn and Company, Mr. Hugo Miller, came to the
Philippine to encourage the writing of the books. Camilo Osias was the first Filipino to write
textbooks. In the 1920’s, he published Philippine Readers, Books 1 to 7, known as the Osias
Readers. No Filipino child went through seven years of elementary education without having
read the series from Grade 1 to Grade 7. The Philippine Readers contained native folktales,
myths and legends, stories of animals familiar to the Filipino child written in English. Another

15
 literature series published by Ginn and Company was the Philippine High School Readers by
Mendez, Mendez, and Potts in 1932.
Maximo Ramos one of those writers who recognize the importance of preserving the
literary heritage, specially for children, wrote Tales of Long Ago and Philippine Myths and
tales. There were other writers who wrote folk literature in English and Tagalog like Manuel
and Lyd Arguilla, I. V. Mallari and others.
In 1940, the Philippine Book Company was founded. It began publishing children’s
books like All Time Favorite, Fairy Tales in English and in Fliipino, the Voyages in Reading
Series for elementary levels.
In 1962, Bookmark Incorporated published the work of a group Maryknoll students.
These were mostly picture books. Some of them are Pulanito by M. V. Pamintuan, the Star
That was Not by L. Enriquez, and Tobie and the Christmas Bell by M. Yokoto.
In 1945, Bookman Incorporated encouraged writers to translate some foreign children’s book
like The Little Lame Prince and Rubaiyat of Omar Kayyam. Bookman also published
children’s book like When I was a little Boy by I. V. Mallari; Banca Moon by Amparo
Asuncion and Philippine Myths and tales for the Young by Maximo Ramos.
In 1946, National bookstore engaged in reprinting foreign books and in translating fairy
tales in Filipino like the Ladybird Series. The publishing firm also published comics in
Filipino and English like Rizal’s Classic Illustrated, Filipino Heroes Stories, Legends of the
Philippines Series, World Fairy Tales Series, Bible Illustrated Series and many others.
Alemar-Phoenix Publishing House published children’s books like: Myths and Legends of the
Early Filipnos by F. L. Jocano, Philipine Fokltales by Aquino, etc. al., The Old House, The
Ginger Gorl and other Stories by C. V. Pedroche.
In 1962, Panama Incorprated started producing children’s books. Among these are:
Makisig: The Little Hero of Mactan by Gemma Cruz, Horgle and the King’s Soup by Gilda C.
Fernando, Once Upon a Hilltop by Isabel T. Escoda, Anak Datu by Abdulmari Imao, The
Wind Whispered to the Grass by A. Lo, Ang Kaharian sa Tuktok ng Kawayan, etc.
New Day Publishers owned by the Christian Literature of the Philippines published My
Friends and the Haunted Cave by Thelma Zuniega and A Gift by Rosario Ratorta.

UNIT II

Lesson 1

Development of Poetry for Children and their Poem-Makers

A study of the development of poetry for children shows that with each successive
period in its history, gifted makers of verse show in their work more of the veritable subtance
and essence of true poetry. The development has been irregular but in the order of appearance
most of the writers of the present inherited from the past and each in his own way tried to sing
the songs of childhood in the key with the spirit of the child and the spirit of the times.
Poetry for the children has paralleled closely the development of prose literature
addressed to them. At first they had only folk rhymes, singing games, ballads, and other
traditional verse originally intended for adults but which were later gradually relegated to
children. Just as children appropriated in part or in whole some of the prose classics such as
Robinson Crusoe, Gulliver’s Travels, and the Pilgrim’s Progress, so they extracted what they
could assimilate from the poetry of their elders.
Poetry in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries contained a good deal which appealed
only to the older children, but except for the anonymous verses, there was very little which
the younger children could fully enjoy.
As far back as human documents go, there was very little genuine poetry written
specifically for children before Dr. Isaac Watts published his Divine and Moral Songs for
Children in 1715. These songs, while of a religious nature had, nevertheless, a very real

16
appeal to children. A few of the poems are still included in juvenile books of today , the best
of which is ‘‘A Cradle Hymn’’. Much of the early poetry for children consisted of hymned
verses written for the purpose of making children behave according to severe adult codes of
conduct, verses lamented the death of pets or young friends, and the reader was constantly
reminded that death was just around the corner and it was well to be prepared. In spite to the
somber and often terrifying aspects of the religious teaching which Dr. Watts wished to
impart, many of his poems displayed a real tenderness for children. He believed that morals
and religion could be directly taught through hymns and songs and many of his title like
‘’Against Lying’’, “Against Evil Company”, ‘‘Examples of Early Piety’’, served their
purpose. Creatures of the imagination had no places in this serious world in which children’s
thoughts were directed toward life’s duties and uncertainties.
A great many of the subject of Divine and Moral Songs for children were copied by
imitators. Charles and Mary Lamb’s poems for children show unmistakable traces of Watts.
Ann and Jane Taylor and even William Blake were accomplished followers of Dr. Watts.
William Blake (1957-1827) was the first of the important English poets to write poetry
for children. To Blake, children were not little sinners to be warned and frightened, but were
the unspoiled handiwork of Divine love. They were the happy possessors of a joyous inner
wisdom which was clearly embodied in his Songs of Innocence first printed in 1789. His
Songs of Experience came out in 1794. Blake is noted for his originality or rhythm and stanza
pattern and the fitness of his rhythms to the spirit of his songs. His themes were about nature,
the lives of simple people, gay and laughing children and he turned his back on everything
artificial and purely formal. The first poem in his Songs of Innocence entitled,” Introduction”
shows a gay and a laughing child in lively abandon. In Songs of Experience, there is a sharp
portrayal of pain and sadness and hints on the insoluble question of faith and philosophy, as in
his poem, “Tiger, tiger, burning bright”. He had a feeling of sympathy for the oppressed and
disinherited as expressed in “ The Chimney Sweep”, “ The Little Back Boy’’, “Holy
Thursday’’.
Some other notable poems of Blake are: ‘’Cradle Song’’, ‘’The Lamb’’, ‘’Laughing
Song’’, ‘’Spring’’.
Ann And Jane Taylor (1782-1866) (1783-1824) began to write for little children when
they were scarcely more than children themselves. They wrote in such close collaboration
throughout their lives until Jane’s death. Both had a warm affection for children and many
intimate contacts with them, but their concept of poetry was identical with that of
contemporary writers of didactic stories their chief of purpose being to develop the morals,
refine the manners and impart information to young children. While their poems involved
matters of morals and conduct a great deal, they had a wide range of subjects which were
drawn from nature experiences and some from play.They wrote about flowers, birds, sun,
moon,star,the season, the field and garden.

The Taylors were the first poets to write exclusively for children. Their first collection of
verse was published in 1804 with the title Original Poems for Infants Minds: By Several
Young Persons, which was in collaboration with a friend, Miss Adelaide O’Keefe. However
Miss O’Keefe had no and at all in ‘’Rhymes for the Nursery’’ published in 1806 and in
‘’Hymns for the Infant Minds’’ published in 1808.
Some of their well-known poems are ‘’Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,’’ ‘’I Like Little Pussy,’’
and ‘’Pretty Cow’’.
Edward Lear (1812-1888) had no literary forerunner, he was simply himself. He was the
gifted young English artist who at the age of nineteen years made colored drawings of birds
for the London Zoological Society and later he was employed by the Earl of Darby to draw
pictures if his family. He started his early caricatures with limericks which were pure
unadulterated nonsense in his Book of Nonsense published in 1846. His second book
Nonsense Songs Published in 1871 contained some of the most delightful of his poems. They
were just as nonsensical as the limericks but they showed coherence and evidence of plot.
Among of the most popular of these were ‘’ The Owl and the Pussy Cat,’’ ‘’ Mr. and Mrs.
Spikly Sparrow,’’ ‘’ The Table and the Chair,’’ ‘’ Nonsense Alphabet.’’ ‘’ The Jumblies,’’
‘’The Duck and the Kangaroo.’’ ‘’The Broom, the shovel, the Poker and the Tongs,’’ and
‘’Limericks.’’

17
 Lear had the ability to entertain all ages at once at the same time for his verse although
fantastic were delightfully entertaining for both young and adults.
Chritina Rosette (1830-1894) wrote very simple little poems for children. She possessed
much of the spiritual quality found in William Blake. She began to write verse when still a
child. She was one of four talented and artistic children of the Rossetti family. She was not
physically strong as a child and her pale and delicate face appeared in many of the paintings
of her brother Dante Gabriel Rossetti for whom she often served as a model. Her life had been
one of almost nun-like seclusion and her warm introspective nature found outlet in poetry, in
service to others, and in religious devotion.
Miss Rossetti was a great master of musical language and metrical arts. Her first and
most inspired work ‘’Goblen Market and Other Poems’’ appeared in 1962 and ten years later
when she became more of an invalid until her ultimely death- she wrote SingSong, a
collection of little nursery poems which were she pure lyrics and which she dedicated to the
infant son of a very close friend, Professor Arthur Cayley of Cambridge.
Like Blake, Miss Rossetti used very few figures of speech in her poems for children.
She presented children’s experiences with the utmost simplicity of style. She used simple,
direct and child like sensory images.
Celia Laighton Thaxter (1835-1894) was one of the earliest American writers of verse for
for children. Mrs. Thaxter is especially noted for her many beautiful and truthful pictures of
birds and their ways in Stories and Poems, first published in 1883 which includes such poems
as ‘’The Sandpiper’’, ‘’ Wild Geese’’, and ‘’The Sparrows’’, Children are also Mrs. Thaxter’s
other great love and she was a close and understanding observer of them. She was decidedly a
nature-poet.
Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) occupied a unique place as a writer for children. He
was considered as the first true ‘’poet-laureate’’ for children. His book, A Child’s Garden of
Verse, was not only regarded as a classic but it represented a standard of style and quality for
all other writers of children’s poetry.
Stevenson was an only child, a very delicate and frail child who spent most of his life in
the coziness of his comfortable home, the tender care of his equally frail mother in the
devotion of his beloved nurse. His quiet pleasures were all woven into his verses. His poems
had a true lyrical quality and had been set to music. He had the ability to express what the
young child feels and thinks. A Child’s Garden of Verses continues to be the one favorite
books
Laura Elizabeth Richards (1850-1943) who was the daughter of Julia Ward Howe, author
of The Battle Hymn of the Republic, was not only a poet but also a musician. She enjoyed all
the benefits of a home of broad culture with fine family social relations. She published several
collections of songs and rhymes as well as stories which she contributed exclusively to the St.
Nicholas, the leading magazine for children. She called his first book of verse published in
1890, In My Nursery: A Book of Verse. Her second collection- The Hurdy-Gurdy was
published in 1902. Tirra-Lirra: Rhymes Old and New published in 1932. The title of his
collections of verses has been well chosen and is very suggestive of the homely flavor of the
verses and the inevitable beat of their rhythm. The title sets the key for the tripping songs of
laughter, many of which give delight to most children. A considerable number of poems in
Tirra-Lirra are adopted to the upper grades than to the lower elementary grades. Good
nonsense verses are enjoyed by children who have not developed a taste for the higher ranges
of poetry. However, Mrs. Richard’s verse is appealing to both young and adults.
With the turn of century, the most important figure among writers of poetry for children
was Walter de la Mare published Songs of Childhood, his first collection of poems. This was
followed by a Child’s Day in 1912, Peacock Pie, his best known collection in 1913, and the
Down-a-Down Derry; A Book of Fairy Poems published in 1922. Mr. de la Mare started the
stream of lovely verse followed by other writers of imagination. No other poet has shown
such great insight into the fleeting moods and deep-lying roots of child’s nature. Mr. de la
Mare displays his greatest gift in writing about fairies, woodland spirits and other blithe spirits
in the realm of fairyland.
Rose Fyleman (1877 -) has been affectionately called ‘’ Poet of the Fairies.’’ Her first
book of poems for the children Fairies and Chimneys was published in 1918. The three other
volumes of verses followed: The Fairy Green, The Fairy Flute, Fairies and Friends. Unlike

18
Walter de la Mare’s friends, Miss Fyleman’s fairies were believable because they mixed
openly in the affairs of modern life, urban as well as country life. They performed activities of
real people such as going marketing, riding on a bus or singing. Her poems had the sense of
mystery and enchantment in them which are enjoyed by children. Miss Fyleman has also
written some amusing light verse about the modern children and the things he is interested in.
Allan Alexander Milne (1882-1956) is known more familiarly as A.A Milne. He started
his literary work by giving his full attention to the writing of plays. He started writing his first
book of verse when he got married and had his first son. He published his first book of poems
in 1924 under the title When We Were Very Young. His second collection Now We Are Six
came out in Even grown-ups found his poems charming.
Milne, a very competent writer of light verse manufactured many “funny” words to
increase rhythmic effects as in his “The Three Foxes”.
Most of the contemporary writer have drawn most of their subject from everyday life and
have made their greatest contribution in the literary field in idealized portrayal of everyday
life and commonplace things.
Rachel field (1884-1942) has been most successful in this genre and her collections
contained numerous poems about people and objects belonging to their immediate
environment such as “The Flower-Cart Man”, “ Taxis”, “Skyscrapers”, “The Cuckoo Shop”,
and many others.
Rachel Field had three books of poems for children – The Pointed People, A Little
Book of Days, Taxis and Toadstools.
Dorothy Aldis (1897- ) has written many short poems for young people choosing the
simple and common domestic scenes and events which she portrays with humor and charm.
Her verses are popular with the younger children because they appeal to their interest, their
activities and observation. Her four books of verse- Everything and Anything , Here, There,
and Everywhere, Hop, Skip and Jump and Before thing s Happen – have been published in
0ne volume All together.
Elizabeth Madox Roberts (1886-1941) published Under the Three which attracted
attention as the work of an eminent novelist because of the unique quality of the poems. Her
subjects were drawn from very simple country life. Her poems revealed the keen sensitivity to
the sights, sounds, odors, and tactile sensations associated with rural experiences which she
displayed in simple narrative form. Among her poems were “The Rabbit”. “The Hens”. “The
Woodpecker,” and “Milking Time”.
Dorothy Walter Baruch (1899- ) is one of the modern poets for the children who has
made use of her knowledge of child psychology in her books like Parents and Childrens go to
school. In her verse for children, she use free verse in the child’s own manner of speaking.
Some favorites are “ The Marry-Go-round” and “ I Like Automobiles”.
Many noted poets who have written primarily for adults have written some fine poetry for
chiden- Robert Browning’s ‘’Pied Piper of Hamelin,’’ Sara Teasdale’s Star’s’’ Tonight and
Rivers to the Sea’’, Alfred Noyes’ ‘’Forty Singing Seamen and other Poems,’’ John
Masefield’s ‘’Salts Water Poems and Ballads,’’Vachel Lindsay’s ‘’Johnny Appplessed and
other Poems,’’ Walt Whitman’s ‘’ I Hear Singing and other Poems,’’ Carl Sandburg’s ‘’Lost,
Fog and other Poems,’’ and Robert Frost’s ‘’The Pasture.’’
Some Modern Poets for Children:
Myra Cohn Livingston, a newcomer to the scene of children’s poetry, has freshness and
charm in her poems. Her book, whispers and other Poems is filled with laughter, curiosity,
gaiety, and tenderness. Her second book, Wide Awake, has many imaginative and gay poems
One of M.C. Livingston’s poems

Whispers

Whispers
tickle through your ear
telling things you like to
hear.
Whispers
are as soft as skin

19
 telling little words curl in.
Whispers

Lesson 2

Mother Goose Rhymes or Nursery Rhymes

Children all over the world have recited,sang, and repeates caed Mother Goose Rhymes,
but they have never bothered to know their origin and their meaning. Most of the rhymes had
been handed down from generation.
Who was Mother Goose? Where did she live? Mother Goose never existed as a person
and did not live anywhere. She is only a myth, a personification well-loved story tellers who
have existed since the world began. It was in 1697 when a French writer, Charles Perrault,
published a collection of fairy tales and named it Comtes de mere I ‘’Oye or Tales of My
Mother Goose. Later John Newberry published a collection of nursery rhymes called Mother
Goose Melody.
As the Mother Goose rhymes were handed down orally, they had undergone many
changes. The verses reveal interesting bits of history, old customs, manners and beliefs.
Researches reveal evidences that some of the rhymes refer to the real people and interesting

20
facts. From the studies of John Bellendenker in 1834 and Katherine Elwes Thomas in 1930, it
was Anne Boleyn who was the pretty maid hanging up her clothes and losing her headsman.
Richard III was probably Humpty Dumpty who toppled of his throne to his death.
The earliest collection of Mother Goose verse was published by John Newberry in 1765.
His collection of nursery rhymes was entitled mother Goose Melody or sonnets for the
Cradle. In 1784, Joseph Ritson published his Gammer Gurton’s Garland or the Nursery
Parnassus.
James Orchard Halliwell published nursery Rhymes of England in 1982. Later, he issued
nursery rhymes and nursery tales of England which is the recognized source of the authentic
versions of English traditional rhymes and tales. In 1897, Andrew Lang published nursery
rhymes, a collection of rhymes entitled Oxford Dictionary of nursery Rhymes was published
by Iona and Peter Opie in 1952.

Qualities of mother goose rhymes

1. Musical quality: children are captivated by their sounds, rhyme and rhythm.

Little Miss Muffet

Sat on a tuffet
Eating a curds and whey;
There come a spider,
And sat down beside her,
And frightened Miss Muffet away.

2. Action: children like action.

Jack and Jill went up the hill

To fetch a pail of water
Jack fell down and broke his crown
And Jill came tumbling after.

Jack be nimble, jack be quick

Jack jump over the candlestick.
3. Humor: children laugh at the sound or the unusual combination of the words.

Humpty dumpty sat on the wall

Humpty dumpty had a great fall
All the king’s men cannot put humpty dumpty back as he was before.

4. Story interest: children love the story element.

I have a little pony,

His name is Dimple Gray.
I lent him to a lady,
To ride a mile away,
She whipped him, she lashed him
She rode him through the mire,
I would not lend my pony now,
For all the lady’s hire

5. Variety of subject matter: children enjoy the different subject matter of rhymes.
a.Animals- Bow, Wow, Wow,
Whose dog art thou
Baa, baa, black sheep
This little pig went to market
b. alphabets: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S
T U and V W X Y and Z.

21
 Now you know your ABC come and play with me.
c. Dialogue- Pussy cat, Pussy cat, where have you been?
I have been to London to visit the queen.
Little Boy Blue

d. Counting rhymes- one for the money, two for the show,
three to make ready and four to go.
One, two, buckle my shoe
Three, four , shut the door
Five, six, pick up sticks.
Seven, eight, lay them straight.
Nine, ten, a big fat hen.
e. Games- London Bridge is falling down
Pat a cake, pat a cake
f. People: Children- Little Miss Muffet and grown ups
Little Boy Blue
Jack and Jill
Olk king cole.
g. Time verses- thirty days hath September.
h.Riddles- Little Nancy Etticoat.
I. Tongue twister- Peter piper pick a peck of pickled peppers.
j. Weather- Rain, rain go away
k. Accumulative stories- this is the house that jack built
l. Singing rhymes- I have two hands.

Values of Mother Goose Rhymes

Why do children like the rhymes so much? Children enjoy the rhymes because of their
musical quality, the repetition and unexpected combinations of sounds, the action and the
presence of familiar characters. Mother goose rhymes serve as an introduction to the real
poetry. They are good for the ear-training and for their pleasure and amusement.
Comprehension of meaning and ability to read are not involved in the child’s enjoyment
of the rhymes. Teachers recite the rhyme several time and children just follow and imitate
their teachers.

1. I have two hands, the left and the right,

Hold them up high, so clean and bright,
Clap them softly, one, two, three
Clean little hand are good to see.

2. Bow, wow,wow!
Whose dog art thou?
Little Tom Thinker’s dog
Bow, wow ,wow!

3. This little pig went to market,

This little pig stayed home,
This little pig had roast beef,
This little pig had none.
This little pig said ‘’Wee, wee, wee!
I can’t find my way home.’’

4. Jack be nimble
And Jack be quick;
Jack jumped over

22
The Candlestick.

5. Little Robin Red Breast

Sat upon a rail;
Niddle, naddle, went his head
Wiggle, waggle, went his tail.

6. Twenty white horses

Upon a red hill;
Now they tramp,
Now they champ,
Now they stand still.
( a child’s teeth)

7. Thirty days has September,

April, June, and November
All the rest have thirty-one
Excepting leap year, that’s
The time
When February’s days are
Twenty-nine.

8. Monday’s child is fair of face,

Tuesday’s child is full of grace;
Wednesday’s child is full of woe,
Thursday’s child has far to go;
Friday’s child is loving and giving,
Saturday’s child works hard for his living;
But the child is born on the Sabbath Day
Is bonny and bithe, and good and gay.

9. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper;

A peck of pickled peppers
Peter piper picked;
If peter piper picked a peck
of pickled peppers;
Where’s the peck of pickled
Peppers Peter piper pickled?

10. Old Mother Hubbard

Went to the cupboard
To get her poor dog a bone;
But when she came there
The cupboard was bare,
And so the poor dog had none.

She went to the hatter’s

To buy him a hot
But when she came back
He was feeding the cat.
She went to the tailor’s
To buy him a coat
But when she came back
He was riding a goat.
She went to the cobbler’s
He was reading a new’s.
She went to the hoosier’s

23
 To buy him some hose;
But when she came back
He was dressed in his clothes
The dame made a curtsy,
The dog made a bow;
The dame said ‘’ Your Servant!’’
The dog said, ‘’Bow, wow, wow

Lesson 3
Verses for Children

A verse is a line of poetry have, usually, a determined metrical or rhythmical pattern. A

humorous verse deals with the amusing things that befall real people or might conceivably
befall them. A nonsense verse deals with absurd or meaningless words as pabbles, jumbles,
potatoes that dance, chickens that go out to tea.
Mother goose rhymes or nursery rymes for the very young children is an introduction to the
gay tradition of nonsense verse for children. Nonsense verse may not represent the highest
level of poetry, but they do contribute to the child’s personal and literary development.

There are certain values of nonsense verses for children:

1. They provide humor of children. Children laugh heartily at the words eventhough the words
may be meaningless to them.
2. They introduce the children to rhyme and various patterns of verse.
3. They serve as a release from tension and anxieties.
4. They provide children a means of escape from reality.
5. They are excellent for ear training.
6. They serve as introduction to better poetry.

