Throughout traditional literature, there are few illustrators who have made an impression as Arthur Rackham. The playful characteristics and the anthropomorphization of Aesop's animals brings them to life. Arthur Rackham illustrations are synonymous with traditional literature having illustrated Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm, The Ingoldsby Legends, English Fairytales and Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle in three volumes. Rackham's ink and watercolor images have the textural detail that not many had in the late 1800s/ early 1900s, and his serene human faces and expressive animals and magical creatures ignite within the imagination. Though Arthur Rackham died before many awards were given, in 2013 the Society of Illustrators in America gave Rackham the posthumous honor of entry into its Hall of Fame. ( )

Very, very simple anecdotes. Any fables that have been turned into lengthier morality tales such as "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" have been beefed up considerably. ( )

I loved reading these tales. Many of them I have not read before. I hard a hard time putting the book down.

Read this for the "1001" books and they're good little stories with great moral messages, but I found it hard to read them straight thru as a whole book. A few of the stories I even got a bit confused on because I kept mixing them up with others that were similar. I thought a few times "didn't I just read this this one?" But it was a good read and a keeper, and at least I finished it! ( )

Every few years I enjoy rereading Aesop’s Fables. When I come across a different edition with wonderful, new-to-me illustrations, I just can’t help myself. The morals of the Fables are occasionally contradictory, that’s where they’re most interesting in fact. For example, some tales seem to indicate that opposites attract and can help one another; in other instances alike things are attracted to one another and those things that are different are dangerous and can cause them harm; still, one has to fight the urge, because they are so amusing, to agree with all of Aesop’s “lessons” on all points. The best thing you can get from it as a child is that the world can be a contradictory place and that the best thing to do is ask questions about the truth of any given assertion or act. Aesop, if he did exist, seems like he could probably move from being a skeptic to being paranoid pretty easily. It’s good to read the tales with a dose of good humor. ( )