As a traditional storyteller much of my work is gathering tales from the oral tradition. These are the stories that were shared from person to person prior to the written word. But although I was told stories as a child, my great love for folklore started with books. What is folklore? Folklore is the cultural and oral expression of the people. It is the sharing of beliefs, customs and stories. Children’s books are filled with folklore that include “Old Mother Goose” rhymes, songs, poems, ways to make a “cat’s cradle”; and stories based on folktales, fairy tales and myths.
Author and professor, Betsy Hearne, wrote that “folklore is the birthplace of literature,” and that certainly must be true for children’s literature. For this literature is heavily influenced by folklore, from its motifs and archetypes to its familiar tale types. But it wasn’t always this way. The folktales of old were first told to an adult audience and many were filled with violence and death. These were topics thought unsuitable for children. Further using folklore as the subject of children’s literature has been hotly debated. It has been criticism for promoting fantasy, patriarchy, elitism, colonialism, cultural misappropriation and racism.
But nonetheless these stories have survived and proliferated both orally and in print. In fact, from the earliest published work for children until today, folklore has been prominent in children’s literature. Why? Because the tales are entertaining while also sharing culture, history and values. Let’s look at one example, the story of Cinderella. It began as a folktale, then inspired a literary fairy tale. Some say there may be over 3,000 oral variants of the story. But how many publications are there of Cinderella? A quick search in the national database “WorldCat” shows that there are approximately 27,000 English language books concerning Cinderella. Consider how the story has been told and retold in picture books, chapter books, and young adult novels. Some of these are modern retellings and others are versions shared long ago. The life of this story goes on and on because it is continually expanding and growing. This story has captured our imagination, as have many other traditional tales. So, when we look at children’s literature today, we discover folklore is alive within it. It too is constantly growing and changing. While today’s story variants are more often found in print than shared orally, that doesn’t mean that oral expression is dead. These stories stay alive through Tik Tok book groups and fan fiction. They are told again and again in many ways.
In the history depicted here, we’ll see examples of folklore serving as the subject and inspiration for children’s literature. We’ll start with the early modern chapbooks, then move on to collections of folktales, literary fairy tales, picture books, chapter books and young adult fiction. We’ll also look at books from the “golden age” of children’s literature. In each category there will be a brief explanation with one or more examples.
Author Isaac Bashevis Singer writes, “Without folklore and deep roots in a specific soil, literature must decline and wither away. This is true in all literature of all times. Luckily children’s literature is even now more rooted in folklore than the literature for adults. And this alone makes children’s literature so important in our generation.”
It is my hope that the reader will remember similar titles from their own childhood or books they read to children. These are the stories filled with the wisdom and enchantment of the folk. They are tales that have been told for hundreds of years and hopefully will be shared for hundreds more.
Chapbooks
Chapbooks are small, printed booklets which were sold as inexpensive, street literature in the early modern period (15th – 18th c.) of England and Europe. Stories in these texts were often derived from folklore. Here are some examples: Chap-Books of the 18th Century: with Facsimiles, Notes and Introduction by John Ashton. (London: Chatto & Windus, 1882). Included within this text is “The Pleasant History of Jack Horner.”
The Original Mother Goose's Melody as issued by John Newberry, of London, circa 1760; later
editions by Isaiah Thomas, of Worcester, Mass., circa 1785, and Munroe & Francis, of Boston, circa 1825. This book provides the nursery rhyme “Little Jack Horner.”
For more examples see, “McGill Libraries Chapbook Collection”: https://digital.library.mcgill.ca/chapbooks/index.php
Stories from the Oral Tradition: Folktales, Fairy Tales, and Myths
In the 1800s, the first folklorists began to collect and record folklore to preserve their culture. These were the stories and beliefs passed down for generations through the oral tradition – such as folktales, fairy tales and myths. The most famous collectors include the Brothers Grimm, Andrew Lang and Joseph Jacobs. Initially, many of these collections were for adults. Their popularity led to editing the texts for a child audience.
Die Bruder Grimm [ Grimm, Jacob & Wilhelm Karl]. Kinder-und Haus-Marchen. Gesammelt durch die Bruder Grimm. Berlin: In der Realschulbuchhandlung, 1812. This is a compilation of German folktales. Volume 1 contained 86 stories. Volume 2 (which was published in 1815) included 70 more tales. By the 7th edition in 1857, there were over 200 stories now edited for a child audience.
