LEGENDS – PICTURE BOOKS AND ILLUSTRATED BOOKS
The following list accompanies the stories in the Legends chapter to be found in the Allyn &
Bacon Anthology of Traditional Literature edited by Judith V. Lechner, Allyn & Bacon, 2003.
“Sundiata – The Lion Awakens”
Two retellings of the Sundiata legend for children, one a full length novel, the other a picture
book, bring the thirteenth-century hero alive:
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Bertol, Roland. Sundiata: The Epic of the Lion King, Thomas Y. Crowell, 1970. Bertol
retells the complete legend for children. Though he combines several different versions of
the epic and omits many details, his telling is both poetic and maintains the spirit of the
epic.
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Wisniewski, David. Sundiata: Lion King of Mali. Clarion, 1992. Retells the story
“Gilgamesh”
Several children’s picture book versions exist which convey some of the philosophical questions
raised by the epic:
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Bryson, Bernarda. Gilgamesh, Man’s First Story. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1967. A
poetic retelling with illustrations based on art from Mesopotamia.
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Feagles, Anita. He Who Saw Everything: The Epic of Gilgamesh. Illustrated by Xavier
González. Young Scott Books, 1966. The text is based on several translations of the
Akkadian tablets and is close in spirit and wording to the original.
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Zeman, Ludmila. Gilgamesh the King. Tundra, 1992; Revenge of Ishtar. Tundra, 1993; and Last Quest of
Gilgamesh, Tundra, 1995. Zeman’s three picture books convey the theme of friendship and the idea that
immortality can be attained only through stories, such as this epic. The dynamic illustrations evoke ancient
Mesopotamian art and architecture.
There is a brief but well told version in:
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Philip, Neil. The Illustrated Book of Myths: Tales & Legends of the World. Illustrated by
Nilesh Mistry. D. Kindersley, 1995.
“The Ramayana – The March to Lanka”
The Ramayana has inspired quite a few English retellings for children, including Mukerji’s
Rama the Hero of India from which the excerpts are taken. Other picture an chapter books
include:
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Beach, Milo. The Adventures of Rama: With Illustrations from a Sixteenth-century
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Mughal Manuscript. Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, c1983. 62 p. Ages 10
and up.
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Chatterjee, Debjani. The Elephant-Headed God and Other Hindu Tales. Illustrated by
Margaret Jones. Oxford University Press. 1992. One of the stories in this delightfully
told collection is about Rama and Sita. Ages 8-11.
•
Gavin, Jamila. Stories from the Hindu World. 1986. Includes the story of Rama and
Sita with illustrations that evoke the art of India. Ages 9-12.
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Highwater, Jamake. Rama: A Legend. (1994) This is a chapter book retelling.
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Jendresen, Erik and Joshua M. Greene. Hanuman. Illustrated by Li Ming. Tricycle,
1998.
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Ram, Govinda, Rama and Sita: An Indian Folk Tale. 1988.
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Souhami, Jessica. Rama and the Demon King: An Ancient Tale from India. DK Pub.,
1997.
“The Cyclops” and “The Island of Aeolus, the Laestrygons, Circe”
Some children’s versions of the Odyssey include:
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Colum, Padraic. The Children’s Homer: The Adventures of Odysseus. Illustrated by
Barry Moser. Morrow, 1997.
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Hutton, Warwick. Odysseus and the Cyclops.. McElderry, 1994.
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McCaughrean, Geraldine. The Odyssey. Illustrated by Victor Ambrus. Oxford U., 1997.
“The Children of Lir”
MacGill’s picture book captures the magical beauty of the story:
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MacGill-Callahan, Sheila. The Children of Lir. Illustrated by Gennady Spirin, Dial,
1993.
“The Chase of the Gilla Dacar”
Some of the picture books, story collections, and videos about Finn are:
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Byrd, Robert. Finn MacCoul and His Fearless Wife: A Giant Tale from Ireland. Dutton,
1999.
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Evslin, Bernard. The Green Hero: Early Adventures of Finn McCool. Illustrated by
Barbara Bascove. Four Winds Press, 1975.
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Finn McCoul, (video) Narrated by Catherine O’Hara. Rabbit Ears Radio, 1991. VHS.
30 min. Also available as a cassette tape from Rabbit Ears Radio.