Poets of Nonsense Verse

Edward Lear, 1812-1888, was the greatest poets of nonsense. Although he was sick of
epilepsy, Lear did not stop from writing limericks, funny poems of five lines. In 1846, he
published the book of nonsense and in 1871, Nonsense Songs and Stories.

The qualities of Lear’s verses are:

1. His made-up words. An example in his five different sets of alphabet rhymes which are the
alliterative and tongue-twister variety.

A, was once an apple pie Pedy

Widy
Tidy
Pidy
Nice insidy,
Apple-pie!

24
B, was once a little bear,
Beary
Wary
Hairy
Beary
Taky carry,
Little bear!
C, was once a little cake
Caky
Baky
Maky
Caky
Taky caky,
Little cake!

D, was once a little doll,

Dolly
Molly
Polly
Nolly,
Nursy dolly,
Little doll!

NONSENSE ALPHABET
Edward Lear

A was an ant
Who seldom stood still,
And who made a nice house
On the side of the hill,
Nice Little Ant!

B was a bat
Who slept all the day,
And glathered about
When the sun went away.
Brown little bat!

C was a camel
You rode on his hump,
And if you feell off,
You came down such a bump!
What a high camel!
Lewis Carrol, 1882-1898, writer of humorous verse for children wrote Alice’s Adventure in
Wonderland.
Laura E. Richards, 1850-1943, was known as a children’s American poet Laureate of
Nonsense. Her favorite verse were found in Tirra Lirra: Rhymes Old and New published in
1932.:

The qualities of Laura E. Richard’s verse are:

1.She uses funny words.

2.She uses humorous tales.
3.She deals with funny characteristers and funny situations.
4.Her verses have lyrical quality.

THE MONKEYS AND THE CROCODILE

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 Laura E. Richards

Five little monkeys

Swinging from a tree;
Teasing uncle crocodile,
Merry as can be.

Swinging high, swinging low,

Swinging left band right;
‘’Dear Uncle Crocodile,
Come and take a bite!’’
-----------------------------
Five little mokeys
Swinging in the air;
Heads up, teals up,
Little do they care.

Swinging up, swinging down,

Swinging for the near;
‘’Poor Uncle Crocodile
Aren’t you hungry dear?’’
Four little monkeys
Sitting in the trees;
Heads down, tails down,
Dreary as can be.

Weeping loud, weeping low,

Crying to teach each other,
‘’Wicked Uncle Crocodile,
To gobble our brother.’’

ELETELEPHONY
Laura E. Richards

Once there was an elephant,

Who try to use the telephant
No, No! I mean an elephone
Who tried to use the telephone
(Dear me! I am not certain quite
That even now I got it right).
How’er it was, he got his trunk
Entangled in the telephunk;
The more he tried to get it free,
The louder buzzed the telephone
(I fear I’d better drop the song of elephop and telephong!)

A. A.Milne, (1882- )
Milne’s charm is his ability to present small children as they are. He portrays children in
their private inner world of make-believed, their gay self-certeredness, their liking for small
animals, their toys and games. Milne shows the child’s love of small animals like mice ,
rabbits, puppies, snails and goats whose antics enliven the verses. The verse are full of the
small child’s activities too. Milne makes use of words, rhyme and rhythm to convey character,
mood, and action.

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THE THREE FOXES
A.A Milne

Once upon a time there were three little foxes,

Who did’nt wear stocklings, and they did’nt wear sockses,
But they all had handkerchief to blow their noses,
And they kept their handkerchief in cardboard boxes.

They live in the forest in tree little houses,

And they did’nt wear coats and they did’nt were trousies,
They ran through the woods on their little bare tootsies,
And they played ‘’ Touch Last’’ with a family of mouses.

They did’nt go shopping in the High Street Shopses,

But they caught what they wanted in the wood and copses,
They all went fishing and they caught three wormness
They went out hunting and they caught three wepses.

They went to a Fair, and they all wo prizes

Three plum puddingness and three mince pieses.
They rode on elephants and swang on swingses,
And hit three coconuts at coconut shieses.

That’s all I know of the three little foxes

Who kept their handkerchief in cardboard boxes.
They live in the forest in three little house.

But they did’nt wear coats and they did’nt wear trousies,
And the did’nt wear stockings and they did’nt wear sockses.

THE SINGING FAIRY

Rose Fyleman

There was a fairy once

Who live alone
In a mossy hole
Under a stone.
Never abroad she went;
Only at night.

When the moon was clear

And the stars were bright
High on the stone she stood,
Lifted her head
And stayed dark fled.
All the woods listen then.

Not leaf stirred;

Sweeter for the song
Than the song of bird.

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 Whence and how it came
None never knew
None but the fairy
And me – and you.

Verses according to the subject matter

About boys and Girls
Merry-Go-Round-Dorothy Baruch
Birthdays- Marchotte Chute
If Only-Rose Fyleman
My Bed is a Boat-Robert
Louis Stevenson

About Animals
Little Turtle-Vachel Lindsay
The Duck- Edith King
The Hens- Elizabeth Madox RAOBERTS
Pretty Cow- Ann Tylor

About Nature
The Wind –Robert Louis Stevenson
Little Star- Jane Tylor
Boats Sail on the Rivers-Christiana G. Rossetti
The Sun is the first to Rise- Elizabeth Coactsworth
The Falling Star- Sara Teasdale

Lesson 4

Poetry of Children

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 Poetry is an artistic expression of thought and emotion in rhythmical language. Poetry is
a kind of verbal music. Poetry is like musical score that must be interpreted by the human
voice in order to get the fullest enjoyment. The poet uses words for sound effects as the
musician uses musical notes.

Qualities of Poetry:

1. Poetry has musical and rhythmic qualities that children enjoy.

2. Poetry appeals to the imagination. The poet makes us see what has seen and feel what he
has felt. He makes use of words and phrases that are descriptive, sensory and associative.
3. The emotional content of poetry must me sincere, worth expressing, and must be universal
in appeal. A great poem must speak of experiences common to all people.
4. Subjects of poetry for children must be varied. They must be subjects familiar to children
and can add new and richer meanings to their experiences.

Children, as well as adults, find no enjoyment in poems that unfamiliar unrelated to their
experiences. They find the figurative language in poetry difficult to understand. Some poems
are too long and are varied in form. Children find no enjoyment in poetry if it is not well-
presented to them. The appreciation of poetry is something caught not taught.

Classification of Poetry
Poetry can be classified according to form or according to their subject content.

I. Types of Poems According to form:

A. Narrative poems tell a story and relative events.

Kinds of Narrative Poems:

1.Ballad are narrative poems that are intented to be sung.

2. Epics deal with deeds and heroic adventures.
3. Metrical romances are lengthy narrative poems that deal of love and brave deeds of a hero
like ‘’ Canterbury Tales’’

B. Lyric poems express the feeling, the mood, and the personality of the poet.

Kinds of Lyric poems:

1. Song are poems that can be sung.

‘’ A Song to Celia’’ by Ben Johnson
‘’Trees’’ by Joyce Kilmer
2. Pastoral poems are about shepherds and
Rural scences. ‘’ A Passionate Shepherd to his Love’’ by Christopher Marlowe ‘’ Nymph’s
Reply to the Passionate Shepherd’’ by Sir Walter Raleign
3. Sonnets are poems of 14 lines. There is a definite rhyming pattern. ‘’ On his Blindness’’ by
John Milton, William Shakespeare’s sonnets.
4. Elegy is a meditative poem thet expresses grief or deals with the sorrow and death. ‘’ Little
Boy Blue’’ by Eugene Field ‘’ An Elegy in a country Churchyard’’ by Thomas Gray ‘’
Captain, My Captain’’ by Walt Whitman
5. Ode is a poem that expresses exalted feelins, a praise for something. ‘’ Ode to a
Nightingale’’ ‘’ Ode to a Grecian Urn’’

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Factors That Influence Appreciation of Poetry

1. The Teacher. Like a ny teaching experience , effective teaching in poetry appreciation

begins with the teacher. He must have a bachground and reading excellence . The teacher
must have a background fundamental general information, a personal knowledge of the basic
realities of living love, hate, frustration, pain, fear, grief, etc. He must have a familiarity with
miscellaneous allusions ( indirect references) from literature, art, history, science, references
to the bible which are woven into all English poetry, words and phrases taken from the whole
racial store of the past and the present place of life and thought.
2. The Pupil. The teacher must know the pupils well, their levels of interest, their varied
backgrounds and responses so that he can adjust his techniques and devices. Some children
love to read aloud or to memorize lines or stanzas of poems or even whole poems. These must
be encouraged.
The teacher must be quick to exploit every possibility of enhancing appreciation of
poetry by the children by providing them with different activities and inspiring them.
In selecting poems for appreciation, younger children are easily attracted to rhymes,
jingles, dities and nonsense verses. The older ones, especially the adolescent group, like
poems of love, poems of home, and inspirational poems.
There are different activities that children can involved themselves in.

1. Read poetry aloud for sheer personal enjoyment.

2. Memorize favorite lines or stanzas of poems to store in their memory treasure chest from
which to draw in their later years.
3. Set up scrap books on which they paste clippings of favorite poems from magazines,
postcards, calendar, calendars and anthropologies.
4. Participate in declamation contest, speech choirs, or choral speaking.
5. Join poetry reading clubs.
6. Attend dramatic presentations.
7. Interpret the meaning and rhythms of a poem in a pantomime or interpretative dance.
8. Make their own simple melodies and poems.
9. Make a story.
10. Interpret the poetry through drawing or illustration.

Values of Poetry
1. Enriches children’s experiences.
2. Develops correct enunciation and pronunciation of words.
3. Develops literary appreciation.
4. Develops the imagination.
5. Enlarges the vocabulary.
6. Improves the aesthetic sense.
7. Give them pleasure and delight.
8. Improve their outlook in life and nature.

Suggestion in Teaching Poetry Appreciation:

1. Do not assign a poem for home preparation. If any assignment is to be made, it should be
material bearing upon the poem and essential to understanding of it.
2. Do not belabor the pupils with the study of facts. One should not forget that the chief
purpose is understanding and appreciating the poem itself, not the facts about the poem.

30
3. An excellent technique is for the teacher to read the poem first. Let the children catch the
sound and rhythmic movement. The teacher can read the poem twice to feel and observe
whether children poem”. If children make no comments or ask no question, read the poem
again in a day or twice. Children show whether they like the poem or not in a variety of ways.
Teacher should observe their smile, laughter, giggles and sometimes clapping of hands.
Sometimes, movement of the lips as the teacher recites poems is an indication that children
obviously like the poem.
4. Anticipate difficulties with some words. Children enjoy poetry better if they know the
meaning of words. Clearing up of different words can done be done in advance before the
reading of the poem. This is advantageous because the children listen more to sounds of
words.
5. Make it natural and habitual practice to read poetry to children. This is good ear training
for children.
6. While reading or reciting appoint to children, the teacher can either stand or sit and have
the children sit comfortably and relaxed too.
7. Do not force children to memorize poems. They learn poems and rhymes easily if they like
them.
8. Allow the children time to react to poetry. They can react by way of follow-up activities
like illustration, dramatization, choral reading or speaking and other activities.

Uses of poetry

1. Use poetry to correlate with other subjects like History, Arithmetic ( Counting Rhymes)
2. To commemorate certain events e.g. Historical events, holidays ( Christmas, New years day
etc.) special days like Valentine’s day, Arbor day, etc. there is a poem practically for
everything.
3. To express the meaning and rhythm of the poem in a pantomime or interpretative dance.

4. To express their thoughts, feelings and imagination in creative activities like drawing, clay
modeling, sculpture ( soap, potatoes etc.).

5. writing poems by children.

General objective in teaching a poem: to develop appreciation of the poem

Steps in teaching a Poem

I. PREPARATION
a. Mastery of the subject matter.
b. Preparation of the lesson plan
c. Preparation of devices
II. INTRODUCTION
a. Motivation
b. Presenting devices
c. Vocabulary development
III. PRESENTATION
a. First reading
b. Intellectual discussion

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IV. SECOND READING BY THE TEACHER
A. Aesthetic discussion
V. MEMORIZATION
a. Culminating activities
1. Drawing
2. Dramatization
3. Composition
4. Reproduction
5. Choral reading or choral speaking
MEANING………
1. CULMINATINGg—climax of your teaching
2. CULMINATE—is a connected to appreciation
3. MOTIVATION—it is generally recognized in ordinary experiences that motivation
occupies important place in human learning. The term motivation is used to denote the spring
of action, be it native or acquired. Literally, it means causing or inducing part of the lewarner
to master the subject matter or to the given situation. Motivation is simply the moving power
the elicit the vigorous effort to learned or to do things.
4. TYPES OF MOTIVATION
1. Psychological motivation
2. Conscious motivation
3. Social motivation

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Lesson 5

Choral Speaking or Reading

Poetry to be enjoyed is better read aloud than silently. It should never be used as reading
exercise. To read a poem silently is to miss the musical rhythmic quality in perhaps its
meaning.

To read a poetry aloud, it demands from the reader a keen imagination and delicate
accuracy of interpretation. To acquire precission of interpretation, the reader should the read a
poem aloud in try to get the general mood or feeling. One catches the melody and movement
as he read the poem aloud. Reading a poem aloud helps trains you ear, improve your diction,
and your taste for poetry.

Definition of Choral Reading or Speaking

Choral reading or speaking is a interpretation of a poetry by several voices speaking as

one. It is a group of interpretation of poetry is purpose of sharing enjoyment and increasing
enjoyment of it. Choral reading involves the use of a books or script.

History of Choral Speaking

Choral speaking is a recent development, The Hebrews had the antiphonal chorus, the
chanting of prayers or hymns alternately by two groups or by a leader and a choir which give
the responses. In ny the greek dramas, a chorus recited the main action of the play to hold the
plot together. In England , France, and Germany, the troubladours chanted and recited tales of
heroic deeds in verse , and their audiences must have joined in reciting the refrains. Without
being aware of it, many of us in the Philippines and even our ancestors have participate in
choral speaking in church and in home especially in reciting the prayers and the rosary.

Uses of Choral Speaking

Choral speaking can be used in school at all levels. It is an activity that children and
adults of any age can enjoy.

For children of pre-school and kinder garden level, the Mother Goose rhymes. Nonsense
verse and jingles with a very marked rhythm can be used. Children in the Elementary grades
would enjoy poems the narrative interest, vivid imagery and strong rhythm while elder
children would prefer poems they could interpret with feeling.

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Poems Suitable for Choral Speaking

Poems which are universal in tone

Poems which vary in mood , content and type

Poems that are lyrical and narrative

Poems that are rich auditory image

Poems with marked rhythm

Poems that can be used with three voices

Types of Choral Speaking Arrangements

There are four basic types of choral arrangements:

A. Refrain. This typed is used with the poetry which contains lines or verses which are
repeated. Originally, such poems are recited with a minstrel saying the verses and the
audience reciting the refrains and choruses. The narrative can be recited by a solo voice or a
smaller group of voices and the entire group responds by giving the refrain. Ballads are
suitable for this type of arrangement. It is good for beginners.

A lively young turtle lived down by the banks

Of a dark rolling stream called the Jingo;
One summer day, as he went out to play,
Fell inlove with a charming flamingo!

(All or Chorus)
An enormously gentle flamingo!
An expansively crimson Flamingo!
A beautiful bouncing Flamingo!

B. Sequence. This type is best employed in poems which develop its thought into a strong
clima, or which two lines are cumulative in response . The solo voices and semi-choruses take
turns saying the lines and then the entire churos enters to build a climax and an impressive
finale.
‘’ this is the house that Jack built’’- Mother Goose Rhyme ‘’ The Creation’’ by James Welton
Johnson
C. Antiphonal: The antiphon is a traditional form of reciting Biblical verses; thus many of the
Psalms such as ‘’ The Lord is My Shepherd’’ and passages like ‘’ The Beatitudes’’is best
interpreted by using the antiphonal or two part-response. In this type of arrangement, one
group responds to another- boys to girls, children in one row to another children with light
voices to another group with dark voices, or children with high voices to another group with
low voices. This is the most dramatic arrangement because it make use of contrasting voices.
It is good for poems which have questions and answers.
D. Unison: Poems expressing strong and powerful emotions are best interpreted by the whole
speaking group rather than by the part groupings or the semi-choruses. This is the most
difficult type since it requires the ability to speak together at the same time with perfect
timing, proper control and volume of voice.

34
E. Line-a-child; Each line of a poem is read by a different child.

Kinds of Voices or Semi-Choruses

There are three types of voices used in choral speaking or reading:

1. Light or High voices- for reading or saying line that suggest fun, happiness, brigthtness. For
asking questions, unless a male asks the question.
2. Dark or Low voices- for saying lines that suggest mystery, terror, sadness, solemnity. For
answering questions, unless a female answers the question.
3. Medium voices- for blending all voices. For relating the narrative, for introducing the
characters and for explanation.

Steps in Choral Speaking

1. Read the poem selected for its content. The teacher or conductor reads the poem to the class
or group. If copies of the poem can be furnished to the group, they can follow the teacher’s
reading and they can concentrate on the content of the poem.
2. Determine the type and the mood of the poem. The mood of the poem will determine the
kind of voices or semi-choruses to be used.
3 Understand the meaning of the poem, the meaning every new word or phrase, especially
words of unfamiliar or strange significance.
4. Know the rhythmical meaning of the poem, the tempo and the movement in the poem.
5. Read the poem with the children. Spot the pronunciation faults show how diction can be
improved.
6. Repeat the selection together. Several interpretations in order to decide in the best
arrangement.
7. Apportion the parts and lines to the children. Let them say the poem without your help.
8. Make sure that the voices blend properly. See to it that no one voice could be heard above
the others or trailing behind the others.
9. Avoid sing-song recitation.

Values
1. It enhances greater appreciation for poetry.
2. It enriches the art like experience by extending imagination and sympathy.
3. It develops good speech habits, articulation and enunciation.
4. It develops self confidence and poise.
5. It develops cooperation and social understanding.

A Few Suggested Choric Materials

A. Refrain
‘’ The Umbrella Brigade’’ by Laura E. Richards
‘’ Father in Heaven, We Thank Thee’’
B. Sequence.
‘’ Trees’’ by Joyce Kilmer
‘’Sounds in the Morning’’ by Eleanor Farjeon
‘’ Brotherhood’’ by Edwin Markham
C. Antiphonal
‘’ The Wind’’ by Robert Louis aStevenson
‘’little Book’’ by Lagrimas del Mundo
‘’ Little Boy Blue’’ by Mother Goose Rhyme

35
D. Unision
‘’The Mysterious Cat’’ by Vachel Lindsay
‘’ Sweet and Low’’ by Alfred Tennyson
‘’The Owl and the Pussy’’ by Edward Lear

THE MYSTERIOUS CAT

Vachel Lindsay

I saw a proud, a mysterious cat, I saw a proud, mysterious cat, Too proud to catch a mouse or
rat.
Mew, mew, mew
But catnip she would eat the purr,
But catnip she would eat the purr,
A golden fish she did much prefer----

I saw a cat was but a dream,

I saw a cat was a dream,
Who scored the slave that brought her cream----
Mew, mew, mew,

Unless the slaved dream in style,

Unless the slaved dream in style,
And knelt before her all the while…
Mew, mew, mew.

Did you ever hear of the thing like that?

Did you ever hear of the thing like that?
Did you ever hear of the thing like that?
Oh, what a proud mysterious cat.
Oh, what a proud mysterious cat.
Oh, what a proud mysterious cat.
Mew, mew, mew.
Sequence Type of Choral Speaking

This is the house that Jack built.

This is the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the cat,

That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the dog,

That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the cow with the crumpled horn,

36
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the maiden all forlorn,

That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that jack built.

This is the man all tattered and torn,

That kissed the maiden all forlorn,
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the priest all shaven and shorn,

That married the man all tattered and torn
That kissed the maiden all forlorn,
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the cock that crowed the morn

That waked the priest all shaven and shorn,
That married the man all tattered and torn,
That kissed the maiden all forlorn,
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

Poems Built on Antiphonal Manner

WHO HAS SEEN THE WIND?

Solo: Who has seen the wind?

Chorus: Neither I nor you

37
 But when the leaves hang trembling
The wind is passing through
Solo: Who has seen the wind?
Chorus: Neither I nor you
Solo: But when the trees how down their heads
The wind is passing by.

WHAT DOES THE BEE DO?

Christina Rossetti

Solo: What does the bee do?

Chorus: Bring home honey.
Solo: What does the father do?
Chorus: Bring home honey.
Solo: What does the mother do?
Chorus: Lay out the money.
Solo: What does the baby do?
Chorus: Eat up the money.

Poems for Line-a-Child

SOLOMON GRUNDY

Chorus: Solomon Grundy

Ist speaker Born on Monday

2nd speaker Christened on Tuesday

3th speaker Married on Wednesday
4th speaker took ill on Thursday
5th Worse on Friday
6th Died on Saturday
7th speaker Buried on Sunday
Chorus: That is the end of Solomon Grundy.

UNIT III

Lesson 1

Folklore and Folktales

The term ‘’folklore’’ was invented by an English scholar by the name of William John
Thomas in 1846. He used the word to denote the traditions, customs and superstition of the
uncultured people in civilized country. Folklore is a science that embraces observance and
custom, notion, beliefs, tradition, superstition and prejudices of the common people.

Importance of Folklore

1. Folklore is important explaining social history of mankind.

2. Folklore is a helpful in the study of comparative mythology and science of region.
3. Folklore helps in the understanding of the relationship between races and on the development
of religion, beliefs and ceremonies.
4. Folklore is great assistance to the ethnologists, sociologists, historians and students of
comparative mythology and science of religion.

38
 Kinds of Folklore

1. Traditional literature in narrative form

a. folk tales
b. hero tales
c. ballads and song
d. legend of places

2. Traditional customs
a. local customs
b. astrology
c. festival custom
d. games
3. Superstition and beliefs
a. witchcraft
b astrology
c. superstitious and practices
d. superstitious beliefs and fancies.
4. Folk speech
a. Popular saying
b. Popular nomenclature
c. Proverbs
d. Riddles
e. Jingles, rhymes,

The earliest forms of literature were called folk literature. They are traditional narratives
that originated directly from the people. Folk literature has no fixed author and no fixe4d
original form. Some of the earliest traditional literatures were narrative in form.

