Illustrated Book of Aesop's Fables

(back cover) Aesop, the legendary Greek storyteller, lived approximately 2,500 years ago, but his wise and witty tales—each with its own distinctive moral—remain popular today. This collection includes many of his best-known fables, complemented with large, full-color illustrations by an international team of superb artists. The tales in this book fall into four separate categories based on the animal playing the lead role—the Eagle, the Lion, the Fox, or the Wolf. Here is a volume that both children and adults can treasure, as beautiful to look at as it is enjoyable to read. (front flap) This volume presents some of the best-known tales of Aesop, the immortal Greek fabulist. His tales are categorized here according to the animals playing lead roles. Thus under Lion” we have the fables of The Lion and the Rat,” The Lion and the Bull,” The Lion and the Ass,” and others, each capped off with its own witty moral. The book’s other animal themes include fables of the Eagle, the Fox, and the Wolf. Few reliable details are known about the life of Aesop, but tradition has it that he was recognized throughout the ancient Greek world during the seventh and sixth centuries B. C. as a great storyteller. It is believed that he was a slave who gained both his freedom and widespread fame because of his ability to tell memorable tales, each of his stories having a witty ending that taught a lesson. Tradition also tells us that he served in the court of the great King Croesus of Lydia. Herodotus, the Greek historian, tells us that Aesop met a violent death in approximately 560 B.C., though the details of his death remain obscure. Aesop is also mentioned in the writings of Plato and Aristotle. (back flap) The Artists Germano Ovani illustrated this volume’s fox fables. Born in Pisaro, Italy, he currently lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he works as a children’s book illustrator. He also exhibits his artworks in Italian and British galleries. Simona Bucan, who illustrated the wolf fables, lives and works in Bucharest, Romania. She was the illustrator selected for the 2003 Bologna Children and Juvenile Book Fair exhibition. Daniela Pellegrini illustrated the eagle fables. She lives and works in Pisaro, Italy. In addition to her art, she works in a Pisaro center for the mentally handicapped, where she has experimented with art as a means of personal expression. Manuela Cenci, illustrator of the lion fables, is a graduate of the Urbino Art Institute in Italy. She has wide experience as a commercial artist, but since 2000 has specialized in illustrating children’s books. She uses mixed media, such as watercolors, inks, and pastels.Bucan, Simona is the author of 'Illustrated Book of Aesop's Fables', published 2006 under ISBN 9780764159305 and ISBN 0764159305.