The Man and the Fox -- El hombre y el zorro - (Teaching Stories) by Idries Shah (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

(Bilingual English-Spanish edition / Edición bilingüe inglés-español) A young fox's ingenuity and perseverance enable it to escape from a clever trap set by a man. This engaging story can inspire children to face challenges directly and to overcome obstacles in their path - and even to make use of those obstacles to solve problems. Adapted for children by Idries Shah, it is one of hundreds of Sufi developmental tales he collected from oral and written sources in Central Asia and the Middle East. Sally Mallam's illustrations provide delightful and imaginative depictions of the characters. For more than a millennium, the story of the man and the fox has entertained young people and helped foster in them the ability to examine their assumptions and to think for themselves.

El ingenio y la perseverancia de un joven zorro le permiten escapar de una astuta trampa tendida por un hombre. Esta cautivadora historia puede inspirar a los niños a enfrentar desafíos directamente y superar obstáculos en su camino, e incluso a hacer uso de esos obstáculos para resolver problemas. Adaptado para niños por Idries Shah, es uno de los cientos de cuentos de desarrollo sufíes que recopiló de fuentes orales y escritas en Asia Central y Oriente Medio. Las ilustraciones de Sally Mallam proporcionan representaciones encantadoras e imaginativas de los personajes. Durante más de un milenio, la historia del hombre y el zorro ha entretenido a los jóvenes y ha ayudado a fomentar en ellos la capacidad de examinar sus suposiciones y pensar por sí mismos.

Review Quotes

"Mallam's rich full-color illustrations in a folk style evoke an unfamiliar culture, while the clever fox reminds readers of characters in familiar fables. ... more lessons can be learned here than merely why it is so difficult to catch a fox." - School Library Journal (U.S.)

"As a teaching story, the tale entertains, reinforces literacy and thinking skills, and sets the stage for deeper reflection on what led to the fox's imprisonment and what he had to do to escape. Sally Mallam's lively illustrations are suggestive of the layers of meaning contained in the story: her renderings of the man and the fox are sure to delight young readers, and if they look closely they'll find a second 'story' in the margins!" - Denise Nessel, Ph.D., Consultant and Director of Publications National Urban Alliance for Effective Education (U.S.)

"These teaching stories can be experienced on many levels. A child may simply enjoy hearing them; an adult may analyze them in a more sophisticated way. Both may eventually benefit from the lessons within." - "All Things Considered," National Public Radio (U.S.)

"They [teaching stories] suggest ways of looking at difficulties that can help children solve problems calmly while, at the same time, giving them fresh perspectives on these difficulties that help them develop their cognitive abilities" - psychologist Robert Ornstein, Ph.D., in his lecture "Teaching Stories and the Brain" given at the U.S. Library of Congress

"Through repeated readings, these stories provoke fresh insight and more flexible thought in children. Beautifully illustrated." - NEA Today: The Magazine of the National Education Association (U.S.)

"Shah's versatile and multilayered tales provoke fresh insight and more flexible thought in children." - Bookbird: A Journal of International Children's Literature

"These stories ... are not moralistic fables or parables, which aim to indoctrinate, nor are they written only to amuse. Rather, they are carefully designed to show effective ways of defining and responding to common life experiences." - Denise Nessel, Ph.D., Senior Consultant with the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education (U.S.), writing in Library Media Connection: The Professional Magazine for School Library Media Specialists (U.S.)

"These enchanting stories Shah has collected have a richness and depth not often encountered in children's literature, and their effect on minds young and old can be almost magical." - Multicultural Perspectives: An Official Journal of the National Association for Multicultural Education (U.S.)

"Shah has collected hundreds of Sufi tales, many of which are teaching tales or instructional stories. In this tradition, the line between stories for children and those for adults is not as clear as it seems to be in Western cultures, and the lessons are important for all generations." - School Library Journal (U.S.)

"... these are vibrant, engaging, universal stories...." - Multicultural Perspectives: An Official Journal of the National Association for Multicultural Education (U.S.)

"... they not only entertain, but can be understood on many different levels and provide a form of 'nourishment for the brain' that can help develop thinking abilities and perceptions." - Multicultural Perspectives: An Official Journal of the National Association for Multicultural Education (U.S.)