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Leavy, Una Irish Fairy Tales and Legends, Illustrated by Susan Field. Robert Rinehart,
1996.
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O’Shea, Pat. Finn Mac Cool and the Small Men of Deeds, Illustrated by Stephen Lavis,
Holiday House, 1987.
“The Sword in the Stone”
There are many excellent retellings of the Arthurian legends. Young adults are likely to enjoy:
•
Sutcliff, Rosemary. The Sword and the Circle. Dutton, 1981; The Light Beyond the
Forest. Dutton, 1980; and The Road to Camlann. Dutton,1982. These three books are a
trilogy of Arthur’s life.
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White, T. H. Once and Future King, Putnam, 1958, 1987. The book begins with
humorous and exciting episodes during the training of young Arthur and unfolds with
grandeur to the story’s tragic end. The first part, “The Sword in the Stone” is most
appropriate for ages 9-13 the rest is more for young adult and adult readers.
For younger children there are:
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Hodges, Margaret and Margery Evernden. Of Swords and Sorcerers: The Adventures of
King Arthur. Illustrated by David Frampton. Scribner, 1993.
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Talbott, Hudson. Excalibur . Morrow 1996 and King Arthur and the Round Table,
1995. Morrow, 1995.
The following provides cultural background:
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Crossley-Holland, Kevin. The World of King Arthur and His Court: People, Places,
Legend, and Lore. Illustrated by Peter Malone. Dutton, 1999. A resource to inspire a
new generation with love of the Arthur legends according to reviews.
“Gawain and the Lady Ragnell”
A beautifully illustrated version for children is the following:
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Hastings, Selina. Sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady, Illustrated by Juan Wijngaard.
Lothrop, Lee, and Shepard, 1985. The language is for 9 to 12 year olds, with illustrations
that evoke the Middle Ages.
“Robin Hood and the Bishop of Hereford” and “Robin Hood and Little John”
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Serraillier, Ian. Robin in the Greenwood, Illustrated by Victor Ambrus. Oxford
University Press, 1967. This is a rhyming version of the medieval ballads.
Prose versions for readers between 8 and 12 include:
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Morpurgo, Michael. Robin of Sherwood. Illustrated by Michael Foreman. Harcourt
Brace. 1996.
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Philip, Neil. Robin Hood. Illustrated by Nick Harris. DK, 1997. 64 p. Includes notes on
historical background.
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Sutcliff, Rosemary. The Chronicles of Robin Hood. Oxford University Press, 1961.
For younger readers there are:
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Curry, Jane. Robin Hood in the Greenwood, Illustrated by Julie Downing. McElderry
1995.
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Williams, Marcia. The Adventures of Robin Hood. Candlewick, 1995.
Two picture book versions have been created by:
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Cohen, Barbara. Robin and Little John. Illustrated by David Ray. Philomel, 1995.
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Early, Margaret. Robin Hood. Harry N. Abrams, 1996.
For a more sophisticated, psychological treatment of the character of Robin, see:
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McKinley, Robin. The Outlaws of Sherwood. Greenwillow, 1988.
For recent young adult fiction involving the characters of Robin and Maid Marian, see:
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Tomlinson, Theresa. Child of the May. Orchard, 1998
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Cadnum, Michael. In a Dark Wood. Orchard, 1998.
“The Singing Contest”
Several children’s books, which relate different parts of the epic, include:
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De Gerez, Toni. Louhi, Witch of North Farm, Illustrated by Barbara Cooney. Viking,
1986.
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McNeil, M. A. E., The Magic Storysinger : A Tale From the Finnish Epic Kalevala.
Stemmer House, 1993.
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Shepard, Aaron. The Maiden of Northland: A Hero Tale of Finland, Illustrated by
Schwartz, Carol. Atheneum, 1996.
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Synge, Ursula. Land of Heroes: A Retelling of the Kalevala. Atheneum, 1978.
“Sasabonsam Meets His Match”
Some recommended collections that include African legends are:
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Arnott, Kathleen. African Myths and Legends.. Illustrated by Joan Kiddell-Monroe.
Henry Z. Walck, 1962.
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Mbugua, Milton. Inkishu: Myths and Legends of the Masai. Nairobi, Kenya: Jacaranda
Design. This is a collection of folktales from Kenya and Tanzania.