For Grimm stories see, “The Grimm Brothers’ Children’s and Household Tales (Grimms’ Fairy Tales) compiled, translated, and classified by D.L. Ashlimann: https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/grimmtales.html
The Langs' Fairy Books are a series of 25 collections of children’s stories published between 1889 and 1913 by Andrew Lang and his wife, Leonora Blanche Alleyne. Andrew Lang was the editor while Leonora translated and adapted stories from French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Catalan, and other languages.
For collections of Lang’s stories see, “The Fairy Books of Andrew Lang”: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/30580.
Joseph Jacobs was a collector and publisher of English and European folklore. His book, English Fairy Tales (New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1895) included the story “Jack the Giant Killer.”
For other stories see, “English Fairy Tales collected by Joseph Jacobs”: https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/008682965
Literary Fairy Tales
While there are many definitions for fairy tales, the simplest is that these are folktales with “magic.” There are fairy tales within collections of folk tales (see the Grimm Brothers versions of “Snow White” and “Cinderella”). But the most famous version of these stories is often found in literary fairy tales. While folktales have no authors, literary fairy tales are authored works that rely heavily on the motifs, tale types and characterizations found within folklore.
Charles Perrault was a French author who lived from 1628-1703. In 1697, his book, Histoires ou Contes du Temps Passé, was published. It included the stories “Sleeping Beauty,” “Little Red Riding Hood,” and “Cinderella.” This work is thought to have influenced some of the later Grimm tales and is the version of Cinderella that is known best.
For more examples see, “The Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault”: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/29021
Hans Christian Anderson (1805-1875) was a Danish writer who wrote over 156 popular fairy tales compiled in 9 volumes. These included “The Little Mermaid,” “Thumbelina,” and “The Ugly Duckling.” Anderson was influenced by reading The Arabian Nights in childhood. His tales often included Christian morals. His first book of fairy tales was Eventyr, Fortalte for Børn. Første Samling. Første Hefte, 1835. This book included the stories “The Tinderbox” and “The Princess and the Pea.”
For more examples see, “Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales and Stories”: http://hca.gilead.org.il/
One Thousand and One Nights (Arabian Nights) is a collection of stories from India and Persia. Some are folktales while others are literary. The collection centers around the story of a concubine, Shahrazad, who was forced to tell a ruler a story each night to stay alive. It is the “frame” story in which all the other stories reside. The first English translation was in the 1700s. These stories were very influential in world literature and culture. They include “Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp,” “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves,” and “The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor.”
The Annotated Arabian Nights translated by Yasmile Seale (New York: Liveright Pub. Co., 2021) is a recent publication; acclaimed for its translation, illustrations and scholarly annotations.
For an earlier translation see, “The Project Gutenberg Ebook One Thousand and One Nights”: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/34206/34206-h/34206-h.htm
Madame Marie–Catherine d’Aulnoy (1650 – 1750) was a French author and aristocrat. She invented the term “fairy tale” (conte de fees). Madame d’Aulnoy participated in literary salons with other women writers. From 1697-98 she published 25 fairy tales based on motifs and tale types found in the oral tradition. Her stories had a female slant and often commented critically on the French aristocracy. One of her most famous stories is “The White Cat.” A current publication, The Island of Happiness: Tales of Madame d’Aulnoy, was translated by Jack Zipes (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2021).
For earlier translations see, “The Fairy Tales of Marie-Catherine d’Aulnoy”: https://www.surlalunefairytales.com/oldsite/authors/daulnoy.html
Golden Age of Children’s Literature
The Golden Age of Children’s Literature was from 1865-1926, a period when many classic children’s books were published in Britain and America. It was at this time when children’s literature was seen as a separate literary genre. Titles included Peter Pan (1904), The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1910), Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865), The Princes and the Goblin (1872), and Winnie-the-Pooh (1926).
George McDonald (1824-1905) was a Scottish author and minister. He is often regarded as the “founding father” of modern fantasy writing. His work influenced Lewis Carroll, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. His 1872 story, The Princess and the Goblin included goblins from folklore and other folktale motifs.
For more examples see, “The Princess and the Goblin”: https://archive.org/details/princessgoblin00macd2/mode/2up
Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures of Wonderland was influenced greatly by folklore. The story contained common folktale motifs (for example, a journey into an otherworldly realm, encounters with talking animals and anthropomorphic creatures, riddles and challenges).
For a digital version of the story see, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/11
Picture Books
Picture books focus on younger children by emphasizing illustrations over text. Many of these titles are crafted from traditional folktales.
For example, Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China was translated and illustrated by Ed Young (New York: Philomel (Penguin Young Readers Group), 1989). This book won the 1990 Caldecott Medal.