There are certain qualities common to folk literature. They are:

1. Concerned more with action rather than reflection

2. Concerned with physical heroism
3. Concerned with mysterious and powerful influences- gods, giants, heroes, fairies, animals
and other supernatural beings.

Stories for Children

FOLKTALES

The term folktale refers to a traditional narrative of unknown authorship that has been
handed down from generation regardless of its content.
These old stories are often called fairytales because many of them deal with fairies or magic
of any supernatural element. Some of the contents or characters were animals, mysterious and
powerful influences like gods, giants, heroes who overcome incredible obstacles and win
awards and other supernatural beings. There are hundreds of such stories known in every
country and most of these stories were known long before books were made.

Origin of Folktales
Here are two theories concerning the origin and transmission of folktales

39
1. That all folktales originated in India in the Sacred Books of Buddhism and were transmitted
by migrations of peoples, by crusaders and Hebrews gypsies.
2. That many of the tales arose independently among people widely separated geographically
and historically.
Studies have shown the similarity in the plots of the stories that were handed down from
generation to generation in different countries. This proves that human experience, human
nature and human emotions are universal.

History of Folktales
The history of folktales begins at the point at which storyteller, folklorist or
anthropologist set it down in writing. It has been the convention to credit the origin of a folk
story to the country which it was published. Most often a story which has been thought of as
having originated in the country in which it was first published had been known in the
countries for a long time.
In 1697, a colle3ction of tales Comtes de Ma L’ Oye or Tales ofMy Mother Goose
appeared bearing the name of a Frenchman, Charles Perault. However Perault claimed that the
stories were written by his little son who learned from his pleasant nurse. The frontispieces of
the book showed three listening to a story told by an old woman named Mother Goose while
she was spinning. The name Mother Goose was later associated more with nursery rhymes
than with tales. A translation of Peraults tales was published in England in 1719. The eight
tales became very popular to English speaking children. The stories were:

‘’Little Red Riding Hood’’

‘’Sleeping Beauty’’
‘’Cinderella’’
‘’Blue Bird’’
‘’ Hop of my Thumb’’
‘’ Puss in Boots’’
‘’Riquet and the Tuft’’
‘’ Toads and Diamonds’’

The first real collection of old tales was made by two German brothers, Jacob and
Wilhelm Grimm. The gathered the tales they heard from the old folks throughout their travels
in Germany and published them later, between 1812 to 1815. Their purpose was to preserve
the folk literature that they heard orally. The first English translation of the Grimm’s
Hausmarchen was made by Edgar Taylor. It was called Grimm’s Fairy Tales. It became so
popular that other scholars began collecting tales too.
Peter Absjorsen and Jorgen Moe gathered thales throughout their travel in Norway by
talking to old people just as the Grimm Brothers have done. Absorjen and Moe published
their first collection of Norwegian tales in 1842-1843. Their collection was translated into
English by George Webber Dasent and issued under the title Popular Tales from the Norse in
1859. A systematic collection of folktales appeared in England in 1849. James Orchard
Halliwell called his work Nursery Rhymes and Nursery Tales.
One of the best known nursery tales was the ‘’ The Three Bears’’ by Robert Southey,
1774-1843, the poet laureate of England and the author of many books, both poetry and prose.
In the middle of the nineteenth century, a large body of folk materials became available
in English. Dr. E. W. Lane translated the Arabian Nights, a collection of Arabian Tales. The
most popular of this tales were ‘’Aladin’’ and ‘’Sinbad’’.

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Version of Folktales
There are different version of the same story and they many vary greatly in their
attractiveness. Making one’s version of a story is to tell children of finding retold version that
one considers acceptable for reading aloud or for telling and is not violating the traditional of
the folktale. Throughout the ages, the tribal storyteller, the minstrel and the others were the
agents though whom the stories were handed down from generation to generation orally. Each
teller of the tale added something from his own imagination specially designed to appeal to
his particular audience.

Primary Characteristic of Folktales

1. Has known individual author

2. Has no fixed or original form.
3. Has a brief introduction.
4. Adapted to any age.
5. Has simple plot that is easy to remember.
6. Characters appeal to both children and adults.
7. Has element to magic that appeals to children.

Values of Folktales

1. Give pleasure and enjoyment to children

2. Stirs the imagination
3. Gives insight into life
4. Used for dramatization
5. Used for Illustration
6. Develops ear training
7. Plays role in the emotional development of children
8. Develops confidence and courage in children against fear of the unknown

Types of Folktales

1. Accumulative or repetitional tales is the simplest type of the tale. It has a simple plot and
rhythmical pattern. Its episodes follow each other neatly and logically in a pattern of cadenced
repetition. Examples of this type are: American-‘’ Gingerbread Boy’’, English- ‘’Johnny
Cake’’, Norse- ‘’ Pancake’’, Russian- ‘’ The Bun’’.

2. Talking Beast stories are stories in which the animals talk. The animals not only talk with
other animals but with human beings. Often the animals tales generally teach a lesson of
courage, ingenuity and self=-reliance. Rewards ar stressed in the outcome of the tales, but
they are never moralistic. Examples of this type of stories are: ‘’Puss in Boots’’ ‘’The Three
Little Pigs’’,’’The Three Billy Goats Gruff’’, ‘’The Tale of Peter Rabbit’’.

3. Droll Or Humorous Stories are stories about sillies and numskulls. They are meant for fun
and nonsense. Examples of these stories are: ‘’ Lazy Jack’’ and ‘’Epaminomdas’’.

4. Myths is a story that explains primitive man’s idea of the origin of the universe, the
mysteries of natural phenomena, the life of gods, goddesses, and otherpagan divinities, thier
contacts with each other and their relation to man. It is especially associated with religious
rites ang beliefs. There are three types of these stories—the Greek , Roman, and Norse myths.
41
 Examples of myths—‘’Kiing Midas’’, ‘’Jason and the Golden Fleece’’, ‘’Baucis and
Philemon’’.

5. Epics and Hero Tales an epic is a story that is sometimes written in verse, sometimes in
prose, and others are in ballads. The story may be the exploits of a hero, in his heroic acts
embody the moral code of a country or of a nation. Examples of epics are: El Cid of Spain,
Odyseus of the Greeks, Lam-and of the Philippines.

6. Legends is an old story containing wonders and miracles that was handed down without
any foundation in history but popularly believed to be true. Every country has its own legend
which was patterned in their own custom and tradition. It could be a story of person.
Examples of legends: ‘’The Legend of the Manila’’, ‘’The Legend of the Pineapple’’, ‘’The
Legend of Lanzones’’.

7. Fables is a fictitious story about an animal or an inanimate object which behaves like a
human being and has one dominant trait. It is meant to teach a lesson or moral. The most
popular fables are those of Aesop, the Jakatas or Indian Fables, the fables of Jean de la
Fontagne. Examples of fables are: ‘’The Fox and the Grapes’’, ‘’The Crow and the Pitcher’’,
‘’The Monkey and the Turtle’’.

8. Fairy Tales (Old) the term fairy tales include a wide variety of folktales. A large proportion
of these stories are based on element of magic or supernatural. Something extraordinary
happens in the story. The setting of a fairy tale is a visionary or unreal world. The setting is
usually idealized or romantic setting. The characters are fairies, water fixies, dwarfs, giants,
speaking animals, and beautiful creatures. Examples are: ‘’Cinderella’’, ‘’The Three Bears’’,
‘’Briar Rose’’ and many others.

9. Religions Tales folktales using religious elements or beliefs are rarely found in children’s
collection. The religious folktales are either comical or didactic. They were patterned after the
morality plays or the Middles Ages. The devil and St. Peter usually appeared in comic roles.
They are not well adopted to the children.

10. Romance Tales in the folktales is remote and impersonal. The characters are stereotypes.
Enhancements and impossible tasks seoarate folktales lovers and magic brings them together
as in ‘’Beauty and the Beast’’, ‘’The Goose Girl and the King’’, ‘’East of the Sun, West of the
Moon’’. These type of stories are for older children and not for the younger ones.

11. Realistic stories are those stories that are improbable but possible. Examples of this type
of stories are ‘’Mr. Vinegar’’ and ‘’Blue Bird’’.
Folktales by Country or Nationality

A. American
‘’The Dun Horse’’
‘’ Gingerbread Boy’’

B. Arabian
‘’Aladin and the Wonderful Lamp’’

C. East Indian
‘’The Tiger , Brahman and the Jackal’’

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D. English
‘’ Jack and the Beanstalk’’
‘’Lazy Jack’’
‘’ Mr. Vinegar’’
‘’ The Old Woman and Her Pig’’
‘’ The Three Bears’’
‘’ The Three Little Pig’’

E. French
‘’ Cinderella’’
‘’ Little Red Riding Hood’’
‘’ Puss in Boots’’
‘’ Sleeping Beauty’’
‘’ Toads and Diamonds’’

F. German
‘’ Briars Rose’’
‘’ Elves and the Shoemaker’’
‘’ Hansel and Gretel’’
‘’ Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’’
‘’ The Travelling Musicians’’

G. Greek
‘’ Fables of Aesop’’

H. Norse
‘’ Boots in his Brothers’’
‘’ The Princess on the Glass Hill’’
‘’ The Three Billy Goats Gruff’’
‘’The Bear is Stumpy Tailed’’
‘’ The Wonderful Knap Sock’’

I. Russian
‘’ The Straw Ox’’

Desirable Uses of Folktales

1. For entertainment
Old folktale should be read for fun. They are good for storytelling purposes.
2. For illustration
Folktale characters are subjects for drawing, sketching, modeling, painting. Etc..
3. For dramatization
Even in the nursery schools, children can play ‘’ The Three Little Pigs’’, ‘’The Billy Goats
Gruff’’ and other tales.
4. For puppets
The characters in folktales are suitable for hand puppets, sock puppets, stick puppets.
5. For storytelling

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 Storytelling is one activity that is best suited for young children and the folktales are excellent
types of stories for telling.

Lesson 2

Myths

Mythology is a body of myths describing the gods of the people, demigods and legendary
human being in stories which involve supernatural elements. It is the science that treats of
myths.

The term myth has usually a more specialized and meaning and refer to stories in which
gods, goddesses, and other pagan divinities play a part. It is a story that explains primitive
man’s f natural phenomena

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 The purpose on the myth is to explain matters in the science of a persiencetific age. A
myth remains a myth as long as the divinity of its actors is recognized. It is associated with
religious rites and beliefs.

Evolution of Myths

The evolution of myth and religion differ from people to people. An ancient Greek writer,
Eurehemus (300 B.C), believed that the ancient gods were patterned after heroes who actually
lived at one time.

A second theory was made by philologists or people who study growth of language.
This study claims that man repeating things their accentors said, understood them in a
different sense and because of that, misunderstanding created myths.

The third theory was made by the anthropologists or people who study the history of the
human race. They try to explain the cause of natural phenomenom.

The fourth theory according to French sociologist, Emile Durheim, explained th=at myths
came from society as a whole. He believed the people got so excited during their festivities
that they thought that a great power came to them from an object in their camp. These object
became a sacred emblem to the tribe.

Source of Mythology

Greek and Roman

The Romans had no system of mythology of their own. They adopted the mythology of
the Greeks, but change the name of the gods. The Romans and Greeks had not only the same
gods, but the same demigods.

Greeks Romans

Zeus - Ruler of the-Jupiter heavens or Jove and Earth

Hera - Queen of the heavens -June

Posiedon - God of the sea- Neptune

Aphrodite - Goddess of love and beauty- Venus

Athena - Goddess of wisdom- Minerva

Apollo -God of the sun- Apollo

Artemis - Goddess of moon and of the chase- Diana

Ares - God of war- Mars

Hermes - Messenger of Zeus and of Gods- Mercury

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 Heracles

(demigod) - Strong man- Hercules

In both mythologies, the abode of the gods and goddesses was on Mount Olympus. The
Roman names are more familiar than the Greek; the Greek names have more beautiful sounds.
The myths have come down to us in Latin writings than in Greek.

Norse Myths

The Norse myths came from the Scandinavian countries. They are more serious in tone
and plot than the Greek myths. In the Norse stories, the ruler of the heavens and earth is Odin.
Freya corresponds to Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love, Thor to Mars. The home of the gods
was the great Hall of Valhalla in Odin’s Palace. Odin’s maiden messengers, the Valkyries,
brought the souls of heroes slain in battle to live forever in honor and glory in the Hall of
Valhalla.

German Myths

The name of ditties in german myths differs only slightly from those of the Norse. Odin
becomes Wotan, Sigurd and Brynhild becomes Siegfried and Brunhilde as in the Wagnerian
operas.

Types of Myths Stories

The simplest of myth stories are the ‘’why’’ stories or Pourquoi tales. Example of this
type of stories are: ‘’ Why the Sunflower Turns to the Sun,’’ Why the Woodpecker Has a Red
Head,’’ ‘’ Why Arachne Was change into a Spider.’

The second type of myth story is the allegory or symbolic story for children is the story
of ‘’ King Midas’’ who wanted everything that he touched would turn into gold. He became
so wealthy that even his only daughter turned into gold.

A type of myth story deals with the ways of the gods with other gods and with men. This
is a complex type of story and is not suitable for young children.

Another type of myth story is about nature and other phenomena that is often baffling.

Values of Myths

1. There is a dramatic quality about myths that captures the imagination of the poets and
children.
2. Many English poems are filled with classical allusions from myths.
3. Subject of sculpture and graphic arts are taken from the Greek and Roman myths.
4. They furnish background for the great national epics of all countries.
5. They serve to explain the origin and meaning of many words in everyday use.
6. They as in aid in the understanding of art and literature.

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7. They widen our knowledge about the physical world, the history and civilization of the times
in which the stories originated and about human nature.
8. Myth give answers to questions often asked by children concerning the how, when, why of the
ways of animals, birds, insects, trees, flowers, and other forces of nature.

However, myths are for the older children—those in Grade VI and for high school
students. Following are two examples of mythical stories.

King Midas
(Adapted)

Once there was a King who loved gold more than anything. He wanted everything around
him made of gold. The only other thing he loved was his only daughter, Mary.
The King spent most of his time counting his money and looking at the things made of
gold in his palace.
One day a stranger came to the palace. He was surprised with all the gold he saw. The
king was so very unhappy that day.
The stranger asked the King why he was very sad, King Midas? You have everything, but
you are not happy. What more do you want?’’

King Midas was surprised with the man’s question. He thought to himself. This man must
be a god or someone who made wishes come true. The King turned to the man and said, ‘’ I
wish that everything I touch would turn to gold.’’
The stranger asked, ‘’King Midas, won’t you feel sorry if everything you touch would
turn to gold?’’
‘’Oh, no, no,’’ answered the King. ‘’I would be the happiest man on this earth.’’
‘’You can have your wish. Everything you touch would turn to gold,’’ said the man. Then
he left.
That night, the king could not sleep. He could not wait for his wish to come true.
The morning came. The King woke up early. He dressed quickly. His clothes turned to
gold. He went out to garden. He touched the flowers and they turned to gold. He was very
happy.
He went back to palace to have breakfast with his daughter, Mary. As he poured himself
a cup of tea, he saw that the cup turned to gold. He tried to drink his tea. It had turned to hard.
He tried a slice of bread. He tried to bite the bread, but it had turned to gold.
He was getting hungry and he began to shout.
Mary ran to her father. As she touched her father, she, too, turned to gold.
The king bowed his head and could not sat anything.
Then he heard a voice, ‘’Are you very happy, King Midas?. Everything you touched turn
to gold. Your daughter has turned to gold.
‘’ No, I am very sad,’’ said King Midas. ‘’ gold is not everything. My daughter means
more to me than all the gold in this world.’’
‘’ do you really mean that?’’ then go to the river and fill this jar with water. Pour some
into anything that you wish to change as it was before.’’
The King carried the Jar and ran to the river. He got out of the water; he felt a change in
himself. He rushed back to the palace.
On his way, he stopped to sprinkled water on Mary, as soon as the water flowed over her
body, she became alive again.
King Midas was very happy again. His golden touched was gone. He loved his daughter
very much and he learned his lesson.

Atalanta
(Adapted)

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 There once lived a king who wanted very much to have a son. He did not want a girl.
So when he learned that his child was a girl, he asked the palace guards to take the baby to the
forest. There she was left to die.
Some hunters came to the forest. They heard a cry coming from the bushes. They went
near. They were surprised with what they saw. They took the baby to their home. They did not
know she was the daughter of a king. They loved her very much. They took good care of her.
They taught her how to use the bow and arrow. They called her Atalanta.
Atalanta learned how to hunt. She learned to run very fast. She could run faster than
any animal in the forest. The hunters were so proud of her. They talked to the towns’ people
about her running ability. She was known as the fastest runner in the land.
The king heard about the girl. He told his soldiers to bring the girl to him. The king
asked her who her father and mother were.
Atalanta told the king that she grew up in the hunters’ home. She told him that the
hunters had found her in the forest when she . Was still a baby. The hunters took good care of
her. The king realized that this girl was his own daughter. He felt sorry for what he had done .

The king said, “Forgive me ,Atalanta for what I have done to you . I am very sorry. I
am Now very old. I live alone in a big palace. Please come back to me. Tell the hunters who
took care of you to live in the palace’’
‘’I will go back to the palace and live there if the hunters will live there too, ‘’ said
Atalanta.
The king replied, ‘’That will make me happy.’’
Atalanta grew up to be very lovely young woman. She liked her new life in the
palace. But she missed her running with the animals in the forest. She ran around the palace
grounds. Often, she would wish that she could run a race with other people.
Many young men have heard about her beauty and her great running ability.
Atalanta had many admirers. She did not know whom to choose. She thought of an
idea.
She said, “If any man wants to marry me, he will have to race against me. If he wins,
I’ll marry him. If he loses, he will die.”
Many young men wanted to marry her, but they were afraid to die.
One day handsome young man from a far city came to see the king. When he was
inside the palace, he saw Atlanta. He fell inlove with her. He asked to marry him.
Atlanta told the young man, “One has to beat me in a race. If he wins, he will marry
me. If he lose, he will die.”
“You are very lovely, Atalanta. I’ll risk my life for you,” said the young man.
And so a day was set for the race. Before the race, the young man went to Venus, the
goddess of love. He asked her to help him win the race so he could marry Atalanta.
Venus told the young man to go with her to the garden. There she picked three golden
apples . She gave the apples to the young man. She told him to do with the apples.
When the of the race came, the young man went to the starting place early. There are
many people who had gathered to watch the race. The people wish that the young man would
win the race. Atalanta herself wished that the young man could marry her.
The signal to begin the race came. Atalanta ran ahead the young man. He ran very fast,
but he could not run faster than Atalanta.
The young man took one of the apples inside his jacket. He rolled the apple in front of
Atalanta’s feet. Atalanta stopped and picked up the first apple. The young man run very fast
so he was ahead of her. He threw the second apple and Atalanta stopped and picked the
second apple.
The young man was getting very tired. He began to run slowly. Atalanta ran faster,
and the young man began to fall behind. He had only one apple left. He prayed that the apple
would save him. He rolled the apple in front of Atalanta. The apple rolled a little bit to the
side of the road. Atalanta stopped to pick up the apple by the side of the road.
The young man ran as fast as he could to reach the starting line and he won. Atalanta
kept her promise to marry the winner.

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 Lesson 3

Legends

Definition

A legend is a narrative that is partly true and partly imaginary about a particular
person, event, place or natural features. It is a form of story containing miracles and wonders
handed down from generation to generation thought they are not authenticated by accepted
proof. A legend is closely allied to history although it is not verifiable.

Legends will continue to develop because man with his busy printing presses can’t
write down or preserve all the history of every person, places or thing in the minds of future
generations.

Origin of Legends:

Legends came from the Latin word “Legenda” which means “for thing to read”. The
term was used to designate the life story of a saint and was also applied to portions of
scriptures and selections from live saints to be read at divine service. From the origin, the term
legend came to be applied to any story with or without historical background but though to be
true.

Difference between Myths and Legends

1. The myth is an interpretation of nature while a legend is the idealization of history.

2. Myths are stories in which god, goddesses and other divinities play a part while legends are
stories of wonders or miracles not only of gods and goddesses but about animals and other
things.
3. The legend lies within one or two localities and has one or two characters whose names and
sometimes their motives change with the locality. Myths are found everywhere in one form or
another.
4. The legend is usually built into one episode on a single act of the hero.

Differences between Legends and Folktales

Legendary Heroes According to Nationality:

1. English Legends
a. Beowulf’s Fight with Grendel
b. Rodin Hood Tales
c. How Saint George Slew the Dragon
d. King Arthur and His Sword
2. French Legends
a. Roland and His Horn

3. Scandinavian Legends
a. Sigurd’s Youth
4. Persian Legend

49
a. Zal
5. Spanish Legend
a. The Legend of Cid Rodrigo Diaz de Benar
6. North American Legend
a. The Legend of Paul Bunyan

Filipino Legends According to Subject:

A. Legendary Heroes
a. The Legend of Lam-Ang
b. The Legend of Bernardo Carpio
B. Legend about Places
a. Legend of Gapan, Manila, etc
b. Legend about every town and province
C. Legend about Nature
a. Legend of Mt. Makiling, Mt. Mayon, Mt.Kanlaon, Mt. Pinatubo, Mt. Sinukuan, Mt. Paypay,
Mt. Ilong-Ilong, Legend of the Pasig Rever, etc.
b. Legend about the origins of the universe, Legend about the Sun, Moon and the Stars.
D. Legend about the Plants
a. Legend of the Banana
b. Legend of the Pineapple
c. Legend of the Lansones
d. Legend of the Macopa, ect.
E. Legend about Flowers
a. Legend of Sampaguita
b. Legend of the Ilang-Ilang
F. Legend about Animals
a. Legend of the smallest Fish in the Philippines
b. Legend of the first Monkey
c. Legend of the Firefly

Values of Legends in Children’s Literature

1. Legend as a source of children’s literature deals with religious facts. Religious facts help
children in strengthening their faith in God.
2. Legend deals with historical backgrounds. They awaken the national consciousness of
children.
3. They develop vivid and fantastic imagination.
4. Some legends give children a moral lesson. They serve as a guide on what is right and what is
wrong.
5. Legends help acquaint children with the cultural phase of the country.
6. They give pleasure and enjoyment to children.

Examples of Filipino Legends:

DAMA DE NOCHE

(Lady of the Night)

The “Dama de Noche” is one of the exotic flowers of the Philippines that bloom
abundantly at night and fills the air with a sweet-smelling fragrance.