“A Merry Prank of Pa-Leng-Ts’ang”
A picture book that tells the legend of the creation of the horsehead fiddle is:
•
Otsuka, Yuzo. Suho and the White Horse: A Legend of Mongolia. Illustrated by Suekichi
Akaba. Viking, 1981.
“Vasistha’s Ardhangini”
One collection for children that combines discussion of holidays, beliefs, and the stories
associated with them is:
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Jaffrey, Madhur. Seasons of Splendour: Tales, Myths & Legends of India. Illustrated by
Michael Foreman. Atheneum, 1985. The author arranges the stories around holidays
that she recalls from her childhood. She explains how the holiday is associated with a
particular god or hero and then retells a story about them. The mysterious watercolor
illustrations make the heroes and monsters memorable.
A picture book about another faithful and devout couple is the following retelling form the
Mahabharata:
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Shepard, Aaron. Savitri: A Tale of Ancient India. Illustrated by Vera Rosenberry.
Whitman, 1992.
“St. Bridget”
Besides Farjeon’s well told stories of saints, other collections of saints’ lives include:
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Armstrong, Carole. Lives and Legends of the Saints with Paintings from the Great Art
Museums of the World. Simon and Schuster, 1995. 45 p. Well reviewed in Kirkus
Review, this book gives historic backgrounds and interesting facts about famous saints
for older readers, ages 10 and up - the tortures saints experienced, such as St. Apollonia,
the patron of dentists having all her teeth pulled before her leaping into a bonfire, are
mentioned.
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Synge, Ursula. The Giant at the Ford and Other Legends of Saints. Illustrated by
Shirley Felts. Atheneum, 1980. 181 p. Includes well known and little known saints.
Quite a few are women.
Some picture books and illustrated books for younger children about Irish saints include:
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Fritz, Jean. Brendan the Navigator: A History Mystery About the Discovery of America.
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Illustrated by Enrico Arno. Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, 1979.
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MacGill-Callahan, Sheila. The Last Snake in Ireland : A Story About St. Patrick
Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. Holiday House, 1999.
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Schmidt, Gary. Saint Ciaran : The Tale of a Saint of Ireland. Illustrated by Todd Doney.
Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2000. Tells of the legend of a
saint from the time of St. Patrick. Even the animals were drawn to his kindness.
“Legend of the Corn Bead”
The following are informational books about the Cherokee:
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Bealer, Alex W. Only the Names Remain: The Cherokees and the Trail of Tears.
Illustrated by Kristina Rodanas. Little, Brown, 1996. This is a newly illustrated version
of an older book.
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McAmis, Herb. The Cherokee. Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 2000. 48 p. Ages 10-12. This is
a resource which includes legends, history, contemporary politics and culture of the
Cherokee.
“The Story of Noquilpi The Great Gambler”
Other illustrated and picture books about the Anasazi that can help children learn about this
pre-Columbian culture of the Southwest are:
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Between Sacred Mountains: Stories and Lessons from the Dead, the book from which this
story was taken, was put together by Navajo students at Rock Point Community School at
Chinle, Arizona. This book is a good resource of Navajo traditional stories with cultural
explanations and includes the story of “The Great Gambler”
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Bial, Raymond. The Pueblo. Benchmark Books, 2000. Details Pueblo Indian history
starting with the Anasazi culture. Informative for ages 10-14.
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Fisher, Leonard Everett. Anasazi. Atheneum, 1997. Fisher explains the culture, history,
and architecture of the Anasazi for younger readers.
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Gates, Viola. Journey to Center Place. Illustrated by Paulette Livers Lambert.
Roberts Rinehart, 1996. [Council of Indian Education Series] This historical fiction
gives a glimpse into what life might have been like for a twelve year old girl about to
migrate with her family away from her Anasazi home place in 1130 CE. Ages 10-14.
“The Legend of the Swift Wind – The Roadrunner”
Apache legends are retold in the following picture book and collection:
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Lacapa, Michael. The Flute Player: An Apache Folk Tale. Northland Pub. 1990. The
artist, himself an Apache, uses traditional designs to illustrate this lovely romance.
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Riordan, James. The Song My Paddle Sings: Native American Legends. Illustrated by
Michael Foreman. Pavilion, 1998.