For more information see: “Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China | Kids Book Read Aloud”: https://youtu.be/TvmyISk1pkM?si=Hc8EwZsR5UImZ2WM
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears by Verna Aardena (New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1975). The story is a “chain” tale, based on an African folktale. This book won the Caldecott medal in 1976.
For more information: “Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears || Read Aloud | Read Along || Verna Aardema”: https://youtu.be/BbacGmFcNik?si=VTFdPr2QL2LW5BY5
“Little Golden Books” were a series of inexpensive picture books that began publication in 1942 and continue to this very day. Titles were often based on folklore, for example, “The Little Red Hen” and “Mother Goose.” “Thumbelina” (1953) was based on the story written by Hans Christian Andersen.
Another type of “picture” book is the graphic novel. “How the Alligator Got His Brown Scaly Skin” is a traditional story by Joyce Bear of the Muscogee Nation. This story is included within the book Trickster: Native American Tales: A Graphic Collection. 10th ed. (Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 2021).
For more information see, “How the Alligator Got His Brown Scaly Skin, Joyce Bear & Megan Baehr, from Trickster, Matt Dembicki”: https://youtu.be/zU2kmjLo4g0?si=c5LJAA94zOGfMuD0 or for text https://archive.org/details/tricksternativea0000unse
Chapter Books
Chapter books are written with younger readers in mind. Many are based in some way on traditional stories. These includes books with folklore references (such as the “Harry Potter” series) or with references to mythology (such as the “Percy Jackson” series). New titles such as Katherine Rundell’s Impossible Creatures (New York: Alfred A. Knopp, 2024), focus on a specific element from folklore. In this instance, it’s bestiary lore.
Louise Erdich’s Birchbark House (New York: HyperionBooks for Children, 1999) is a work of historical fiction. This book depicts the oral tradition as part of the Native American culture and includes several stories based on indigenous mythology.
For more information see the author’s reading, “Teen Story Share - “The Birchbark House” ch. 1”: https://youtu.be/Yq0RNAE855I?si=mIS1PQqgp0l7votI
J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter’s” series of books is filled with elements from folklore and mythology. The first book in the series is a chapter book written for young readers. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (New York, Scholastic, 1998). (American edition.)
For more information see, “The Myths and Folktales Behind Harry Potter”: https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20161122-the-myths-and-folktales-behind-harry-potter
Rick Riordan’s “Percy Jackson” books bring Greek mythology into the modern world. The first book in this series is Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief (New York: Hyperion Books, 2005).
For more information see these teacher/parent guides: https://rickriordan.com/book/the-lightning-thief/
Young Adult
The definition of “Young Adult” literature is a bit vague. Is it books with a teenage protagonist? Does the text concern teenage issues or theme? Is it written for the reading level of those 12-18 years old? Perhaps all of these apply. And yet, classifying a book as YA is not often easy. Today J.R.R. Tolkien’s books, from The Hobbit to his Lord of the Rings series, are sometimes considered chapter books, YA or adult fiction.
Still, this is a genre where folklore has taken hold. Examples include Robin McKinley’s retellings of classic fairy tales (for example, Spindle’s End, a “Sleeping Beauty” takeoff), Juliet Marillier’s “Sevenwaters” series (based on the Irish myth “The Children of Lir”) and Susan Cooper’s “The Dark is Rising Series” (based on Welsh folklore).
For an audiobook preview see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=ydafFyl_A08
For more information see: https://julietmarillier.com/
For an author discussion see: “The Dark is Rising: Susan Cooper, Natalie Haynes, Simon McBurney and Robert MacFarlane”: https://youtu.be/WfsKMvgklpE?si=I8jW1FZv2_ociH4S
Tracy Deonn’s Legendborn (New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2020) puts a contemporary spin on the King Arthur legend. It’s a book with a young Black protagonist who discovers her own power and abilities within the southern world of slavery and White supremacy.
For more information and bonus materials see: https://www.tracydeonn.com/legendborn and also “5 Reasons to be Riveted by LEGENDBORN by Tracy Deonn,” https://youtu.be/YwUALQ9nEW8?si=gTyaDviSQMmpnLK0 These are only a few examples of how folklore has and will continue to permeate children’s literature. Its tales provide narrative content and familiar motifs which authors use to seed their work. Folklore is also a rich resource for fantasy world creation (from artifacts, to characters, and creatures). Further, these stories continue to live in literature and fan fiction – spreading them far and wide.
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Dear readers, do you know any other books that might be included in these categories? Be on the alert for new tellings of old tales in children’s literature. For as Doctor Who discovered, “This song is ending, but the story never ends.”
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