Yolen, Jane, comp. Mightier Than the Sword: World Folktales for Strong Boys. Orlando: Harcourt, 2003.
This anthology of 14 folktales from 14 different countries contains stories both familiar and unfamiliar,but all about intelligent, kind, honest boys who use their wits and and truthful natures to conquer evil-doers. In one familiar tale Jack and His Companions, a folktale from Ireland better-known as The Bremen Town Musicians, Jack comes to the aid of mistreated animals who gratefully help him thwart a gang of thieves who have robbed a Lord. Yolen updates the tale when, instead of marriage to his beautiful daughter, the Lord rewards Jack and his animal friends with respectable jobs and fine clothes. Included are background notes about each story's origin and eight to thirteen year olds will appreciate Yolen's child-friendly modern language with its up-to-date cautions such as "don't talk to strangers." The tales are visually enhanced by illustrator Raul Colon's soft, full-page, pencil drawings that bring each story to life and lend an old-fashioned feel to the modern accounts that have been passed down from generation to generation.
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