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 The legend tells of a princess who lived in one of the island of Tawi-Tawi, near Sulu.
She fell in love with their gardener. When her father, the powerful Sultan, learned about their
love affair, he drove the gardener away. The Princess was heartbroken. She prayed that the
gardener would come back. She would not stop waiting for him. One day, she requested God
that she be transformed into a plant whose flowers would wake up in the night and keep vigil
till her love came back.

The plant grew into a blush with white tiny blossoms that emit a very fragrant smell
only at night. This plant was called “Dama de Noche” because the flowers bloom only at
night.

THE FIREFLY, BAT, MOS, QUITO, TURTLE, AND LIZARD

Long, long time ago all the animals of the earth lived and roamed very freely the
Firefly, Bat, Mosquito, Turtle and Lizard. Then came a time when some of them began to get
killed one by one by the people. Bathala decided to call all the animals to a meeting. Six of
them failed to attend the meeting. Bathala summoned them to his palace. After hearing their
problem, he gave each one a punishment. The firefly who could not see in the dark was given
a lantern to be attached to his body so he could light its way. The bat that have no wings was
given wings that he could only use only a night. The mosquito who was afraid of people and
other animals was given a pointed needle for protection. The turtle, whose house had been
stolen, was given a house to be attached to its back so he could carry it around whenever he
went. The bayawak or giant lizard who was always telling lies was given two tongues. That is
why these animals have their present characteristic.

THE LEGEND OF MANILA

Long, long ago there was a place called Mai. Mai was near a river. It had a plenty of
trees. The people got fruits from the trees. They didn’t have to buy fruits to eat.

The people of Mai were very good. People from far and nearby places didn’t like traded
he people of Mai . they wanted the people of Mai to go away. The people of Mai didn’t like to
leave the place. They liked the place very much.

One day stranger came to Mai. They fought the people of Mai and wanted them to go
away. The people of Mai fought them back and they won. They offered flowers as
thanksgiving to God. These flowers were called ‘’ Nilads’’. People who saw the ‘’ Nilads’’
shouted’’ My Nilad doon,’’ there are Nilads there.

The people kept shouting ‘’May nilad’’. Then the people called the place ‘’ Maynilad’’.
Then it was shortened to Manila to make it easier to say.

THE LEGEND OF THE HUNDRED ISLANDS

Centuries ago, Rajah Masibueg was the most powerful ruler of Alominos, Pangasinan.
The kingdom enjoyed peace prosperity under the Raja’s rule. One he heard that his enemies
wanted to invade his kingdom. The ajah summoned a hundred of his bravest warriors to face

51
 the enemy. Led by his own son, the warriors of Rajjah Masibueg set out for the great battle.
They boarded ten large bancas. The furious battle at sea lasted the whole night.

When morning came, the sea was so silent no warriors, no returning bancas could be
seen. The enemies were all annihilated and so were the Raja’s hundreds warriors. The people
were surprised to see several small islands on the sea. Some of the islands look like a man
float. Others look likrd overturned bancas. The good have changed the hundred warriors into
island so they could have kingdom fovever.

WHY THE SKY IS SO HIGH

Long, long, long, there live only one man and one woman. At that time the sky was very
low. It was so low that each time the man and woman stood up, their heads touched the sky. So
most of the time, they sat on small rocks on the ground.

We’ve no food for dinner,’’ said the man one day. ‘’I’ll go out to hunt.’’

And the man went out hunting in the woods.he walk far into the foods with his spear. He saw
a big and fat deer. With one sudden throw of his spear, the man killed the deer. He picked up
the deer and carried it home for his wife.

The woman cut up the deer into pieces and cook for some dinner. She kept the rest of
the meat for another meal. The man and his `wife enjoyed a good meal of deer meat.

‘’There’s something in the bone of the deer,’’ said the woman after eating. ‘’ I’m going
to find out what it is.’’

The woman took up her comb and necklace so that she could work well. She left them
hanging on the sky. Then she piched up the bone began to hit it hard against a big rock.

So she place a bone on a big rock. Then she began to pound it hard with the piece of
wood. She hit the sky with it.

She looked up at the sky and said, ‘’ Sky I can’t pound this bone because your so low.
Go up a little higher.

All at once , there was aloud roar above, and the sky went up higher.

Again the woman raised the piece of wood. Again, she hit the sky with it.

‘’Go still higher ,sky,’’ said the woman.

Soon there was another loud roar above and the sky went a little higher. But still she
could not break the bone open. She kept pounding the bone. But each time the woman raised
the piece of wood to break the bone, she hit the sky. So she got angry.

The I won’t hit you with this pieces of wood. Now go as high as you can’’.

Then a very loud roar was heard from above. The woman look up and what did she see.
She saw they sky going up higher and higher.

She remember that she left her necklaces and and comb hanging on the sky. So she ran
as once to get them, but she was too late. The sky went up high with her comb and necklaces.
The sky never went down again.

52
 From that time on, the sky has always been high. And to this day when can still see the
woman’s comb and necklaces. They make up the moon and the stars that shine in the sky.

Lesson 4

Epics and Hero Tales

In addition to the stories of gods, and goddesses and lesser divinities or demigods, there
are also tales of human heroes. Some of these heroes accumulated so many stories about there
names that the collection of these tales make an epic.

The word epic comes from the Greek epos meaning a saying or a song. Now the word
epic is a form of narrative wherein tragedy, comedy, lyric, dirge, and idyll are skillfully
blended to form an immortal work.

Epics are sometimes written in verse like the ‘’ Iliad’’ or the ‘’ Sigurd Saga’’ in
sometimes in prose as Malory’s ‘’ Morte d’ Arthur.’’

The epic is a strongly national in its presentation of human character. Odysseus may not
have live at all, but he is the embodiment of the Greek ideals of manly courage, wisdom,
beauty and endurance.

Sigurd is personification of Norse heroism. King Arthur is the model of chivalry. Robin
Hood is the personification of the English love of freedom and justice and the ideal of hardy
and jovial English manhood.

The moral code of a nation and era and all its heroic ideals are revealed in the study of
the epic hero of a nation.

Not all epics are suitable for children. Some epics given children an unforgettable literary
and emotional experience. They are suitable for older children and for the intermediate grades,

53
 There is little preaching in the epics but they give a child something to grow on—ideals
of conduct in human form.

Many of the epics take too much time. They tell of hardships and exploits of the hero day
after day. His adventures show his resourcefulness, his vision, his tireless attempts that show
his greatness, his courage and the triumph over his difficulties. All these add to the memorable
experience and value to children.

Classification of Hero Tales

According to Nationality

American
How Tony Beaver Built the Candy Dam
Paul Bunyan’s Flapjack Griddle
Joe Magarac: Man of Steel
Kwasind: Hercules of the American Indians
Pecos Bill
Buffalo Bill
English
Beowulf
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
Robin Hood
St. George and the Dragon
France
Roland
Greek
The Story of Odysseus
Pandora
The Winged Horse
Beginning of Atalanta
Irish
Fin M’Cowl and the Giant
Oisin In the Land of Youth
Norse
Heroes of Asgard
Sigurd the Volsung
The Making of the Hammer
Swiss
William Tell
India
Rama
Spain
El Cid (Rodrigo Diaz de Bevar)
Philippines
Bernardo Carpio
Lam-ang
Mariang Makiling

Characteristics of Hero Tales

1. Hero tales are historical, biographical, mythical and legendary stories of heroes.
2. They possess qualities of good adventure which children like:
a. Directness of action
b. Singleness of motive
c. Simplicity of language
d. Vigor in style

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3. The heroes present ideals of life and conduct worthy of emulation.
4. The exploits and deeds of heroes are worthy worshipping.
5. The heroes succeed because of their ingenuity, valor, perseverance and other virtue.
6. The style in which the story is told is serious, dignified and there is objectivity.

Values of Hero Tales

1. Develop in the child good moral character.
2. Enlarge the child’s vocabulary.
3. Develop the imagination.
4. Give good background to interpret later reading with the allusions to the classic.
Following are examples of some well known tales in outline or in digest form:

THE ODYSSEY
by
Homer
Homer was a Greek poet whose birth was estimated as form 1159 B.C. to 685 B.C. He
was said to have been blind and poor. He wandered from city to city singing his songs. He
wrote “The Odyssey,” an adventure of Ulysses.
The adventures of Ulysses are exciting to children. Older children in the intermediate
grades can read it for themselves. The teacher can tell the story in serials. He can tell one story
or serial a week or it can be divided into chapters in the story.
“The Odyssey” is a story of courage which children should know. It portrays the ideals of
cool intelligence, patience and resourcefulness in both Penelope and Ulysses.
Outline of the story- “THE ODYSSEY” by Homer
Chapter I- By means of the famous Trojan horse, the Greeks conquer the Trojans and
divided the spoils. Ulysses, ruler of Ithaca, sails away.
Chapter II- Ulysses lands on the islands of Cyclops. Ulysses and his men fight with a
one-eyed giant named Polyphemus.
Chapter III- Ulysses sails away again. He and his men get stranded on the island of Circe.
An enchantress turns his men into swines.
Chapter IV- Ulysses sets forth again. He almost lost his way because he has displeased
the gods. He drifted into the island of Calypso.
Chapter V- Ulysses was a very reluctant guest for seven years of Calypso. Later, at the
command of Zeus, the Supreme God of the Greeks, Calypso ordered Ulysses to build a raft
and leave.
Chapter VI- Ulysses sails again to the land of the Phaecians. He was rescued by the
beautiful daughter of the King, named Nausicaa. He was given equipment and supplies for his
journey homeward.
Chapter VII-Upon his return to his homeland, only his dog recognized him. He tried to
regain his lost kingdom and wife by entering his palace as a beggar.

ROBINHOOD

Children enjoy reading, hearing, seeing Robin Hood. The tales of Robin Hood was
originally in ballad form. The prose version of Howard Pyle, with its beautiful illustrations, is
a good text for children to read or listen to.
Outline of the story.
Chapter I- Robin went into the forest to hide after he was strongly accused of shooting
the king’s deer. His land was taken away from him. He took refuge in Sherwood Forest. There
he organized an outlaw band of heroes.
He was joined by Little John, who was really a big fellow; the jolly and fat Friar Truck,
Allan a Dale, Will Scarlet, Midge, the Miller’s son and many others.
Robin hood and his men have a series of adventures. They steal from the rich to help the
poor.
There is a lot of action and drama that children enjoy listening to or reading.

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 KING ARTHUR AND THE KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE

There are several individual stories of the knights of King Arthur. Each story can either
be read by older children or by those in the intermediate grades or they can be read or told by
the teacher.
Some of the stories are:
“How Arthur Becomes King”
“The Story of Merlin”
“Sir Galahad and the Holy Grail”
“Sir Lancelot”
“Sir Gawain”
“Excalibur”
“The Death of King Arthur”
These stories have beauty in the adventures of the knights. They enrich the experience.
They make an excellent introduction to the “Idylls of the King” by Alfred Tennyson.

BEOWULF

The English epic tale “Beowulf” is not suitable for children in the elementary grades
because of the bloody battles. There is little characterization of the persons in the story. There
is less nobility of action.

THE ADVENTURES OF RAMA

This is myth-epic of India. The story tells of how the god Vishnu came down to earth
as Prince Rama. Prince Rama saves mankind from the evil power of Ravan. He fought battles
and he was always the victor. He married a beautiful girl named Sita. Rama was later bished
and put to shame by Sita’s trial by fire.
The romantic flavor of the story appeals to older girls while the older boys will
appreciate the virtue of brotherly loyalty.

SAINT GEORGE AND THE DRAGON

In the olden days a young boy named George dreamed of becoming a knight. He
wanted to wear the shining armor and to do brave deeds like the royal soldiers who fought for
the king.
He practiced hurling a spear at a target while riding on a horse. He became an expert
with a spear. He could hit anything with it while riding on his horse.
The king hear George’s skill so he made George one of the royal guards. George won
victories and honor for the king.
George heard of a cruel and wicked prince who did not allow his subjects to worship
God. The wicked prince punished those people who worshipped God. He even killed some of
them.
“I will fight evil Prince,” he said. and I will pray that God will help me.”
George selected the best soldiers to help him overcome this wicked ruler. George and
his soldiers wore shining steel armors. They carried a shield with a bright scarlet cross and
their swords hung at their side.
They traveled over mountains until they reached the top of a high mountain
overlooking the city of the wicked prince.
He told his men to rest well and to be ready for the battle early in the morning.

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 The wicked prince had heard of the coming of George and his gallant soldiers. He
commanded his own soldiers to meet George and his men.
George was not afraid, for he felt that God was with him. He rode bravely onward, and
his gallant soldiers followed.
Who are you, and why do you come?’’ roared the wicked Prince.
‘’I want to fight for the right of your oppressed subjects!’’ George shouted.
The soldiers of the prince were so overcome with fright at the sight of George and his
soldiers that they dropped their weapons. They fled into the city and abandoned their hated
prince.
When George’s men saw the fleeing soldiers abandoning their Prince, they withdrew.
They remember that a soldier of honor always fights fairly, one against one.
Only the Prince and George were left fighting. They fought so violently that their
spears were broken into pieces.
The Prince’S sword pierced George’s steel armor and blood poured forth from his
breast. George dealt a harder blow with his own sword that sent the Prince’s sword flying into
the air.
‘’ Surrender in the name of God, make a vow as I tell you,’’ cried George.
‘’ What shall I vow?’’ the Prince asked with shame.
‘’Honor and worship God faithfully. Pledge to fight only for the right. Have pity on
the poor and weak. Treat your subjects as you would like them to treat you,’’ shouted George.
The Prince dropped to his knees and promised George that he would worship God and
do as George bid him. Then the Prince offered George wealth but the noble soldier did not
accept the offer. Instead he asked the Prince to give it to the poor.
George continued doing great deeds for the poor, the crippled, and the helpless in
many lands.
One day as he rode to a distant city, he met a beautiful young girl crying bitterly.
George got off his horse and spoke to her with gentle pity.
The young girl told George her sad story. A horrible beast called a dragon inhabited a
nearby cave. This monster had devoured all the sheep and cattle in the land. Now all the sheep
and cattle were gone, and the monster began to devour the people one by one. No one was
brave and strong enough to slay this dragon.
‘’Do not weep,’’ said George.’’ I will put an end to this dragon.
Then a loud roar came from a nearby cave. The ground trembled violently as if there
were an earthquake.
A huge dragon came out from

The cave. It had a tremendous tail and horrible claws. Its tongue was like fire.

George galloped to meet the monster and thrust his sword deep into its breast. The dragon
fell dead.

The people of the city rejoiced at the fallen beast. They offered George great wealth, but
he refused. He told the people to thank God instead.

He continued doing good deeds for the people. He was so good and braves that people
called him Saint George.

BUFFALO BILL

In the early days, most of the land in the United States belonged to the Indians. Vast
grassy plains stretched from the east to the western part of the United States. There, millions
of buffalos roamed and grazed, and the Indians could hunt as much as they wished.

Indians hunters rode after herds or sneaked up on them disguised as buffaloes themselves.
Zealously the Indians guarded their hunting grounds and fought the white men who came in
covered wagons from farms and bustling town east of the Missouri River.

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 Bill grew up at the edge of the plains in the wilds of Kansas Territory. There his father
had settled with his family to trade with the friendly Kickapoo Indians. Little Bill did not go
to school, and he could neither read nor write. But early he learned to aim and shoot his
father’s gun. His father had taught him that until law and order came, a frontier boy must be
able to look after himself.

Bill’s home was far from white neighbors, but Bill was not lonely. Right by his door was
a bumpy road travelled by a wagon that crossed the plains. It was called the Oregon
Trail. Sometimes a trader with Indian trinkets or trapper with bundles of precious furs came
riding down the Oregon Trail. They stopped to tell their adventures.

In the spring, covered wagons with emigrants from the far West would stop at his door.
Wide-eyed children would stare at Bill under the canvass cover, while their fathers asked
about the dangers that lie ahead. Occasionally a caravan of heavy ox-drawn wagons, loaded
with white settlers and suppliers from the west, lumbered by.

The drivers of the wagons, the lusty cowboys, sang and bragged and told tall tales of
Indian battles and buffalo hunts. They loved the plains and their adventures. Bill and his
playmates dreamed of becoming a cowboy someday, too!

Bill’s playmates were Kickapoo Indian children. He frolicked and romped and hunted
small game with them, and learned their games and their language. He traded his brand-new
leather suit for a little wild Indian pony, and so he had a horse of his own. Sometimes he rode
bareback, Indian fashion, or he rode with a saddle, and soon he rode as if he and the horse
were one.

Before Bill was twelve, he rode so well that he got himself a grown man’s job as cowherd
with a caravan of white settles on ox-drawn wagons bound across the plains with cattle and
supplies. The leader of the caravan rode ahead in the first wagon. He scanned the land for
signs of danger. Then came the cowboys cracking their long whips so they could be heard for
miles. Last came young Bill, riding in the dust, keeping the cattle together. All day long they
rumbled along.

At night the settlers made camp, sat around the fire, sang, and told stories. Then they all
rolled up in their blankets and went to sleep. The stillness was broken only by loud snores and
howling coyotes. Life on the plains was wonderful, thought BAILL.

Day after day they travelled farthest west. Bill went hunting with the men, and for supper
that night they had buffalo humps roasted over the fire. That was the best food Bill had ever
tasted.

He loved buffalo hunting, but it was a dangerous sport. When the buffaloes were started,
they ran ever each other and over everything that came in their way.

One day the wagon train was in the way of a stampeding herd and Bill was swept along.
Courageously he hung to his horse and let it run with the buffaloes until he could slowly get
out of the way. But it took many days to repair the smashed wagon.

Bill made many trips across the plains and became a seasoned plainsman. It was not long
until he signed up with the Pony Express and carried pouches of mail, many, many miles
across the plains and the mountains.

When Bill was a young man, he marched off to fight in the Civil War. He made a
handsome soldier.

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 When railroads were built in the West, Bill hunted buffaloes for the men building the
railroads. So a thousand men supplied with meat. It was they who called him Buffalo Bill.

Lesson 5

Fables

Fables, like myths and epics, are also part of a great stream of folklore.

A fable is a short tale in which the chief characters are animals and sometimes inanimate
objects that act and talk like human beings. The wisdom of the foolish acts of human beings
are shown by the actions and words of the beasts. The fable must always point a moral. Often
the theme or moral appears at the end of the story.

Sources of Fablesuted

1. Aesop
Most of the fables have been attributed to Aesop, who was said to have been a` Greek slave.
He was ugly,, but cunning and clever. His skill in making fables gained him his freedom from
slavery and he even won a high position in government.
In Greece, during the era of the tyrants, people had no freedom of speech. The fable was
largely used speech. The fable was largely used for political reasons, to attack the corrupt
officials. The most prominent user of the fables was Aesop.
But this account of Aesop, of ’the idea that a person named Aesop ever existed, is purely
legendary.
2. Panchatantara
The panchatantara meaning ‘’ Five Books’’ was composed about 200 B.C .It is the oldest
known collection of Indian fables. It is the source of many of the Aesop and the La Fontaigne
fables. Under the title of Kalilab and Dimad of the fables of Bidpai, the stories were translated
into Persian, Arabic, and Latin. In the version, they became popular throughout medieval
Europe.
3. Jatakas
Another ancient collection of Indian fables is the Jatakas. When they originated is not
definitely known. Jataka is a bughist name for stories concerning the rebirth of Gautama
Buddha who according to tradition was reincarnated many times in the forms of many
different animals until he became, at last, Buddha, the Enligthened One. These beast stories

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 were about a man living briefly as an animals. The man derives moral lessons from these
experiences.
4. La Fontaigne
Another name associated with fables is Jean de la Fontaigne, a Frenchman who turned many
of the fables of Aesop into verses.

Characteristic of Fables
1. Characters of the story are usually animals.
2. Animals are made to think, act, and talk like human beings.
3. The moral lesson of the story is usually at the end.
4. The story is usually short.
5. Animals personify human beings.
6. The fable is full of actions and conversations.
7. Full of humor and funny situations.
8. Some have tragic and dramatic series of events.

Values of Fables

1. They give delight and enjoyment to both children and adults.

2. The teach the ethical truth in an attractive manner or form,
3. They provide background for the understanding of many new or current expressions and
allusions.
4. Some of the fables serve as a guide to good conduct on the child’s level of experience.
5. Children enjoy the fable because of the prominent.
6. They touch moral and spiritual sense of values.
7. They cultivate thinking and imagination.
8. They are good for storytelling and dramatization purposes.

Following’ are some examples of Fables for children:

THE LION AND THE MOUSE

One day a lion, tired with hunting, lay down to sleep under the tree. A mouse ran over the
lion’s face and awakened him. They angry lion was about to crush the mouse with his large
paw. The mouse pleaded to earnestly for his life so the lion let him go. Sometime later, the
lion was caught in a hunter’s snare. The lion roared and roared and tried to free himself. The
mouse heard a lion’s roar and recognized his voice. He ran towards the trap. He gnawed the
net that held the lion was very grateful and said to himself, ‘’Sometimes the weakest can help
the strongest.’’

THE FOX AND THE CROW

A fox saw a crow fly off with a piece of cheese in its break and settle on a branch of a
tree. The fox wanted the cheese for himself. He looked up at the crow and said, ‘’Good day
Mistress crow. How well you look today! I’m sure that your voice can surpass that of other
birds. Your figure is better than that of other birds. Let me just hear your sweet voice so I can
call you the ‘’ Queen of Birds.’’ The crow began to sing. The moment the crow open her
mouth, the cheese fell to the ground. The fox hastily grabbed the cheese. Then he said to the
crow, ‘’ This is all that I wanted. In exchange for your cheese, I will give you this piece of
advice for the future. ‘’Do not trust flatterers.’’

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 THE CROW AND THE PITCHER

One day a thirsty crow found a pitcher with some water in it. The pitcher had a very
narrow neck. She could not reach the water at the bottom of the pitcher with her beak. She
would die of thirst if she could not get even a drop of that precious water. At last, she thought
of a clever idea. She collected pebbles and began to drop them into the pitcher. With each
pebbles that was dropped, the water rose a little higher. At last the water reached the brim and
the clever bird was able to quench her thirst. ‘’ Where there is a will, there is a way.’’

