Around the World in 80 Tales

Accomplished storyteller Pirotta takes us to six continents: the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australasia in this cultural extravaganza of traditional tales. This ancient form is in essence a script for the storyteller and in these retellings he remains close to the oral tradition, retaining the immediacy of the spoken word for the most part. All kinds of characters are featured, both human and animal, and there is a variety of moods from funny and absurd to almost spiritual. I enjoyed discovering some tales new to me such as the pourquoi tale from Paraguay telling why the toad croaks and has a lumpy back and the somewhat bizarre Hungarian tale wherein the King, to prove a point, makes his guests dine on extravagant fare while keeping their feet in bowls of water. However there are plenty of familiar favourites there as well.

The illustrations, finely painted as they are, are kept to a minimum with a themed continental band across each page, so as not to overwhelm what is the most important element of the book – the stories. Certainly a book for every primary school library.