The following is an informational book about the lives of the Apache. It includes one coyote tale.
Brookfield, Jennifer Fleischman.
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The Apaches : People of the Southwest. 1994. 63p.
“A Woman’s Fight”
Besides Linderman’s biography of Pretty Shield from which “A Woman’ s Fight” is taken, there
is a fictional account, appropriate for young adults, of a Crow woman chief’s life:
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Sobol, Rose. Woman Chief. Dial, 1976. 108 p.
A contemporary Crow high school basketball star, Sharon LaForge, inspired the author of the
following book to write about life among the Crow today with a focus on a high school student’s
life choices in her Montana town:
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Colton, Larry. Counting Coup : A True Story of Basketball and Honor on the Little Big
Horn. Warner Books, 2000. 420 p.
“Seeds of Faith”
Some of the illustrated collections that begin to fill in the gap for children include:
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Aldana, Patricia, ed. Jade and Iron: Latin American Tales from Two Cultures. Illustrated
by Luis Garay. Douglas & McIntyre, 1996.
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Bierhorst, John. Hungry Woman: Myths and Legends of the Aztecs. Morrow, 1984.
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Delacre, Lulu. Golden Tales: Myths, Legends, and Folktales from Latin America (1996).
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Griego y Maestas, José and Rudolfo A. Anaya. Cuentos: Tales from the Hispanic
Southwest. Illustrated by Jaime Valdez. Museum of New Mexico, 1980.
“La Llorona,” which is one of the best known among Hispanic legends, has been made into
picture book format by several authors. These are listed in this anthology with the story of La
Llorona under “Legends of the Supernatural.” Other picture books of legends from Latin
American and U.S. Hispanic cultures include:
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dePaola, Tomie. The Legend of the Poinsettia. Putnam, 1994.
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dePaola, Tomie. The Lady of Guadalupe. Holiday House, 1980.
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Van Laan, Nancy. The Magic Bean Tree: A Legend from Argentina. Knopf, 1998.
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Vidal, Beatriz. The Legend of El Dorado: A Latin American Tale. Knopf, 1991.
“La Llorona”
Picture book versions of “La Llorona” include:
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Anaya, Rodolfo. Maya’s Children: The Story of la Llorona, Illustrated by Marcia Baca.
Hyperion, 1997.
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Anzaldúa, Gloria. Prietita and the Ghost Woman. Illustrated by Christina Gonzalez.
Children’s Book Press, 1995.
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Hayes, Joe. La Llorona, the Weeping Woman: A Hispanic Legend. Illustrated by Vicki
Trego Hill. Cinco Punto Press, 1987
The legend is also included in collections of Hispanic folklore:
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Rodolfo, Anaya. My Land Sings: Stories from the Río Grande, HarperCollins, 1999. The
version included in this collection of short stories and folktales is a modern adaptation of
“La Llorona” by Anaya.
“Spearfinger”
Spearfinger is retold orally on the following recording:
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Holt, David. Tailybone and Other Strange Stories [sound recording]. Fairview, NC :
High Windy Records, p1985. 1 sound disc (39 min.).
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Littlejohn, Kathi Smith. Cherokee Legends I and Cherokee Legends II, Cherokee, N. C:
Cherokee Communications, 1992. Audio recordings. Most of her stories are on these
recordings. Her humorous and personal style make these a good introduction to the art
of storytelling for younger children. Ages 6-8.
“White House Ghosts”
The following are a few sources of American ghost stories for children:
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Cohen, Daniel. America's Very Own Ghosts. Illustrated by Alix Berenzy. Dodd, Mead &
Co., 1985. 48 p.
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DeSpain, Pleasant, comp. Sweet Land of Story : Thirty-six American Tales to Tell.
August House, 2000. Good for practicing oral storytelling.
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Downer, Deborah L., ed. Classic American Ghost Stories : 200 Years of Ghost Lore
From the Great Plains, New England, the South, and the Pacific Northwest. August
House, 1990. 214 p.
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Haskins, Jim. Moaning Bones : African-American Ghost Stories. Illustrations by Felicia
Marshall. Lothrop, Lee & Shepard/Morrow, 1998. 61 p.
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McKissack, Patricia C. The Dark Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural. Illustrated
by Brian Pinkney. Scholastic, 1992. 122p.
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