THE MILDMAID AND HER PAIL

A farmer’s daughter had just been out to milk the cows. She was returning home with the
pail of milt. She carried the pail of milk on her head. She was so happy with the milk. She
began to daydream. The milk in this pail will provide me cream. I will make butter out of the
cream. Then I will sell the butter in the market. With the money, I will but a dozen eggs.
When the eggs are hatched, they will produce chickens. By and by I shall have a large poultry
yard. I shall have a large poultry yard. I shall sell some of the fowls. With the money from the
sale of my fowls, I will buy a new dress. I will wear the new dress when I go to fair. All the
other girls will envy me. All the boys will court me. But I shall toss my head and say no to
them. As she tossed her head, the pail of milk fell down and all the milk spilled on the ground.
All her dreams vanished and she cried to her mother. Her mother told her, ‘’Do not count the
chickens before the eggs are hatched.

THE TURTLE WHO COULD NOT STOP TALKING

A turtle lived in a pond at the foot of hill. Two wild young geese were looking for food
one day. They saw the turtle and talked with him. The next day, the geese came again to visit
the turtle. They became well acquainted and became good friends.

‘’Friend Turtle,’’ the geese said one day, ‘’ we have a beautiful home far away. We are
going to fly back to it tomorrow. Will you go with us?’’
‘’ How could I? I have no wings,’’ said the turtle.
‘’ We will take you if you keep your mouth shut. Do not say a word to anybody,’’ they
said.
‘’I can do that. Please take me with you. I will do exactly as you say,’’ the turtle said.
So the geese brought a stick and they held the ends of it with their beaks.
The geese told the turtle. ‘’ Take the middle of this stick in your mouth and don’t say any
word until we reach home.
The children in the village saw the two geese flying with the turtle they shouted, ‘’Oh!
See the turtle up in the air. Look at the geese carrying a turle by a stick. Did you ever see
anything more ridiculous in your life?’’

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 The turtle look down and began to say, ‘’ Well, if my friends carry me, what a business is
that to you?’’ And he fell dead on the ground.
As the geese flew on, they heard the people who came near the turtle say, ‘’ the fellow
could not keep his mouth shut. He had to talk, and so lost his life.’’

Proverbs and Expressions

Many well known proverbs and familiar expressions have been drawn from fables such as the
following:

1. Practice what you preach--‘’ The Wolf and the Donkey’’

2. One good turn deserves another. ‘’ The Dove and the Ant’’
3. Sour grapes. ‘’ The Fox and the Grapes’’
4. Example is the best teacher. ‘’ The Two Crabs’’
5. Don’t be too ambitious. ‘’ The Town Mouse’’
6. God helps those who help themselves. ‘’Hercules and the Wagoner’’
7. Don’t be greedy. ‘’ The Dog and his Shadow’’
8. Look before you jump. ‘’ The Fox and the Goat’’
9. Common sense is better than force. ‘’ The Wind and the Sun’’
10. Don’t be boastful. ‘’ The Frog and the Ox’’
11. Don’t leave for tomorrow what you can do today. ‘’ The Ant and the Grasshopper’’
12. Slowly but surely. ‘’ The Hare and the Tortoise’’
13. When one tries to please everybody, he pleases none, not even himself. ‘’ The Milller, His
Son, and the Ass’’
14. It is often much easier to suggest a plan than to carry it out. ‘’ Belling the Cat’’
15. It takes time to attain success. ‘’ The Goose with the Golden Eggs’’
16. Easy to get; easy to forget. ‘’ Monkey and the Barber’’
17. Be yourself if you want to be your best. ‘’ The Crow and the Partridge’’
18. Your best friend can be your worst enemy. ‘’ The turtle and the Eagle’’
19. If there’s a will, there’s a way. ‘’The Crow and the Pitcher.’’
20. Don’t be greedy or don’t be selfish. ‘’ The Monkey and the Turtle’’

UNIT IV

Lesson 1

Bible Stories

The bible is the sacred book of Christians. It is the basis of the Christian religion. It
consists of the writing of the Old Testament and the New Testament. The old Testament has
37 books, the New Testament, 27.

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 The bible tells a story with a special aim. The aim is to state the promise of God to Jesus;
to trace the influence of the promise upon our lives; to tell of the fulfillment of the promise in
Christ; and to show how the promise was extended to all men everywhere.

Characteristic of Bible Stories:

1. Stories are of religious nature.

2. Language is simple.
3. Contains many phrases.
4. Contains proverbs, poetry and songs.
5. Writer is nameless or anonymous.

Values to children:

1. It helps children to know God.

2. It gives children better understanding and appreciation of the Bible.
3. It gives moral and spiritual values to children.
4. It helps children as well as adults to enter into a life that is dominated by Christianity.
5. Bible stories are good for storytelling and dramatization activities.

Most of the stories in the Bible are excellent for ‘’telling’’ to children. They can be told in
language or words understandable by children, like the following examples:

HOW OUR WORLD BEGAN

In the beginning there was none of the beautiful things we see around us today. There
was no sun or moon. There was no stars, clouds and rainbows. There were no plants and
animals or people.

Then God made the world out of nothing. God only said a few word as he made the
world in just six days.

On the first day, God said, ‘’ Let there be light.’’ At once there was light. When the ngels
saw the wonderful light from Heaven, they came down with their harps and lutes. They sang
hymns praising God for his work.

On the second day, God said, ‘’ Let there be a sky above the waters.’’ At once the sky
with its clear blue color appeared above the waters. The angels came down again and to sing
praise to God.

On the third day, God said ‘’ Let there be grass, herbs, and trees.’’ As soon as God had
spoken, the earth was covered with green grass. Different plants sprang from the earth. Some
bore fruits and vegetables, some bore different kinds of flowers of different colors. There
were different kinds of plants. There were short shrubs, climbing vines, crawling vines and
tall trees with wide-spreading branches heavy with fruit. The hills and mountains were
covered with grass and trees too.

On the fourth day, God told the sun to appear to brighten the world. He told the moon to
give the light after the sun had set. God covered the sky with stars.

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 On the fifth day, God said, ‘’ Let the waters be filled with fish, and let birds fly in the
sky,’’ All kinds of fish and creatures with shell, huge and small ones filled the creeks, lakes,
rivers, bays, and oceans. God made all kinds of birds with brilliant colors.

Then the six day came. God said, ‘’ Let there be animals that walk and crawl in the
earth.’’ There came elephants, tigers, carabaos, horses, goats, dogs, cats and others. There
appeared too, snakes, crocodiles, lizards. Different kinds of creatures appeared. On this day,
God also created Adam, the first man. God saw all things He created. He knew there were
other things He had to do.’’

MOSES

Once there was a pharaoh in Egypt who hated the Israelite people because they were
growing big in number. The pharaoh was afraid that one day the Israelites might live all over the
land and claim it their own. So he thought of a way to make them fewer. He made them slaves.
He made them work hard all day. He killed many of them.

Though many of the Israelites were killed, many Israelites babies was born. This made
the Pharaoh more angry. He thought of a very cruel idea. He ordered his soldiers to kill all the
baby boys. So the soldiers went around the town and looked into all the homes for the baby
boys and killed them before their weeping mothers.

One Israelite mother thought of a way to save her baby boy. She hid her baby, and then
she began to weave a basket made of reeds. She wrapped her baby and put him in the basket.
Then she took the baby to the banks of the river. She hid the basket in the tall grass. She told
her daughter Miriam to watch from behind the thick grass. She said that the princess usually
came to the river to bathe.

Just then, the princess, daughter of the cruel pharaoh came with her attendants. As she
was wading in the water, she saw the basket. She called one of her attendants to look inside
the basket. To her surprise, she saw the baby boy. The attendant reminded the princess the
Pharaoh’s order to have all boys killed.

The baby began to cry. Miriam, the baby’s sister, came forward from where she was
hiding and stood near the princess.

“Who are you?” asked the princess.

“ I live in the village close by, your highness”, said Miriam. “ I have come to watch your
beautiful face”

“Do you know anyone who can take care of the baby?” the princess asked.

“Yes your highness,” Miriam readily answered.

“Go and fetch her,” ordered the princess.

Miriam ran to her mother and brought her to the princess right away.

“Can you take care of the baby for me?” asked the princess.

“Yes, you’re Highness,” replied the mother

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 The mother brought the baby, her own son, to her home and took care of him. The
princess came often to visit the little boy. The princess brought him nice things, clothes and
food to eat.

As the boy grew up, his mother taught him about God. She taught him to love God. She
told him stories about Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

When the boy was six years old, the princess brought him to the palace. She gave him the
name, Moses, because he was taken out of the river. She ordered the best teacher to teach
Moses because she wanted Moses to become wise.

Moses lived in the palace until he was forty years old.

One day Moses saw an Israelite beaten to death by an Egyptian. The killing made Moses
very angry. In his rage, he killed the cruel Egyptian.

The pharaoh heard of what Moses has done and became very angry. The pharaoh ordered
his soldiers to put Moses to death.

Moses learned about the pharaoh’s order. So Moses ran away to hide. He came to the
country of Miriam where he lived as s shepherd.

DAVID AND GOLIATH

When King Saul was their ruler, the Israelites lived peacefully and happily in their rich
pasture lands. Suddenly, the Philistines, a very fierce and cruel people, declared war against
them. The Philistines, who did not believe in God, wanted the fertile lands of the Israelites.
The Israelites had a weapons or armors. They fled to the hills to hide from the enemies. The
Philistines challenged the Israelites to come down to the valley. The Philistines army had a
giant soldier named Goliath. Goliath was so huge and strong. Every Israelite was afraid of
him. Goliath challenged the Israelites and he shouted, “Send me your bravest man and I will
fight him. If he skills me, we Philistines will be your slaves “. But no one dared to challenge
Goliath.

One day, the shepherd boy, David, happened to be in the camp of the Israelites. He had
come to deliver bread and cheese for the soldiers. The soldiers were sick and hungry. They
thanked David for the food he brought them.

Goliath stood in the middle of the valley and shouted his challenge to the Israelites to
come out and fight him. ‘’ Send me your bravest man to fight me. If he kills me, we
Philistines will be your slaves. If I kill him, you Israelites will be our slaves.’’ Goliath
shouted.

When David heard this, he stood up and said, ‘’ Let me fight this boastful giant.

The Israelites were surprised that the little shepherd boy would dare fight a giant. Some
of them laughed. But David told them that he had killed a lion and a bear. King Saul himself
wondered how David could fight the giant whom everyone feared.

King Saul offered David his own sword, shield and helmet.

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 Instead of a soldier’s armor, David wore his shepherd garments. He brought his slingshot
and getting a stone from his pocket, put it in his sling. He swung his sling around and around,
faster and faster as he walked toward the giant Goliath. Then with one swift swing, he aimed
carefully at Goliath’s head. The stone whisked in the air and landed right between the giant’s
eyes. Goliath fell to the ground and lay very still. Then David went near and cut off Goliath’s
head. The Philistine fled in terror and did not come back anymore. The Israelites rejoiced and
went back to their home in the valley. They praised God and thanked the shepherd boy for
bringing back peace to their land.

Lesson 2

Realistic Stories for Children

A realistic story is a story that is convincingly true to life; that is the places, the people,
the action and motives seem both possible. It is a story in which everything that happens could
happen.

Characteristic of Realistic Stories:

1. Must contain plots with action.

2. Has unity of plot.
3. Has logical development.
4. The story must be true to human nature.
5. Must have a substantial theme.
6. Style must absorb and interest young readers.

Values of Realistic Stories:

1. Children can identify themselves happily and profitably with the hero and/ or heroine of the
tale.
2. Give children an insight into real life situation.
3. Satisfy the need to belong.
4. Satisfy the need of love or beloved.
5. Satisfy the need to know.
6. Satisfy the need to achieve.

The following are two examples of realistic stories:

THE LITLTLE FISHER

There once lived an old man and his wife. Their hut stood in wild and lonely place. Great
hills covered with trees rose behind the little home, and there was a beautiful lake in front.

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 The woodman and his wife were very poor, and they had to work all day. But they were
very happy because their little grandson, Sid stayed with them.

Sid was a merry little boy. He had big bright eyes. He was tall and strong, and loved to be
outdoors most of time.

He played in the forest, but he loved best the beautiful lake. He would lie on the shore
and looked over the water. How he wished he had a boat of his own. Then he would be able to
row out on the beautiful lake, and catch fish for supper.

At night, when he went to bed, he often dreamed he was fishing in the lake. He would
find a fortune in the lake.

One day, the old man broke his arm. He could no longer cut down the big trees in the
forest. He could not earn money to buy their food with. He was worried.

‘’Do not worry Grandpa, ‘’said Sid. ‘’ When I am big, I will find a fortune in the lake.
Then we shall no longer be poor. We shall have plenty to eat.

That night, Sid went to bed without supper, for there was no food in the hut. When he fell
asleep, he had a dream. A lovely lady came and stood beside him.

‘’ Why did you have no supper, Sid?’’ the lady asked.

‘’ Because my grandma had nothing to give me,’’ he said. ‘’ But someday, when I am
big, I shall go fishing in the lake and find a fortune.’’

‘’ Tomorrow, you must go fishing in the lake.’’

‘’ But I have no boat. Where can I get a boat?’’ asked Sid.

‘’ Go down to the lake and you will find a boat there,’’ said the lady.

When Sid awoke, he did not the lady’s words. So he went to his grandma who was a
sewing a shirt.

‘’ Grandma can I go fishing on the lake today?’’ asked Sid.

The old woman shook her head. ‘’But we have no boat,’’ said she.

Sid told her of his dream. His grandma wondered how he could go fishing. She let him
go.

Sid ran to the lake and found a boat on the shore. He found a fishing rod in the bottom of
the boat, and it was ready for use. Sid threw the line into the water. After a few minutes, he
pulled his line, and he had caught a big fish. Sid shouted with joy at the catch he made. He ran
back to his grandma and shouted with joy.

‘’ We can have fish for supper, Grandma,’’ said shouted.

The next day he told his Grandma he would go back to the lake again. He looked for his
fishing rod, but he could not find it. He saw a net lying in a corner of the boat. He picked up
the net.

‘’ This net might bring me any fortune,’’ said he. He let the net down into the water. In a
very short time, his net became heavy. He pulled up his net and he found five oysters. He
opened them one by one with the knife he found in the boat. In one of the oysters, he found a

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large and beautiful pearl. He remembered what his grandmother said that pearl were worth a
great deal of money. He wanted to get some oyster from the lake. They might have more
pearls.

He worked until the sun went down. He had gathered a basketful of oysters. He opened
them all and he found nine more pearls.

He ran and shouted with joy. His shouts were heard by his grandpa and grandma. They
thought that Sid was in danger.

Sid shouted ‘’Look at what I brought you, grandma. My dreams came true.’’ He showed
the pearls to his grandma and grandpa.

They king will buy these pearls for his crown, and we will have money for the rest of our
lives,’’ they said.

THE POPPY SEED CAKES

Once upon a time there was little boy named Andrew. His father and mother brought him
from the old country when he was a tiny baby. Andrew had an Auntie Katherine and she came
from the old country too. She came on the large boat. She brought with her a large bag filled
with presents for Andrew. In a huge bag were a fine feather bed and a bright shawl and five
founds of poppy seeds. The fine feather bed was made from feathers of the old goose at home.
It was to keep Andrew warm when he took a nap. The bright shawl was for his auntie to wear
when she went to market. The five pounds pf poppy seeds were to sprinkle on the little cake
which her auntie made every Saturday for him.

One lovely Saturday morning, Andrew’s aunties took some butter, some sugar, some
flour and some milk and seven eggs and she baked some nice little cakes. Then she sprinkled
each cake with some of poppy seeds which she had brought from the old country. While the
nice little cakes were baking, she spread out the fine feather bed on top of the big bed, for
Andrew to take his nap. Andrew did not like to take a nap. Andrew love to bounce up and
down and up and down on his fine feather bed. Andrew’s auntie took the nice little cakes out
of the oven and put them on the table to cool. Then she put on her bright shawl to go to
market.

‘’ Andrew, ‘’she said, ‘’ please watch these cakes while you rest on your fine feather bed.
Be sure that the kitten and dog do not go near them.’’

But all Andrew really did was bounce up and down and up and down on the fine feather
bed.

Andrew’s auntie, in her bright shawl, hurried off to market. But Andrew kept bouncing
up in the air for the ninth time, he heard a queer noise that sounded like ‘’ hs-s-s-s’’ at the
front door of his house.

‘’ Oh what a queer noise,’’ cried Andrew. He jumped down off to the fine feather and
opened the front door. 5there stood a green goose that was a very cross and scolding as fast as
he could. He was wagging his head and was opening and closing his long red beak.

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 ‘’ What do you want?’’ said Andrew. ‘’What do you want?’’. ‘’ What are you scolding
about?’’

‘’ I want all the goose feather from your fine feather bed,’’ quacked the green big goose.

‘’ They are mine.’’ They are not yours,’’ said Andrew. ‘’ My auntie brought them with
her from the old country in a huge bag.

‘’ They are mine,’’ quacked the green goose. He waddle all over the fine feather bed and
tugged it with his long re beak.

‘’ Stop green goose!’’ said Andrew, ‘’ And I’ll give one of Auntie Katherine poppy seed
cakes.’’

‘’ A poppy seed cake!’’ the green goose quacked in the delight. ‘’ I live nice little poppy
seed cakes! Give me one and you shall have your feather bed.

But one poppy seed cake could not satisfy the greedy goose. ‘’ Give me another,’’ said
the goose. Andrew gave the goose another poppy seed cake.

‘’ Give me another,’’ the green goose hissed and frightened Andrew nearly out of his
wits.

Andrew give him another and another until the last poppy seed cake was gone. Just as the
poppy seed disappeared with the green goose, Andrew’s auntie appeared at the door.

‘’ Boo, hoo,’’ cried Andrew. ‘’ So the naughty green goose has eaten all the poppy seed
cakes.’’

‘’ What? All my little nice poppy seed cakes?’’ cried Andrew’s auntie.

The greedy goose tugged the fine feather bed again with his long red beak and started to
drag it to the door.

Andrew’s auntie ran after the green goose and just the there was a dreadful explosion.
The greedy goose who had stuffed himself with poppy seed cakes had burst and his feathers
few all over the room.

‘’ Well, well,’’ said Andrew’s auntie as the gathered up the pieces of the big green
goose’s feathers. ‘’ We soon shall have two fine feather pillows for your fine feather bed.’’

Lesson 3

Autobiographer

Autobiography is the story of a person’s life written by him. It is written from a person
memory of his past. In its pure form, an autobiography is an extensive true narrative of an
individual’s life, from infancy to date. It is written by the person himself in the first person,
from his own point of view, and in his own personal lifestyle. He writes about the events in
his life with an air of reappraisal or reevaluation. He has the freedom to express his
personality and manners.

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 Among the various kinds of writers, only autobiographers feel the need to explain why
they are writing about their life.

Some reasons are:

1. To leave a record about their deeds for their families.

2. To comply with the wishes of friends or admirers for an account of his personal life.
3. To inspire young people.
4. To help in reform. To others to live better lives, to change from bad to good.
5. To acknowledge the debts which one’s intellectual and moral development owes to others.

Whatever the intention, the autobiographer tells only the truth, but he never tells everything.
He won’t tell all the truth, though, according to Eleonor Roosevelt, ‘’ Its hard for the
autobiographer to really tell the truth without hurting anyone but the more honest can be about
yourself and others, the more valuable what you have written well be in the future.

An autobiography contains the following:

1. Early life history: birthday and place, names and ages of father, mother, brothers, sisters, their
occupation, language spoken and early childhood memories.
2. Health, height, weight, vision, hearing, sickness, accidents, handicaps, etc.
3. Education: school attended, scholastic attainment, subjects enjoyed best or excelled ion, extra-
curricular activities, leadership, positions held, interesting school experiences.
4. Leisure and Interest: hobbies, out of school activities, reading interest, sports, etc.
5. Other experience: work experience.

Values of Autobiography:

1. For information- One gets such information as the full name of writer, date of birth, and other
pertinent date needed.
2. For recreational reading- Reader gets vicarious experience from reading about the experience
of a writer.
3. For inspiration to others- the experience of a writer may be help to others. An example is
Helen Keller’s The Story of Myself.
4. For self-justification- through reading autobiography you can justify a person, how he became
a poet, a writer, a hero, etc. and to give proof that he really deserves that title. For example-
Cardinal Newman’s Apologia pro Sora Vita (1864).

Examples of Autobiography:

MY CHILHOOD
By
Fernado Ma. Guerrero

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 One day, when I was 10 years old, I opened my father’s wardrobe, and in one of drawers
I found a notebook. On the last page there was a brief record written by my father about the
birth of his children.
Only then did I come to know that I was born in Ermita, on Calle Nueva, in a nipa house.
which was the property of my maternal grandparents. In the same notebook, I found some
other details: that I was born on May 30, 1873 and was baptized at the Ermita Church.
One night, when I was a little older, I learned from my parents that I came into this world
under sad circumstances in the midst of a great thunder and lightning.
What I have not forgotten is my hatred for Spanish artillery men, and for any persons
who dared to flirt with an aunt of mine a sister of my mother, whe she would pass in front of
the artillery barracks in Calle Fundicion, Intramuros, on her way to the confessional. I looked
with the flaming and wide open eyes at these charangos or windbags. I pressed my lips
together in anger and shook my fists, while artillery men would laugh loudly at my boyish
boldness and spirit. I was the five years old.
I also remember other things. I remember that I liked to play being soldier, and above all
a sailor. I frantic with pleasure when my parents give a toy horse on which I madly was all
over the lower hall of our horse, but my joy is greater when one Christmas mother gave me
for a gift the complete uniform of a naval officer: a jacket of black bolt with gold epaulets and
buttons and others such as sword, to real medals.
When I was little older, I liked to play with small boats and built them. I was at once
commander and engineer of the boat. As I grew older, I noticed that my love of the sea did not
abate. Whenever my parents or relatives would ask me what I should like to be, I would
always answer:’’ Marine Engineer’’. When later they told me that to become a marine
engineer, it would be necessary to depart from the motherland, cross the ocean and study for
eight years in Belgium, I was truly frightened and gave up my dreams of a career on the sea.
But I continued to love the sea, on one Sunday after Mass, my father asked me if I liked
to learn swimming. But I was afraid. However, I was encouraged and we went. After a few
days learning how to swim, I learned in succeeded.
As a child I could sing and I had the voice of a soprano.

