Treasury of Magical Tales from around the World by Donna Jo Napoli

Veteran children’s author Donna Jo Napoli retells fairy- and folk tales from every continent, reflecting both local culture and common humanity.

Treasury of Magical Tales from around the World by Donna Jo Napoli. National Geographic, 2021, 203 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10

Recommended for: ages 6-12 as a read-aloud; 8-12 for independent readers

An old woman who hides her children inside her knee. A rooster who’s cut in half, but still outwits a king. A gentleman whose generosity to an assortment of hitchhikers allows him to defeat a tiger and find a wife. Traditional “magical tales,” though they may differ in detail, are remarkably similar the world over: the poor are elevated, the dumb speak and the high and mighty are brought down. Connoisseurs of Western fairytales will recognize Dick Wittington’s Cat and The Magic Fish, but then the story tour takes us to the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, the Pacific islands, and South America, where native animals and customs play a central part.

Some stories may seem edgy in the light of contemporary issues. For example, in “The Gobbler,” a tale of the Jewish Diaspora, a young man decides he’s a turkey and takes to strutting around the barnyard and rooting in trees, naked. A solution is found when the young man learns he can wear clothes and eat at the table . . . and still be a turkey. That’s probably the traditional storyline but seems a little too close to trans ideology for comfort these days. Otherwise, that tales are entertaining as well as instructive, illuminating “the hopes and fears of generations—ephemeral things that defy easy definition and that belong more to our common humanity than to any particular culture” (Author Introduction).

The oversize volume is lavishly illustrated in full color, meant to be read aloud and re-read through succeeding ages. For collectors of fairy- and folktales, it’s a worthy addition to the family bookshelf or school library.

Overall Rating: 4.25

• Worldview/moral value: 3.5
• Artistic/literary value: 5

Read more about our ratings here.                 

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Reviews: Other books by Donna Jo Napoli: Hunger, Ugly, The King of Mulberry Street, and A Treasury of Egyptian Mythology
• Resource: See our booklist of fairytales for reading aloud!
• Reflection: “The Invasion of Fairyland” compares G. K. Chesterton’s thoughts on fairytales with contemporary retellings.

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