Thai Children's Favorite Stories - (Favorite Children's Stories) by Toth (Hardcover)

About the Book

A collection of cherished fables, myths, legends and fairy tales from Thailand that have been passed down through generations of Thai families. The nine stories feature beautiful princesses, warring gods and goddesses, playful children, and wily tigers against a backdrop of traditional Thai village life. They deal with the universal values that parents everywhere want to teach their children, such as good versus evil, right versus wrong, and wisdom versus foolishness.--Adapted from back cover.

Book Synopsis

In captivating text and illustrations, this beautiful multicultural children's book presents a collection of cherished fables, myths, legends and fairy tales from Thailand that have been passed down through generations of Thai families.

The nine charming stories in this book feature clever princesses, warring gods and goddesses, foolish kings, and wily tigers, against a backdrop of traditional Thai village life. They deal with the universal values that parents everywhere want to teach their children, such as good versus evil, right versus wrong, and wisdom versus foolishness.

Stories include "How The Thais Learned to Be Calm," when a small village argument escalates into a terrible war; "Princess Golden Flower and the Vulture King," in which a brave princess saves herself from an evil king; and "The Gold Harvest" in which a wise father-in-law tricks his lazy son-in-law into working hard for his family.

Curated and narrated by Marion D. Toth and illustrated by Thai artist Patcharee Meesukhon, this collection will provide children with an insight into the traditional Thai culture, and the values and lifestyle of its people. This book will be enjoyed by children ages six to ten, as well as by their parents.

Other Thai stories in this book include:

• How the Bay of Bangkok Came to Be
• Why Do We Have Thunder and Lightning?
• The Wisest Man in Siam
• There is No Such Thing As a Secret
• How the Tiger Got its Stripes
• The Footprint of the Buddha

Review Quotes

"...a fun peek into traditional Thai culture for children...These are fun stories, each with a bit of a moral lesson to be learned as well. Which is just as fairy tales should be." --Castle View Academy blog

"...lush illustrations and larger than life tales...I love that the stories explore universal values such as courage and wisdom, yet they are set against the backdrop of Thai village life, so that children also learn more about Thai culture and history. A lovely book to be treasured." --All Done Monkey blog

"...This wonderful book, with quality binding, paper, and printing, tells nine stories, each one soon to be another child's favorite...The illustrations are lovely, the writing engaging, and the stories delightful." --KidsR.US blog

"This one takes us to Thailand and shares a bit of the country's culture through its stories...The illustrations add to it by seeing how gods and goddesses are traditionally portrayed. All of this adds to one's understanding of another culture and, in our world climate lately, I think we all need a bit more of this understanding." -- Crafty Moms Share blog

"You can use this during circle time or to gather children and calm them after lunch or an outdoor activity when they may be a little more rambunctious. These are fun stories, each with a bit of a moral lesson to be learned as well. Which is just as fairy tales should be." --Castle View Academy

About the Author

Marian D. Toth is a writer and teacher with a fascination for folklore. A native of Montana, she received her B.A. in English Literature from Eastern College in St. David's Pennsylvania and her M.A. and D.Ed from the University of Pennsylvania. She has spent time in Thailand where she taught creative writing at the International School in Bangkok, and has published many articles about Thai legends and culture.

Thailand native Patcharee Meesukhon has illustrated numerous children's books for publishers in Thailand, Australia, India and other parts of the world.