Excerpts from the Autobiography

Of
Fernando Ma. Guerrero

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Lesson 4

Biography

Biography is story of life of a real person written by someone else. As a brand of

literature, it artistically records the action and recreates the personality of an individual’s life
that has actually lived. The biographer, the writer of an account of a person’s life, is
concerned with truth. It is a form of history which is applied not to races or masses but to an
individual.

The earliest use of the world ‘’ Biography’’ is attributed to Damascious, a Greek writer of
the 6th century. Plutarch wrote about the lives of 46 Greeks and Romans to show that people
were either all good or all bad, woise or foolish. In 1683, Dryden used the worldbiogra[phy to
describe the literary work of Plutarch, ‘’ The History of Particular Men’s Lives.’’

After world war 1, Biography became very popular and interesting. Biography is of
perennial interest because it deals with famous or notorious, or interesting personalities, but of
more importance, because its subject matter is human nature.

Nineteenth century Biography as a whole, was of the type which made the person written
about seem unbelievably good. It was this method of writing biography that became very
popular in the United States. Some biographers developed a new way of writing and treating
men’s lives. They brought out the human story, human climax as if they were writing a novel.

It was only recently that biographies written particularly for children have been written.
The personal narrative found in biography has its place in the literary experiences of children
as truly as does any other story form.

In a complete biography, it is necessary to include all the principal happenings from

infancy to the present or to the time of the subject’s death.

Characters of a Good Biography:

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 A good biography must be very well-researched. Its interest is restricted to only one
person, his activities, personal qualities and achievements. It records life that has been actually
lived. It must be based on documented facts.

Difference between Juvenile and Adult Biography:

1. Biographies for children are not usually documented.

2. These biographies may not be complete accounts if the person’s life includes objectionable
incidents of tragedies.
3. Biographies for the young usually feel that it is the life of a person and to interpret the
thoughts of their character.

Two types of Biographies for Children:

1. Fictionalized biography in which the facts are documented.

2. Biographical fiction in which a historical character is the basis for story that is semi-historical
in nature.

Values of Biography:

1. For recreation
Biography is well suited for free reading because it provides vicarious experiences for the
reader.
2. For information
Biography contains some factual material. Biography provides the human interest story for all
forms of knowledge.
3. For inspiration
Biography inspires a youth to have a faith in himself and to gives him a determination to make
the most of his life. It gives them courage to aspire and attain. It enriches moral character
through the indirect lessons learned by reading the lives of a great men and women.
4. For vocational guidance
The choosing of a vocation wisely can be influenced by reading about the lives of those men
and women who have succeeded in their chosen life or professions.

Use of Biographical materials in the School or in the Classroom

How a teacher will make use of biography will depend upon her breadth of interest and
resourcefulness. To widen the horizons of her pupils through well-directed self-activity is the
essence of the art of teaching.
Biography can be used as background materials in all subjects. Biography can contribute
to the enrichment of classroom materials and techniques of teaching. It can be used for oral
reports, written reports, dramatization, reference and in correlation with other subjects.

Following is an example of a short biography:

LOUIS BRAILLE

Louis Braille lay on his bed in a small, damp room trying to fight back the tears that
flooded his sightless eyes. He remembered the gentle loving hand of his mother and the strong

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 guiding hand of his father. He felt so lonesome and frightened. His parents were far away in
the little French village where he was born.
He had been sent to a school in the big city of Paris were other boys will also blind like
him. He had learn to find his way around the city with its crowded streets.
Then came a knock on his door. A boy opened the door and said, ‘’ I live in the next
room. Let’s go down and have a breakfast together.’’
Louis reached for his cane at the foot of the bed. He immediately go out of bed when he
heard a friendly voice.
He stretched his hand and almost at the same time Charles stretched his hand forward,
too, as a sign of greeting. Their fingers touched and they both laughed.
‘’ Let me have your hand?’’ Charles said.
Of face. It is round. I have curly hair. I have a mole- here. Can you feel it?’’
‘’Yes’’ said Louis. ‘’ I feel it. I have never felt a mole before.’’
In the afternoon, Charles invited Louis to go for a walk with him. He had lived in the City
long enough to know his way around easily. He knows many buildings.
As they walked slowly and cautiously, Charles told about the places they were passing.
But Louis felt more frightened and lonely than he was back in his little room at the school. He
remembered the frightful stories he had heard about life in the city.
‘’ Can you smell something in the air? We are passing a bakery,’’ Charles said. ‘’ They
sell wonderful cakes with some frosting. You must your father to buy some when he comes to
visit you.’’
‘’ I have some money right now,’’ Louis replied. ‘’ Let us go and buy some of these
cakes.
The shop was full of delicious smells. ‘’We would like some of the little cakes with
sugared frosting,’’ Louis told the lady who owned the shop.
‘’ Which ones, pink or blue?’’ the shop owner asked.
Both remained silent for a moment. Then Louis asked, ‘’ Do they taste different?’’
‘’ No, they taste the same. It is the color is different,’’ she replied.
‘’ It doesn’t matter then,’’ Louis said. ‘’ You can give us the pink ones or the blue ones.’’
‘’ Louis gave the woman a handful of coins as she handed him the bag of cakes.
‘’ Here is your change,’’ The lady said.
They went out of the shop feeling pleased with their adventure. They decided to go back
their school.
Suddenly they heard the laughing and taunting of many boys behind them.

Lesson 5

Modern Fairy Tales or Tales of Fantasy

The term ‘’ fairy tales’’ includes a wide variety of folktales. It includes almost any tale in
which something extraordinary like fairies, giants, dwarfs, genies, and speaking animals
appear. The term is used to describe stories about magic.
The word ‘’ fairy’’ came originally from the Latin ‘’ Fatum’ meaning fate, through the
Old and Middle French ‘’ Faerie’’ meaning the land of the tree or fates, into the Middle

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 English ‘’Faerie’’ Edmund Spenser used the word ‘’ Faerie’’ in his story ‘’ Faerie Queen’’.
Later the word became fairy.

Characters of Fairy Tales

1. The story commonly begins ‘’ Once upon a time”.

2. There is no definite place where the story take place It may begin ‘’ Once upon a time there
was a prince lived in a small kingdom.’’
3. The setting of the story is an illogical world, inhabited with people whose lives are crossed by
creatures of magic such as fairies, witches, genies, elves, dwarfs, who middle in the affairs of
human beings by means of enhancement. These human beings can be transformed into beasts.
They can be put to sleep for a long, long time or they can be transported from one place to
another in the wink of an eye.
4. It is an unreal world in which the most difficult problem can be solved by enchantment or
magic as the waving of a wand, granting three wishes, wearing a magic ring, repeating a
charm or spell. The ending is always a happy one no matter how great the problem.
5. Every character acts according to his nature, and the stories move in strong, direct action with
an expected ending. The good are rewarded and the evil are punished.

The distinction between old folk tales and modern fairy tales or fanciful tales is
immaterial to the child. The modern fairy tales is quite different from old folktale. The old
folktale is an traditional story without any known author that had been handed down orally
from generation to generation. The modern fairy tale like all modern literature has upon it the
stamp of the individual author.

Literary Fairy Tales

Hans Christian Andersen marks a transition in stories for children from pure folk tales to
the modern imaginatively conceived fairy story of fanciful tale. He is the great master of the
literary fairy tale. He was a collector and an interpreter of folktales and writer of fanciful
stories. Many of the plots and incidents of Andersen’s stories were drawn from folklore, but
he wove them in such an imaginative detail and language that they became distinctly his own.
His stories were of a variety of subjects: about everyday life, about inanimate objects, about
animals, and about people.
One of Andersen’s most successful stories was the fantasy. Fantasy means a tale of
magic, often beginning realistically but merging quickly into strange and dreamable
adventure. Andersen’s stories of this type are often sad and tragic for example, ‘’The Marsh
King’s Daughter’’, ‘’The Snow Queen’’, and ‘’The Little Mermaid’’.
In 1846, English speaking children were introduced to ‘’ The Tinder Box’’, ‘’The Wild
Swans’’, ‘’The Emperor’s New Clothes’’. ‘’Thumbelina’’ and ‘’The Nightingle’’.

Distinctive Characteristic of Andersen’s Tales

1. Andersen used vivid, dramatic, and direct oral speech.

2. He used the simplest words possible.
3. His stories were of infinite variety.
4. He did not follow the classic forms of old folktales.
5. His stories are the mixture of traditional, realistic, historical, highly imaginative or fanciful.
6. His stories are sometimes in the form of allegory, parable or fable.

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7. His stories not only contain Scandinavian tradition, legendary lore and superstition but also
from other countries.
8. Andersen’s most characteristic trait is his shifting from the world of pure imagination and
fantasy to stark realism and from the reality to fantasy.

Other stories by Andersen are: ‘’ The Princess on the Pea’’, ‘’ The Winds Tale’’, ‘’The
Goblin and the Huckster’’, ‘’ The Efl Hill’’, ‘’ The Garden of Paradise’’, ‘’ The Galoshes of
Fortunes’’, ‘’ Great Claus and Little Claus’s and others.

Modern Fairy Tales and Writers

Charles Kingsley, a Clergyman and scientist, wrote a book for his own little boy which
enjoyed great popularity for many years. The book The Water Babies tells the story of Tom, a
poor little chimney sweep that was carried off by fairies to the world under the water creatures
are true to their species. The story also teaches moral lessons in science.
Charles Lutwidge Dodson, author of Alice’ children. Hiss Adventures in Wonderland
was the first English masterpiece for children. His pen name was Lewis Carroll.
George MacADonald’s At The Back of North Wind is a story of a little boy’s adventures,
some with North Wind, some with his friend and foes. The North Wind carries Diamond, the
little boy, from his bed of hay and carries him out into the night, teaches him to follow her
through the air and to go from his dreamlife. The little boy’s life changes from fantasy to
reality and back again to reality. Children like the early adventures of the little boy.
Robert Lawson’s Rabbit Hill tells how the writer felt for the landscape of Connecticut
where he lived and shared the companionship of little creatures especially rabbits.
Selma Lagerlof wrote ‘’ The Wonderful Adventure of Nils. The story reveals the feelings
of the writer for Sweden, its landscape, its folklore and people. She used simple and poetic
language.
Beatrix Potter’s Tales of Peter Rabbit was the first children’s book of the twentieth
century, followed by Kenneth Grahames The Wind Pamela and In The Willows, wanda Gags
Millions of Cats, Antoine De Saint Exuperys The Little Prince and many others.
Jose Rizal indulged in part time fairy tale writing. He wrote the classic story “ The
Monkey and the Turtle”.

Values of Fairy Tales or Tales of Fantasy

1. A fairy tale is something that changes that commonplace into what is rich, strange and
wonderful.
2. Fairy tales teach children to look for wonder in the commonplace.
3. Fairy tales stir the imagination.
4. Fairy tales establish their sense of wonder.
5. Fairy tales satisfy their hunger for adventure.
6. Fairy tales develop courage in children.
7. Fairy tales play a role the emotional development of children.
8. Fairy tales provide pleasure and enjoyment for children.

Use of fairy tales

1. For reading Aloud to children.

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2. For storytelling.
3. For dramatization.
4. For illustration.

THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA

Hans Christian Andersen

There was once a prince, and he wanted to marry a princess, a real princess. He traveled
all over the world to find one, but there was always something wrong. There were plenty of
princesses all over the land, but he had to find out if they were real. There was something that
was not quite right about the many young ladies he had met. So he had to return to the palace
very sad that he was unable to find one.
One evening, there was a terrible storm. The rain poured down in torrents, and there was
thunder and great flashes of lightning. It was a frightful night.
In the middle of the stormy night, somebody knocked at the castle door. The king opened
the door himself.
A young girl stood outside. She was in a terrible state from the rain and the storm. Her
hair and clothes were drenched. She was quivering from the cold. She pleaded to get in and
stay for the night. She said she was a real princess.
‘’ Well, we shall soon see if you are really a princess,’’ thought the Old Queen. She went
into the bedroom and took all the bed. Then she took twenty cotton mattresses piled them on
the top of all those was the place where the princess was to sleep that night.
In the morning, the King and the Queen asked her how she was. They asked her, ‘’ Did
you have a good sleep?’’
‘’ Oh, I hardy closed my eyes the whole night. Heaven knows what was in that bed. I
seemed to be lying on something very hard, and my whole body is black and blue this
morning. It was terrible!”
The king and Queen knew at once that she was a real princess when she felt the pea under
the twenty mattresses and twenty feather beds. Nobody but a real princess could have such a
delicate skin.
The prince was also convinced this time that he had found a real princess. So the prince
took her to be his wife.
The pea was placed in a museum where everyone could see it.

THUMBELINA
Hans Christian Andersen

One day there was an old witch who was passing by a forest. She heard that there was a
woman living there. The old witch said that if she only had a little child, she would be happy
in her life.
In a few days, the witch visited the woman and gave her some flower seeds. She told the
woman to plant the seeds in flower pot. She told the woman to wait for a few days and see
what would happen.
The woman was so happy and she thanked the witch. She planted the seeds in a flower
pot right away.
After few days, the woman saw big and beautiful red and yellow trip buds. She was very
happy.
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 Then one day the petals began to open. The woman saw a tiny child sitting on a flower.
The child was no bigger than a thumb. The woman called her Thumbelina.
One night as Thumbelina lay asleep in her cozy walnut shell bed, a big ugly frog hopped
in and saw the pretty little creature.
The big ugly mother frog said, ‘’ What a lovely bride you would make for my son.’’ And
she suddenly picked up the little walnut shell with Thumbelina.
The son was as ugly as his mother. The son crocked with delight when he saw
Thumbelina.
When Thumbelina woke up the next morning, she was frightened when she saw the frog.
She asked the frog why she was surrounded by water and how she got there.
The frog told Thumbelina that she had been carried away by the mother frog so she could
be his wife.
Thumbelina was terrified and she cried.
Then one day she ran away. She ran into pile of withered leaves under a tree. She saw a
little door. She knocked at the door and a little field mouse was so surprised to see the tiny
girl. The mouse gave Thumbelina some food.
Thumbelina was very happy and she kept the house of the field mouse clean. One day the
field mouse told Thumbelina that they would have a visitor. The visitor was a neighbor. Mr.
Mole was a real, wise and clever man, but he was blind.
Mr. Mole had dug along underground passage from the house of the field mouse.
Thumbelina looked down the passage, and she saw a little bird lying on its back.
One night, she got out of her tiny bed and groped her way down the long underground
passage to where the bird was lying. Very gently, she covered the bird with a blanket of straw.
Soon the bird was warmed by the straw. Thumbelina listened to the pit pat of its heartbeat
and the flutter of its wing. The bird was alive. The bird thanked Thumbelina.
One night Thumbelina and bird squeezed upward through the hole. At last they were
above a grassy field.
Thumbelina saw a beautiful white palace in the distance. The swallow with Thumbelina
on its back, flew to the white palace. The swallow set Thumbelina down on a leaf of one of
the flowers.
Thumbelina was surprised to see a little man standing in the very heart of the flower. He
was a prince. He was a tiny as Thumbelina. He was a prince of the flowers. The swallow
bowed low to the prince.
The Prince looked at Thumbelina very closely and he fell in love with her. They got
married and lived happily ever after.

ALICE IN WONDERLAND

One day while Alice was waiting for her sister reading her books, she saw a white Rabbit
wearing a waistcoat and holding a gold watch. The first time Alice saw him, she had been
lying on the grass, wondering sleepily if she would get up and pick daisies. She was so
surprised to see him and to hear him and say, ‘’ dear, dear, I’m late again.’’ ‘’ When he
peeped into a rabbit hole, she peeped in right after him. That was when adventure began in
wonderland.
One of the first things she saw was a table made of glass. On the table lay a gold key.
When Alice found a lock in which the key fitted, she realized that she was too big to walk
through the tiny doorway. Then she noticed a bottle that said, ‘’ Drink me.’’ Alice drank it
immediately began getting smaller.
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 ‘’ Now’’, she said, ‘’I can find out what’s behind the door.’’ But for Alice had left the gold
key on the table and now she was too tiny to enter it.
Then she found a little box that said, ‘’ Eat me,’’ Alice ate the cake. She began growing
quickly, and she grew up so big, that her feet seemed a mile away. ‘’A t least I can reach the
key,’’ she though. But poor Alice. She was to lie down and look through the door with one
eye. At the end of a long passageway, Alice saw a lovely garden and she wanted to get
through the door.
Suddenly she heard footsteps pattering towards her. It was the White Rabbit carrying a
white glove and a fan, and she ran off.
Alice picked up the rabbit’s fan and began to fan herself. Then she was getting smaller
again.she realized it was the fan that was changing her size and quickly threw it down.
She was about to go to door when everything disappeared. Instead, she found herself in a
forest. She spied at mushroom about the same size she was and when she had to look on all
sides of it, she stretched on tiptoe and looked on all top. She saw a large blue caterpillar, who
told her that one side of the mushroom will make her smaller while the other side and then the
other side will make her bigger. She began a nibbling a little from one side and then the other
side until she was at the right size again.
Then she went through the woods. In a clearing, she saw a little house and knocked on
the door. When there was no answer, Alice opened the door. Alice found herself in the
kitchen. A cook was at the stove pouring so much pepper into a big pot of soup that everyone
was sneezing.
The duchess carried the baby and ran outside. The baby started to grunt.
The duchess gave the baby to her and walked out. Alice took the baby and ran outside.
The baby started to grunt and Alice, worried about the noise, look at the child. Much to her
surprise, it was turning into a big pig. When it was really a pig, Alice put it down and watched
it run off.
She had walked on just a short distance when she saw on the branch of a tree, a large cat
that was grinning from ear to ear. Alice knew this Cheshire cat and so she said very politely,
‘’ Please, Cheshire, which way do I go now?’’
The cat waved its paw. In that direction lives the March hare and in that direction live
Mad Hatter. Then the cat vanished slowly, starting with its tail and ending with a grin. She
was so surprised to see it because she said she had often seen a cat with a grin but this is the
first time she had seen a grin without a cat.
She had not gone farther when she came to the house of the Match Hare. A long table
was set out in front of the house and the March Hare and the Mad Hatter were having tea at it.
Between them sat a dormouse, fast asleep. They shouted to her that there was no more room
for her, but she insisted that there was plenty of room. So she sat there and fell asleep.
The last thing she saw as she left was the Mad Hatter and the March Hare trying to put
the dormouse into the teapot. After Alice walked quite a distance. She turned a sharp corner.
These, standing under a tree with their arms around each other, stood two fat little men,
dressed alike. One had a Tweedledum.
Alice immediately thought of the old rhyme and said it aloud.
‘’ Tweedledum and Tweedledee agreed to have a battle. For Tweedledum said
Tweedledee had spoiled his nice new rattle. Just then flew down a monstrous crow as black as
a tar barrel which frightened both the heroes so they quite forgot their quarrel.’’
Alice continued on her way. In a few minutes she came to a high narrow wall. Sitting on
the wall was a very large egg. Alice saw clearly that it was Humpty Dumpty. She repeated
softly;
‘’ Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
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 All king’s horses and all the king’s men.
Could bring back Humpty Dumpty in his place again.’’
At these words, humpty dumty teetered so sharply on the wall that Alice was quite true
he would fall. Humpty Dumpty closed his eyes and said , very firmly, ‘’ Goodbye.’’
Alice though that it was a very strong hint, and walked away. She had gone far when she
came to the tree with a door and walked in.
Once more she found herself by the glass table which still had the little gold key on it.
She took some of the mushrooms she had saved from her pocket and she nibbled at it until she
opened a little door, walked through the passage way and found herself at last in the beautiful
garden.
Near the entrance stood a lovely white rose bush, but three gardeners were busily
painting the roses red. Alice asked the gardeners why they were painting the roses. They
answered that if the queen found out they were white, she could cut their heads off. Then the
queen came and all the three throw themselves face down on the ground.
The queen asked for her name and Alice answered politely, but she thought they’re all
nothing but a pack of cards.
The queen shouted that it was time to play croquet. Alice had never seen such as strange
croquet game. The balls were like hedge-hogs, the mallets were flamingos and the soldiers
doubled over hands and feet to make the wickets. Alice had a difficult time for flamingo
would not keep its head down, the hedge-hogs kept unrolling and the soldier kept walking off.
The queen went stamping wildly about, the soldiers shouting off with their heads. Until
only the king, the queen and Alice were left.
Then there was trial. The king and queen were seated on their thrones with a great crowd
of the birds and beasts as well as the whole pack of cards around them. The white rabbit stood
near the king. In a moment he blew three blasts on his trumpet and read from a scroll which
he held in his hand.
“The Queen of the Hearts, she made some tarts,
All on the summer day;
The King of the Hearts, he stole those tarts,
And took them quite away”
The King asked for the first witness, the Mad Hatter, who came in still holding a tea-cup
in one hand and a piece of bread and butter on the other. The Queen started hard at him and he
shook so much that he took a bite of the tea-cup instead of bread.
At that moment, Alice suddenly felt herself growing again. Then the second witness was
called. Alice was so surprised to hear her name. She jumped up, quite forgetting how large she
had grown.
The king read out from his book, “Rule Forty-Two: All persons more than a mile high to
leave the court’’. Alice refused to leave the court and said, ‘’ Why you’re nothing but a pack
of cards.’’
At this time, the whole pack of cards rose up in the air and came flying down on her.
Alice gave a little scream and found herself lying in the field. Than she ran home to tell every
one about her curious adventure in Wonderland.

( Adapted)

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 UNIT V
Lesson 1

Literature: Spring Board of Creative Activities

Enticing children to explore the world of literature involves creating a learning

environment for them. We can generate interest in books if we introduce a lot of creative or
enriching activities to children. Some of the suggested activities are:

1. Drawing their favorite character in a story.

2. Selecting, mounting, and displaying a picture.
3. Setting up sand tables or table displays.
4. Modeling and sculpturing and other construction activities lend way to more interest in
literature.
5. Making mobiles. Cotouts of characters, illustration from a book, object portrayed in the story
are hung or suspended by wire or string or thread from an umbrella frame.
6. In studying the myths, a map can be enlarged to show the important places and names from
mythology.
7. Drawings or pictures of famous authors and excerpts from their works can be displayed on the
bulletin boards.
8. Making their own poems.
9. Writing their own stories.
10. Dramatization.

Creative techniques are used to make a story come alive. They help excite the imagination and
get the listener involved in the literature. One of the reasons for devising a variety of creative
techniques is for the enjoyment of the listening audience and to get the children interested in
doing the same things themselves. When the story has been told in an unusual presentation,

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 children are eager to experience and enjoy what they have heard again through the text and
pictures of the book itself.

Many books lend themselves to the use of creative techniques. If one wished to tell a
story using creative techniques, take clues from the content of the story itself. Some stories
lend themselves to the use puppets, prop stories, photography stories. Some are perfect for the
flannel board and others can be presented by chalk talks and by the use of Origami.

Developing in children a genuine love literature is the basic task of teachers, librarians, as
well as parents, in their educational process. These three can work effectively through
literature in expanding the horizons of children and enhance their worth as children who will
someday become worthwhile adults who can contribute to their country’s progress and
prosperity. There is a need for a well-defined literature program and inspired knowledgeable
teachers, librarians, and others involved with children. For without these, the children will not
reap the rewards of a full and satisfying literary experience, the enjoyment that good books
can bring to them, sensitivity and appreciation of the beauty of language, a deepened
understanding of human behavior, ideals, and spiritual values.

A child’s appreciation of literature comes partly from exposure to stimulating stories and
books, to the great literary heritage of the past and the present with the help of the teacher, the
librarian and the parents.

How the teacher approaches the teaching of literature, how he feels about children and
books, his love and deep understanding of different types of literature help in determining the
children’s lifelong attitude toward books. If the teacher appreciates the value of children’s
literature, has a concern for their education and well-being, and is willing to provide an
exciting functional program of literature, then children will develop a stronger love for
literature.

There are many activities, devices and techniques which can be used to develop
children’s interest and better appreciation of literature:

1. Literature can be appreciated through oral interpretation such as reading aloud, storytelling,
dramatization, dramatic reading.
2. Literature can be interpreted through creative dramatics, marionettes, puppetry, and
pantomime, etc.

Reading Aloud

Many feel that good literature must be heard to be appreciated fully and for children to
agree with them. One of the greatest delights enjoyed by children of all ages is the experience
of listening to a book, a story, or a poem read aloud to them in a pleasant voice.

There are stories that are better read aloud just as there are stories more suitable for
telling. The types of books and stories for reading aloud are the following:

1. Picture-story Books
The picture-story book is one with pictures an integral part of t5he text. The pictures or
illustrations are as important as the text. These stories should be read as intimately and
comfortably by the mother with the child on her lap or when she puts her baby to sleep.
Children from 2 ½ to five years old enjoy listening to the sound of words and looking at the
pictures too.

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2. Read stories which depend on the exact words of the author for their charm and meaning. No
work of the author should be altered and the style of the writer should not be tampered with.
Stories of this type are not for storytelling. If telling is to be done, the story should be
completely memorized. It is always better to read the story that requires the exact words of the
writer.
3. Stories with clear-cut themes and plenty of action.
4. Stories which help children understand their own world today.
5. Stories which build strength and steadfastness in the child.
6. Stories which develop his faith in the essential decency and nobility of life.
7. Stories which give him a feeling for the wonder and goodness of the universe.
8. Stories that have characters who are real children like themselves or who are understandable
people they might known anywhere.
9. Stories that have mystery.
10. Stories that have fantasy.

The choice of materials for reading is obviously related to the purpose of the
interpretative reading. Different age groups have different interests.

1. Pre-school children like stories with rhythm and with funny rhyming words. Examples are
Mother Goose rhymes, Alphabet Books, Counting Books, Animal Stories, Picture Books,
Stories about Machines personified, Humor and Non-sense Stories, Easy-to-Read Books.
2. First grade children want to hear of the world around them, what goes on in their street,
school, or home.
3. Second and third grade children are interested in tales of fantasy or funny animals that talk.
4. Those in the upper grades like stories about real things around them, factual materials.
5. Older children develop enthusiasm for stories of adventure, travel, biography.

Some specific stories suitable for reading in the lower grades:

Cinderella

The Old Woman and the Pig

The Tree Little Pigs

Little Red Riding Hood

Lazy Jack

Jack and the Beanstalk

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

The Elves and the Shoemaker

Types of stories suitable for reading are—fairy tales, fables, legends, myths, and hero
tales.

Preparation for Reading Aloud

1. The teacher must acquaint himself with the material to be read in advance. She must also
consider how much is to be allocated in reading.
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 A teacher should provide a daily read-aloud period. These reading periods may come
about during the day for periods of from 5 minutes to about 8 minutes.

2. The teacher should define or explain new words from the book or story that is to be read by
listing the words on the board in advance of the reading And then define them or let thev
words define themselves in context.
3. Give the title and author of the book or story so that children who may wish to read to read it
themselves or have it read to them again may do so.
4. The children could be grouped in a semi-circle facing the floor to have a more informal
setting.
5. The teacher should not hold the book so high to hide his face. He should not use too much
gestures because they easily distract children. Facial expressions and a minimum of gestures
may prove effective, but they should not be overdone.
6. The teacher should keep eye contact with the children while reading aloud to them in order to
get their attention. As he reads, the teacher should glance up at the end of a sentence to look
into the eyes of each child. This practice gives each child the feeling that the interpreter is
reading out the sentence just for him. This makes the story more meaningful.
7. The teacher should read aloud enough to be heard by every child with correct pronunciation
and dramatic simplicity.
8. Give time to children to mull over the story, the talk to them about the parts they like best.
9. Do not give any test or check up questions.

Lesson 2

Plain Storytelling

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 Stories are one of man’s chief means of communication. Stories are for telling by
everyone with experience to share with those who have ears to hear. The teller and listener
create the story.

In the early days, the story was a simple account of the events that took place during the
day. Later on, man learned to express his own feelings, what he observed around him, the
behavior of others, his dreams, his beliefs to other people. Telling stories was sharing
experiences, real or imaginary.

Before printing began, storytelling became the chief means of recording and transmitting
events that took place as well as ideas to be shared.

These days, children are exposed to different forms of communication media like the
cinema, television, radio, telephone and computer. But the storyteller is still an indispensable
agent of socialization.

Storytelling, like singing, is an art that can be cultivated. It is a creative art. Storytelling is
one of the most valuable activities in school or at home. Parents can begin to take their
children from six to eighteen months on t5heir laps and read or tell stories to them. This will
lead children to take books on their own, look at the pictures, and talk about the pictures.

Values of Storytelling to Children:

1. Storytelling introduces children to the world or written language. They hear new words and
varied language structures from which they can model their own language.
2. It gives children an opportunity to become acquainted with the best of children’s literature.
3. It increases a child’s knowledge and experiences.
4. It creates in children a desire to know about the lives of other people and know their culture.
5. It develops the ability to be good listeners and it stirs their imagination and become creative.
6. It gives pleasure and enjoyment to children.
7. When telling a story himself, the child learns to organize and express himself clearly, at the
same time, building confidence in his ability to face an audience.

Advantages of Storytelling

Reading and telling stories introduce children to the world of literature. But storytelling
has more advantages than reading. Storytelling is more direct than reading. There is no book
between the storyteller and his listeners so the storyteller has the advantage of keeping close
to the audience. It establishes rapport between storyteller and listeners since there is direct eye
contact. The storyteller can observe the listener’s reactions and confusion’s. Another
advantage of storytelling is that a long piece of literature can be shortened so that children can
hear the whole story in one sitting. Stories that don’t require the exact words of the author can
be told in simple words that can be understood by the listeners.

Qualities of Stories Suitable for Narrating

Stories suitable for telling should have simple, well-rounded plots. There should be a
strong beginning, a middle and a satisfying conclusion. There should be an underlying theme.
The characters should be few and they must be true to what they are supposed to be whether
they are real or imaginary and with whom children can identify. The background of the story

85
 must be authentic in places, in time, in this world or in an imaginary world. There should be
conversation, catch phrases, rhyming words and colorful language. The story should be
imaginative, adventurous, and rich in details. The folktales are for telling.
The storyteller must have imagination, insight, spontaneity and concentration. He must
live the story as he tells it directly and sincerely with freedom and aese.
Whatever movements or gestures are used, they must be the teller’s natural way of
expressing himself, must be characteristic of the story and must fit the audience. Facility with
words is not only a valuable asset, it is a necessity. The choice of words must be appropriate
to the nature of the story and fit the listeners for whom it is intended. No, prop, no books, no
pictures are needed, not while the storytelling is going on. This may create confusion for the
children. Children may look at pictures or illustrations before the telling of the story, but not
at the moment of listening to the story. The storyteller must not be overdressed with a lot of
adornments on her or him which can distract the listener’s attention. The story teller must rely
wholly on his pleasant voice. The storyteller should speak clearly and in a well-modulated
voice. He must not string sentence with “and’’, “so”, and ‘’ah’h”. The storyteller should either
stand or sit still, but not pace up and down.
The storyteller should avoid using moralizing stories with strong preaching overtones. He
should analyze the story that has been told. If the children are interested, they may ask
questions and discussion may take place in a natural way. Children should not be required to
retell the story. Children may write about the story they have enjoyed or interpret it in painting
or drawing, or act it out.

Steps in Storytelling:

1. Selection of a story to tell

The story must have a good plot, a well-defined conflict, a good beginning, middle and
ending. The choice of a story should also be governed by its appeal to the storyteller.

2. Preparation of the story

After a choice of the story has been made, try to find out why you like the story. Is it the plot?
Is it about animals? Is it an adventure story? Is the story humorous or nonsensical? Read the
story over and over and then close the book. See if you can tell the sequence of the story in the
proper order. Try to imagine the setting and the scenes of the story so that you will be able to
tell the story as though it has happened to you.
3. Practice telling the story aloud to yourself. Take note of the proper pauses, the places of
suspense, the climax. Refer to the book when you forget. Go through the story once or twice
until you have thoroughly mastered it. Do not memorize the story word for word. Mastery of
the story is important. The beginning of the story establishes the mood of your story. Practice
telling the whole story without any lapses.
4. Announce your story informally in many ways.
A. Today we are going to hear about our old friends, -“The Three Little Pigs.”
B. I have a new story for you today and it is called- “The Monkey and the Turtle.”
C. You have all heard stories about- “Jack and the Beanstalk”. Do you know that there is a
little girl and her name is “Molly Whuppie?”
D. Show pictures of certain characters in the story you are going to tell. Describe each of the
characters. Then you can say—“ Would you like know more about them?”
5. At the end of the storytelling, do not give any check up questions or tests. Do not ask the
children if they liked the story or not. They may not like the story at all because of the way it
was told, so it may be embarrassing.

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Lesson 3
Storytelling with Pictures

Uses of Pictures

A variation of the plain and direct storytelling is the use of pictures. Pictures help create a
series of incidents out of the story. Picture enrich meaning when there is a word or something
not easily understood by listeners. Pictures serve as substitutes for the real things if the objects
are not at hand. They stir the emotion and feelings of the listener. They are handy to use in the
classroom and are easily available.

Kinds of Pictures

Pictures may be an illustration from magazines, a painting, photograph, a drawing, or

sketch or a combination of these. They are handy to use in classroom and are easily available.

Principles Involved in the use of Pictures

Pictures should be authentic. They should truly represent the thing, object, place, person
or situation. Picture should be simple clear in detail. They should be large enough so that the
viewer can see a correct image of the object to be seen. They should be meaningful. They
should explain something and inspire ideas. Pictures should challenge the imagination. Picture
should have color, harmony and of beauty of design.

How to use Pictures

When using pictures for storytelling, be sure to display the pictures where everyone can
see them. The pictures can be arranged on the chalkledge, pinned, or tacked in the blackboard or
on the bulletin board, or placed on pictures stands. The teachers can hold the pictures and
presented one at a time for all the children to see. Each picture must be suied to the grade level of
the children. Suitability to grade level includes size of pictures, details in the picture, color and
design and background for interpretation.
As you tell the story, let the words associate themselves with the pictures. A few pictures
should be used so as not to confuse the children.
Types of stories that can be told with the use of pictures are the fairy tales, myths, fables,
stories from the bible. Children will be curious to see what fairies, trolls ogres, elves, and
animals in fables look like. They would like to see the people they heard or read about in the
Bible.

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Lesson 4
Dramatization

The word “drama” comes from the Greek and it means to act or to do. The drama is one
of several methods of telling a story. The drama is intended to be acted rather than read and it is
for children as well as adults.
Dramatization is the portraying through bodily action the characters, movements, and
activities of a story and play. Dramatization is a means of helping children interpret and
understand literature. Dramatization is the most natural and childlike means of expression. Most
teachers recognize that young children need to act our thoughts and fantasies in whole some
ways.

There are two types of dramatization:

A. Formal dramatization is one which is carefully planned in detail and rehearsed until the
play is thoroughly mastered. The plot is predetermined by the pupils. The play may have
been chosen by the pupils with the help of the teacher. The participants or actors are
carefully chosen to play the respective character of the play. The participants are
compelled to memorize their parts and practice the action involved. Stage props and
costumes may be used for realism and atmosphere. The play may be performed on a
stage, in a classroom, on a lawn or in a spacious hall where an audience may be
accommodated.

Values of the Formal Dramatization

1. It gives the participants the ability of self-expression and power of understanding.

2. It gives entertainment to the audience.
3. It brings to the life the subjects that make up the curriculum.
4. It gives substance to stories, historic events, lives of great men and women.
5. It adds meaning to celebration, holidays, and commemorative programs.
6. It develops cooperation among people.

B. Informal Dramatization
Pupils act out the sequence of events of a story that is well known to them. They do not
memorize or rehearse written lines. There is no need for costumes and stage props.
Simple costumes may help the imagination of the audience and help the players keep

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 their characterization more believable. There is space for it—stage, inside the classroom
or school lawn.

Values of Informal Dramatization

1. It develops the imagination.

2. It improves oral expression and poise.
3. It gives them a command of self-expression.
4. It develops stage presence.
5. It provides an outlet for emotions.

Types of Stories for Dramatization

Aside from already existing plays written by known playwrights, there are different types
of stories that can be dramatized. Select stories that have several characters, and full of
conversation, plenty of action, strong emotional content. They may be fairy tales, myths, realistic
stories, animal stories, and biographies.

Steps in Dramatization

1. Divide the story into parts, scenes or acts.

2. Name the parts as Part I In the House; Part II In the Forest, etc.
3. List the characters in each part.
4. Discuss the setting (place and time) of the story.
5. Let the pupils choose the cast for the different parts.
6. Review the action and principal conversation of each part or act.
7. Let the pupils give constructive criticism.
8. Let the pupils choose the final cast.
9. Allow time for practice and rehearsals until each pupil has thoroughly mastered his part
and be ready for the performance.
10. Let the pupils evaluate their own performance.

Other Forms of Dramatic Activities

Aside from the formal and informal dramatizations, there are forms of dramatic activities
that can awaken children’s interest in literature and can make their lessons more interesting and
lively. They can provide concrete and varied experiences for children.

Monologue, from the Greek monos meaning alone and novos meaning speech, is a
passage in which a personage holds the scene to himself and speak unconsciously aloud that
which is spoken by one person alone. The theory of the monologue is that the audience overhears
the thoughts of one who believes himself to be alone, and who also informs them of what would
otherwise be known to them. The monologue of Shakespeare’s ‘’Halmet” is particularly suited
for this dramatic form. However, this is good only for older pupils.

Pantomime is the expression of thoughts, feelings, and emotions through bodily

movements, gestures, steps, and facial expression. The performer is not limited to certain
techniques. He is entirely free and natural. The body movements are understood by children

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before they know the meaning of woods. Pantomime is the only means of communication
between people who speak different languages. It is the oldest form of dramatic expression and
the most universal. It was use in the primitive stages of civilization in the form of war dances by
the Indians and Egyptians. The early Greeks sometimes employed music to accompany their
pantomime. The different characters were distinguished by their masks and they used scenic
effects. Later developments in pantomime were used in England, Italy, France and in the United
States. Quite often music and dance accompanied the body movements and gestures.

There are certain values derived from pantomime:

1. Shy children can take active part in pantomiming.

2. Children lose their self-consciousness and develop poise and freedom of movement.
3. They develop changing facial expressions.
4. Children learn to understand certain emotions and characterization by watching the
performance of others.
5. Children develop appreciation of literature. Stories that have few characters but had
strong emotional content and plenty of action are suitable for pantomime like the fairy
tales, realistic stories, and poems. Stories and poems chosen for pantomime should be
familiar to the audience.

Creative Dramatics

Pretending at play is natural activity of childhood. Children spend much of their own free
time pretending to be certain characters and to have imaginary adventures. Girls love to play
‘’House’’ or “going to market”, “tending a store”, etc. Boys like to play “heroes”. They like to
imitate what their father and mother do or say at home. Play activity of this nature is preparatory
education for adulthood. Children, through their imaginative play, will be able to cope better
with the realities and dreams of the adult when they reach maturity. The free play of kindergarten
children in school is dramatic play activity. Playing with toy cars or trucks or pretending to drive
them is dramatic play activity. Dramatic play does not need structuring, planning and evaluation.
The teacher who knows this play activity that children need can utilize it in his educational
scheme. He can employ creative dramatics with the children.

Creative dramatics is a structured play experience that is carefully planned and executed.
Children can create or recreate a scene, an episode, a problem, or an event, usually from
literature, under the teacher’s guidance. In creative dramatics, the dialogue is extemporaneous.
The children may plan in advance which scenes may be reenacted. The teacher guides them to
see that not every detail of a story needs to be dramatized. Costumes are not necessary, but
simple costumes can add to the no stage properties and scenery. The only requirement of creative
dramatics is a group of children with a qualified leader and space for them.

Creative drama should not be confused with dramatic play or with other activities that
make use of drama. It should not be confused with role-playing or solo-drama. Though role-
playing and socio-drama are similar in preparation and execution, their purpose is different from
the purpose of creative drama.

Folktales, incidents stories offer opportunities for this kind of creative activity.

Books are become more real indentify to children as they identify with the character
through creative dramatics. The value of creative drama lies in the process of playing.

Some ideas for creative dramatization:

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 1. A child acts out the title of a book or poem which has color in it.
2. A child may read aloud the dialogue from a story.
3. A child may dress as character from literature.
4. Children may dramatize a story they have heard or read.
5. Writing original scripts is an activity that can be done at the higher grade levels

Lesson 5

Puppets and Marionettes

What are Puppets?

Puppets are figures usually in imitation of life under an operator’s control used for
dramatic presentation.

A puppet is a doll manipulated by the performer so that it will act as a character in a play.

There are different types of puppets that can be made and the stories can be adopted to
the use of puppets.

The word “puppet” refers to two types of hand-manipulated, artificial figure; (1) puppet,
a doll manipulated directly by hand and (2) marionette, a doll manipulated by strings.

1. Puppets may be classified into stick puppets, shadow puppets or silhouettes, finger or
hand puppets.

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 Stick puppets- are flat cut outs painted to represent the desired character and attached to a
stick or rod. The children hold the stick puppets and hide behind a screen. The action is
regulated by the children who are hidden and only or scenes from the puppet can be seen
by the audience.

Shadow puppets or silhouettes- are flat, back cut outs represents a character in the story
or scenes from a lighted screen of muslin paper or cloth.

Finger and Hand puppets- are the easiest type to make, though not to operate. They can
be made from socks or grocery bag or old pieces of cloth shaped like a head. The puppets
portraying the characters of the story are slipped over finger or hand.

2. String puppets are often called marionettes. The word is of French origin. A marionette is
a figure with movable limbs which are manipulated by strings, wires or rods from above.
They are usually manufactured by artists, painters and sculptors because they are difficult
to prepare. String puppets perform their parts on a stage. This may be boxlike structure,
two feet by two feet with a depth of about one-and-a-half feet, with no cover at the top. It
is supported by wooden legs of about three or four feet high. There are no sides, but it has
a background longer than the front. The string puppets are manipulated by the performer
hidden behind the stage by a curtain. When there are several marionettes, there should be
more performers or players. Playing or manipulating marionettes requires training in
order that one
3. Can make the figures move in accordance with the story. The marionettes are dressed
with the costume of the character they are supposed to portray. Dark thread is used to
manipulate the figures so that it cannot be seen by the audience.

The puppets can also be controlled from below or at a level with the operator or
from the back or side of the stage, depending on the type of puppet. The professional
puppet show requires all the skill and coordination of a large theater performance. The
person who pulls the string must have many voices and the ability to make the
movements of the puppets seem natural or exaggerated.

Values of Puppets and Marionettes

1. Cooperation is developed among members of the class.

2. Shy and slow learners can make significant contribution.
3. A great deal of out-of-classroom work is done.
4. Interests in reading are developed.
5. Oral and written forms of expressions are improved.
6. Develop manipulative skills

Advantage of Puppets

1. Puppets provide opportunities for many participants.

2. It does not involve too much exercise.
3. It requires little in the way of costumes, stage props and equipment.
4. Pupils may engage in every aspect of the production of the puppet or marionette play.
5. There is audience involvement and participation.

Principles in Using a Puppet play for Teaching

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 1. Do not use puppets for stories or plays that can be done just as well or better by other
dramatic means.
2. Puppet plays must be based on action rather than on words.
3. Puppet plays must be short.
4. Puppet plays must be adapted to the particular audience.
5. Music and dancing can be adapted to the particular audience.
6. The hand puppet can be the narrator or storyteller.

Puppets need not be sophisticated to be effective. Puppets are not limited to a particular
age group. It can be used by the teacher to make her class more alive and arouse the children’s
interest in literature.

Some stories that are good for puppets are:

‘’Sleeping Beauty”

“Jack and the Beanstalk”

“Rapunzel”

“Thumbelina”

“The Emperor’s New Clothes”

Making Hand Puppets: Paper Bag Puppet Materials:

Grocery paper bag, watercolor, paint of crayons, scraps of cloth, and other decorative
materials as straw, grass, etc.

Direction:

Draw an outline of the figure or character of the story on the paper bag, making mouth
opening fall on the fold of the bag. Color the figure or paste torn paper as the clothing of the
character of dress him in scraps of cloth.

SOCK PUPPET

Direction:

Stuff sock with cotton or cloth. Sew on strips of cloth for ears. Sew on buttons for
features—eyes, nose, mouth. Add cloth for dress.

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 UNIT IV
Lesson 1
Informational Books

What are informational books? The word “informational” according to Webster’s

dictionary means to give information. As the word implies, informational books are books of
facts.
Informational books are hard to define. The encyclopedias, dictionaries, and the
telephone directory are informational.
Informational books are not restricted to any subject or group of subjects; they cover a
wide range of subjects. The new informational books which are appearing more and more in
libraries and in classrooms and which have attracted the attention of children, teachers,
librarians, as well as parents, belong to a more narrowly define group.
Many of the informational books suggest experiments and activities for the children. The
combination of activity and purposeful reading that the informational books supply is an
effective method of learning. Some informational books are devoted entirely to activities.
Since informational books are factual books, the author must be well-qualified in his
particular field, or if not, then the book should have been given to an expert to be checked for
accuracy.
Information books should be factual and accurate. Unnecessary details are omitted. The
writer of informational books always uses specific facts to make his story clear and accurate.
Accurate terms should be used in factual writing and explained through the context and in the
illustrations. The illustration is not pictures added to the text, but an essential part of the book.
The text in illustration supplement each other. Illustrations should be clearly labeled.
Informational books are more useful if they contain an index, a table of contents, and
pronunciation guide.
Informational books have a value in the classroom as well as in the library and home.
They are used closely with the new concepts of the curriculum. They give the classroom work
enrichment and activity. Teachers, who are usually busy people, broaden their horizons using
these books. They want to keep abreast of the times and yet they may not have the background or
the ability to comprehend some of the data prepared by specialists. They could profit from the-
up-to-date informational books.
Every library should be stocked with variety of informational books. There are excellent
dictionaries and encyclopedias for children. There are numerous science books both about living
things and the physical world. These books are not only good reference books but are stimulus
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for new science interest. There are varied books on geography, history, about people, gardens,
etc. there are religious books for children, instructional books to help adults answer the child’s
questions and books written chiefly for the pleasure and enjoyment of children.
As soon as the child can read, he should have reference books of his own. A child who
owns his own dictionary discovers not only the spelling of words-but the wonderful. The
Thorndike-Century Junior Dictionary is especially worthy of note and indispensable in school
libraries. The words are defined by very simple terms. The attractive illustrations contribute to
the usefulness of the dictionary.
The Webster’s Elementary dictionary published by the American Book Company
contains words selected on the basis of their occurrence in printed matter read by boys and girls
like school readers, geography, history, and arithmetic books.
Other dictionaries which are graded. “Intermediate” and are probably more useful with
thee intermediate pupils and high school students are Webster’s Student Dictionary, Funk and
Wagnall’s New Comprehensive Dictionary, and New Winston’s Simplified Dictionary for
Schools and other dictionaries.
Like the dictionary, the encyclopedia should be standard equipment in schools and
teachers should endeavor to promote its use.
There are several outstanding school encyclopedias in the market today. Some of the
more common ones are: The Compton’s Pictured Encyclopedia, World Book Encyclopedia,
Britannica Junior Encyclopedia, and Golier’s Encyclopedia and many others.

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Lesson 2
Comics

The rise in the popularity of the comic books as the reading fare of many children and
their impact on children’s minds has been the concern of parents, librarians, as well as teachers.
The young people have always shown avidity for the comic books. There has been much
furor about the undesirable outcomes they might provide in children. They have been condemned
as “trash” literature or “rubbish” meaning they have no aesthetic and educational value. Many
have agitated for the prohibition of the reading of the reading of the comics. Such as drastic
action would only intensify the curiosity and interest of children to read them.
Some reasons why children read comic books are:
1. Imitation. When a child sees other children treat comic books like a prized
possession, he observes that owning them gives prestige. After they have been read,
they are traded off with others a child is the ease with which they can be easily read
and understood. Although the vocabulary of most of the comics is difficult, that is not
important, for the actual text need not be read at all. Just merely looking at the
pictures and reading a word here and there are enough to understand the story.
2. There is a dearth of reading materials in many houses. Many homes have few books
and magazines except for the daily newspaper or perhaps none at all.
3. There is abundant supply and variety of comic books displayed in magazine stands
and even in the stores at the street corner.

Reading comic books show that the child is reading out for verbal communication to
satisfy needs in every growing child. When a child turns to comic books, it shows that he is
ready for books that will satisfy his needs. The strong interest that children develop from reading
comic can be used as a spring board to direct their reading into extensive reading of more
worthwhile kinds of reading matter.

Why are the comic books appealing to children?

1. Perhaps one of the reasons why the comic appeal to children is ease with which they
can be easily read and understood. Although the vocabulary of most of the comics
difficult, that is not important, for the actual text need to be read at all. Just merely
looking at the pictures and reading a word here and they are enough to understand the
story.
2. Little imaginative effort is needed to read the comic books. The characters and the
situation in bright colors appeal to mere senses than by reading them.
3. Stories in comic book have action, suspense, mystery, and danger.
4. Heroes of comic books are adventurous and daring and children tend to identify with
them.
5. The “funny” comic books or “funnies” bring relaxation and provide laughter to them.
6. Lastly, the comic books are abundant; they are available in most magazine stand and
stores; and they cost less than books.

Ones the teacher or librarian knows these basic appeals of the comic books; he is in a
position to provide an environment that counteracts these factors. It is the task of teachers and
librarian to redirect the reading interest of children from comics to more worthwhile books.
Teachers may use many and varied methods to revitalize the literature program in the classroom.
Here are some suggestions that teachers can do:

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 1. Make available in a corner of the classroom or in other accessible a table or shelf
containing a wide variety of reading materials – fiction, fairy tales, folk tales stories
about girls and boys real or fictitious, stories about animals and nature, science,
adventure travel and history, stories about heroes, real or legendary, stories about
other lands and people, magazines, newspapers, etc.

2. They must be a good quantity of books from which children can choose, children
should not be force to read or forced to prepare book reports. Children should be free
to brows around the reading corner.

3. Children should be encouraged to choose their own books but guidance should be
provided for those children who lack some definite reading interests.

4. Provide time for sharing with one another interesting stories reports on good books,
interesting articles significant news, etc.

5. Provide meaningful experiences with literature in the classroom.

The librarian is one person in school set-up who can contribute much in the development
of reading interest for children. The library should be the reading center of the school. A patient
and sympathetic librarian can make the library a place child would love to spend their free time.
Parents can also develop their children reading habit by reading to them and making books
available to them.

Lesson 3

The story hour for classroom and libraries story hour in the library

The story hour has become a significant activity in classroom and libraries. Children’s in
school are stock with a variety of reading materials suited to the abilities and interest of children
of all ages. These rooms are decorated and furnished for the children’s pleasure and enjoyment.

The children’s pleasure rooms are opened to the boys and girls during school hours, on
Saturdays and during vacations for reading, browsing, and other activities that related to the
enjoyment of books. In charges of the children’s rooms is the librarian who is trained to stress
the importance of introducing boys and girls to the best of literature for children.

The objectives of the story hour in libraries are: to acquaint children with the best stories
in the field of children’s literature (folks and fairy tales and modern stories) and to give the
children the opportunity of listening to well-told stories.

Storytelling is a legitimate and necessary part of library work with children. Story hours
last from45 to 60 minutes and are held in some quiet nook in the library or in the children’s
room. The children go into the room in a procession or come in with their mothers. The mothers
go to the adult section of the library to read while waiting for their children. The children are

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greeted by the storyteller who has the books from which she will tell the stories. The children
either sit on the floor or on chairs in a semicircle facing the storyteller.

When the librarian is telling the story, there are no interruptions, no questioning or
jesting. The storyteller does not ask questions or opinions whether the children like the story or
not at the end of the storytelling. Children often tell what a story meant to them weeks or months
after the story hour. A story may, at the moment of telling, bears no meaning to the child; but
time will come when an experience will give it meaning to him.

Folk and fairy tales are the backbone of these story hours. The essence of the folk tales is
preserved in their telling. The only mediums used at any of the library story hours are the books
and the storyteller. The stories are selected from approved books in children’s library. The
storyteller brings to the listeners an interpretation which grows from a sympathetic understanding
and background of children’s literature.

The preschool story hours are a recent development in some libraries, discussion groups
are carried on with parents in another room of the library while the story hour for the
preschoolers is going on child care, and books of general interest and children’s reading are
discussed.

Some libraries in the United States conduct a radio library story hour once in a while over
a local radio station. The children listen in a classroom during school hours.

Puppet shows, slides, motion pictures, and children’s own dramatization based on
children’s books are shown in the children’s rooms.

Story Hour in the Classroom

In the classroom, the story hour is an activity usually correlated with a lesson in
literature, the social studies, or in other subjects. The story telling can be used to calm down the
restless children after a hard day’s work. Stories provide relaxation to a tense classroom
atmosphere. Storytelling in the classroom is an agreeable method of conveying knowledge to
children.

Holidays loom large in our lives especially to children when they are in school. Stories
related to the holidays give special meanings to the particular holiday that is celebrated.

Reading-Aloud Period

A teacher should at least provide a daily read-aloud period. These reading periods may
come about during opening exercises, and at other quiet times when relaxation is needed.
Teachers might distribute read-aloud periods during the day from periods of during the day from
5 minutes to about 8 minutes.

The story hour in the classroom in the simplest and quickest way of establishing a happy
relation between the teacher and children.

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Lesson 4

Historical Background of Storytelling

Storytelling is as old as the institution of the family. Perhaps it is the earliest literary
occupation. The prehistoric storyteller practiced his art by the medium of voice and gesture even
before man carved inscription on caves or the hieroglyphics.

The first stories were spun in the home. The mother fabricated stories to serve as
warnings and reminders of good behavior to the children.

The father’s stories were factual tales about the day’s activities, his fears, hopes, courage,
his feelings and his observations about the things around him. In those days, man was
surrounded by danger from animals and wilder men. Those were the days of real adventure.
When the father would return to his family in the cave or tent after a day of hunting, the family
would gather around and listen to the dramatic account of the hunt, the fierce combats, and his
victory. These tales, often retold, became part of the family tradition. Such homespun tales of
personal adventure are the ancestors of our modern hero tales. Family heroes were made into
tribal heroes. The death of a brave captain of a tribe or clan would hasten the growth of myth
around his glorious name until finally the biographers would make him a Hercules or Beowulf.

While the tales of home and tribe were developing, the myth of explanation also began to
rise. Man lived in a world of mystery. He wondered about the phenomena of nature, he became
slave of his fears, and he searched for explanations for the beginnings of things, the terrifying
thunder, lightning, and earthquake. The older men explained that gods, spirits, demons, giants,
and dwarfs created the visible world and brought both good and evil in it. Knowing these
phenomena, his fears diminished. These early crude myths of observation reveal man’s primitive
science, philosophy and religion.

The storytellers, usually the older men, were historians and teacher as well. They taught
the tribal laws, customs and traditions. They fired the heart of the young men with the novel
ambition to excel their elders in fortitude and valor.

In addition to these tasks, the storyteller of yore was an entertainer.

The story had three great purposes: tribal unity and control, instruction, and
entertainment. By means of the story, the storyteller shaped behavior, transmitted traditions and
served as an entertainment.

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 With the growth of civilization, the functions of the storyteller became restricted.
Specialization started. The priest became the teachers, and other specialists became interpreters
of law. Schools of various kinds were established. Despite all these changes, the storyteller,
however, survived and became an artist. He told his story in verse with the accompaniment of a
flute or harp. He travelled and sang ballads of heroic deeds, of beauty and chivalry to kings and
queens.

During the middle ages, the story singers of Europe were known as bards, minstrels,
sagamen, troubadors, gleemen, or rhapsodists. The story teller then was called narrator, musician
and poet.

In those days it was not easy to be a minstrel. One had to go through twelve years of
preparation. Certain tales were learned by all minstrels and they had to have a repertoire of three
hundred fifty tales and ballads.

During the days of knighthood, storytellers were makers of literature. They produced
romantic stories about King Arthur and the Knights of the Richard and his Charlemagne, the
bravery of Richard and his Crusaders and the fame of Haveloc, the Dane. By the end of the
thirteenth century, they had collected legends, anecdotes and allegories, and biographical tales.
Even the religious men, on occasion, would turn storytellers to keep their drowsy hearers awake,
or to warn them against certain sins.

The storytellers of Europe during the Medieval Ages were more than transmitters of
stories in prose or poetic form. They were producers of literature that has perhaps influenced
Chaucer, Tennyson, or Shakespears.

With the establishment of the printing press, schools, churches, the changes in belief, in
knowledge, in customs and in education, the profession of the storyteller gradually declined.

During this period of decline, storytelling was practiced in an unprofessional way in most
homes. Storytelling became a part of the woman’s job in the home along with the rearing of the
children.

Later, a man named Friederick Froebel, a German educator founded the kindergarten. He
belived that the child-garden was a place where children might be happy and grow much and
learn some things. Froebel took over one of the mother’s activities in the home. He gave the oral
story a position of high standing as an educational tool. “A great spiritual efficiency lies in the
storytelling,” said Friederick Froebel.

The great awakening to the value of storytelling in the school and in the home is
evidenced by the continued search for new stories suitable for children. The value of the story is
recognized by Sunday School teachers who use biblical stories in teaching some moral lessons to
children as well as to adults.

Regular storytelling hours are maintained in public libraries and in elementary schools.
Educators have recognized the values of storytelling both in the home and in the school in
developing the power of imagination, in arousing enthusiasm to the story, and in fixing proper
attitudes of appreciation to literature.

Lesson 5

Children’s Book Awards

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 Anyone teaching children’s literature or anyone interested in it should be familiar with
books which have endured from one generation to another, and should also acquaint himself with
the modern books which have been singled out four certain meritorious recognition either by
adults or children.

Various awards in the form of medals, money and other prizes have been established in
recognition of distinctive work in expression of appreciation for creative work in children’s
literature.

It is important to understand the criteria for selection and the bases on which the awards
are administered in order to understand the importance of the distinction offered.

A. In the United States

Among the most coveted awards in the United States in the field of children’s books are
the Newbery and Caldecott medals awarded annually by the Children’s Services of the
American library Association.

Newberry Medal
At the 1921 American Library Association meeting of the Section for Library
Work with Children, Frederic G. Melcher, publisher, bibliophile, admirer of John
Newberry, and lover of children’s books proposed a medal that will be awarded to the
most distinguished children’s book of the year and suggested that the medal be named the
John Newberry was referred to by many scholars of children’s “literature” since he was
the first to conceive the idea of publishing books expressly for children.
John Newberry (1713-1767) was a writer, publisher, and bookseller of Saint
Paul’s Churchyard in London. He published a series of books for children. The first book
he published was the Little Pretty Pocketbook in 1744. He printed chapbooks, cheap little
paper editions which were sold on the streets by chapmen or peddlers. These chapbooks
contained ballads and folktales. He also [published translations from the French among
them was Tales of Mother Goose by Charles Perrault.
The Newberry Medal is “awarded annually to the author of the most distinguished
contribution to American literature for children the award being made to cover books
whose publication in book form falls in the calendar year last elapsed. The award is
restricted to authors who are residents of the United States. The book must be an original
work and it need not be written solely for children. The judgments of the librarians voting
shall be decided whether a book is a contribution to the literature for children. The
purpose of the Newberry medal is:
a) To encourage original and creative work in the field of books for children;
b) To emphasize to the public that contributions to the literature for children
deserve recognition just like poetry, plays or novels;
c) To give librarians serving children’s reading interests an opportunity to
encourage good writing in the field of children’s literature.

The first book awarded the Newberry Medal was the Story of Mankind by Hendrik
Willem van Leon in 1922. Since then the medal has been awarded annually to the most
distinguished book.

Caldecott Medal

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 In 1937 Frederic G. Melcher suggested a second medal to be given annually to the artist
who has created the most distinguished picture book of the year. He proposed that it be called the
Caldecott Medal in honor of Randolph J. Caldecott an outstanding English illustrator.

As a young boy, Randolph J. Caldecott liked to draw animals, model in clay, and carve
wooden figures. He spent all of his spare time in the out-of-doors sketching animals, people, and
landscapes. He worked on illustrations for Washington Iryving’s “ Christmas at Bracebridge
Hall”.

Caldecott’s illustrations were beautiful and captured vividly the aura of rural life with its
action, humor and the English landscapes.

The Caldecott Medal is awarded to the artist of the most distinguished American picture
book for children published in the United States during the preceding year. The artist must be a
citizen or resident of the Unites States. The text need not be the work of the artist. The award is
made for a pictures rather than the text are the heart of the book.

The first picture book that was awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1938 was Animals of the
Bible, A Picture Book, illustrated by Dorothy P. Lathrop. The text was by Helen Dean Fish.
Selection of the books to receive the Newberry and Caldecott Medals is delegated to the
children’s Services Division of the American Library Association. A Newberry Caldecott
Awards Committee has the responsibility of making the final choice. This committee is charged/
with reviewing, clarify and refining the terms that govern selection of the books to receive the
awards, as well as serving as judges for the selection of the books to receive the awards.
From their beginnings, the awards have influenced and stimulated publications and
appreciation of outstanding children’s books. They have also stimulated librarians in school and
public libraries to read children’s books critically and to participate in the selection of the award
winners by nomination of books to be considered.

The Laura Ingalls Wilder Award

The Wilder Award is different from the long established and prestigious Newberry and
Caldecott Medals in some respects. The awards originated among children’s librarians. The
candidates are not only nominated, but are vote upon, by the entire membership of the Children’s
Services Division of the American Library Association. The award is given every five years
since its establishment in 1954.
The Executive Board of the Children’s Library Association wanted to express their deep
appreciation in some way to Laura Ingalls Wilder by naming the award after her for the
contribution of her books to literature for children.
Laura Ingalls Wilder was the first to receive the award. She was born in a log cabin in
Pepin, Wisconsin. She started teaching school when she was fifteen. It was not until she was
sixty-five years of age that she started to write the “Little House” series for which she received
wide acclaim. The “Little House” stories are tender, humorous stories that show the importance
of close-knit family life both in the woods and on the prairie.
The first book in the series, The Little House in the Big Woods, describes her early
childhood. How the family moved to Kansas is the subject of the “ Little House on the Pairie. On
the Bunks of Plum Creek tells about life in the Frontier in the Dakota territory. Her other books
are: By the Shores of Silver Lake, The Long Winter, The Little Town on the Pairie, These Happy
Golden Years, Farmer Boy and The First Four Years.

National Book Award

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 The National Book Award include for the first time in its twenty-four year
history, an annual award for children’s literature. The National Book Committee and the
Children’s Book. Council sponsor the award which is presented annually to a book for children
that a panel of judges considers distinctive. It must be written by an American Citizen and
published in the United States. The award which was started in 1969 was given to Journey from
Peppermint Street by Meindery De Jong.

The New York Times Choice of Best Illustrated Children’s Book of the Year

This annual award has been given to the best illustrated children’s book published
by the New York Times since 1952. The first award was given to The Magic Currant Bun by
Andre Francois in 1952

The Book World Children’s Spring Book Festival Awards

From 1937 to 1967 these awards were sponsored by the New York Herald
Tribune; from 1968 they have been sponsored by the Washington Post and the Chicago Tribune.
The first award was given to Seven Simeons by Boris/ Artzyybasheff in 1937.

B. In the United Kingdom or Great Britain

Carnegie Medal

The Carnegie Medal has been awarded annually since 1936 for an outstanding book for
children written in English and originally published in the United Kingdom during the year
preceding the presentation of the award.
At the end of each year recommendations for the award emanated from members of the
Library Association, who are asked to submit a preliminary list of not more than three titles from
which the committee of the Youth Libraries Group makes a final selection. Choice of works of
fiction is based upon consideration of plot, style, characterization; choice of informational books
is based upon accuracy, method of presentation, style and format. The medal can be awarded to
an author more than once.

Kate Greenaway Medal

The Kate Greenaway Medal, named after one of the nineteenth artists who had created a
new kind of picturebook for children, has awarded annually since 1955 to recognize the
importance of illustrations in children’s books. The Kate Greenaway Medal is awarded to the
artists who has produced the most distinguished illustrated book and having been published in
the United Kingdom during the preceding year.
The first book awarded the Kate Greenaway Medal was Tim All Alone by Edward
Ardizonne in 1956.

Awards From Other Countries

C. Canadian Library Awards

Book-of-the-Year-for-Children

The Canadian Library Association presents each June to bronze medals: one of the best
children’s book written in English and one for the best children’s book written in French. The
authors must be Canadians. These awards were started in 1954.

D. International Children’s Book Award

Hans Christian Andersen Award

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 Every two years the International Board on Books for Young People gives awards to an
author and, since 1966, to an illustrator for their total contributions to children’s literature. No
national restriction are placed on this first international award. The recipients are chosen by five
judges, each from a different country, from recommendations of national boards of library
associations.
The award was first given in 1956 to The Little Bookroom by Eleonor Farjeon.

Special Interest Awards

George G. Stone Center for Children’s Books Recognition of Merit Awards

The Claremont (California) Reading Conference in 1965 began giving a scroll to

the author or artist of children’s book that helped children become aware of the beauty of the
universe. The first award was given to Cricket Songs translated by Harry Behn in 1965.

Jane Addams Book Award

Each fall the Jane Addams Peace Association and the Women’s International League for
Peace and Freedom present a certificate to the author of the best book with artistic and literary
merit that deals with the theme of brotherhood and understanding. The award which was started
in 1953 was give to People Are Important by Eva Knox Evans.

Thomas Alva Edison Foundation National Mass Media Awards

This award, a citation is given annually to the author of the best children’s book about a
Jewish subject or to an author for “cumulative contributions to a Jewish Juvenile literature.
The awards which was started in 1952 was first given to All-of-a Kind Family by Sydney
Taylor.

Nancy Bloch Memorial Award

Since 1955, this award has been given by New York City’s Downtown Community
School for the years best book dealing with intergroup relations. The first award went to Susan
Cornish by Rebecca Caudil.

Child Study Association Children’s Book Award

Each year the mystery writers of America the award present an “Edgar”, a ceramic bust
of the award’s namesake, to the author of the previous year’s best children’s mystery. The award
which was started in 1960 went to The Mystery of the Haunted Pool by Phyllis A. Whitney.

Western Writers of America Spur Awards

Each June a plaque is awarded to the best Western written for children the previous year
since 1953. Separate awards were given to fiction and non-fiction beginning in 1966.
PANAMA Incorporated, a civic organization whose main objective was to produce
Filipino children’s literature, was founded in 1963. PANAMA launched an annual story contest
among English and Pilipino writers for children. Winning lirerary selections were published in
book form. The first contest was in 1963. Gilda Cordero Fernado’s Horgle and the King’s Soup
won the first prize while Gemma Cruz’s Makisig won second prize.

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