Mirror, Mirror: Forty Folk Tales for Mothers and Daughters to Share

by Heidi E.Y. Stemple, Jane Yolen, Various

Book Overview

In this magical collection, an award-winning author and folklorist teams up with her daughter, selecting forty folk and fairy stories from all over the world that pay tribute to strong mothers, doting... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140298355
• ISBN13: 9780140298352
• Release Date: April 2001
• Publisher: Penguin Group
• Length: 258 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

GOOD STORIES FOR MOMS AND THEIR DAUGHTERS

The author of well over 200 books, Ms. Yolen is an internationally acclaimed author who has brought insight and ingenuity to her works. Ms. Stemple is the co-author of five of her mother's children's books. Now, the pair celebrate the mother/daughter relationship with a collection of folktales old and new, well-loved and little known. Throughout each section of the book Ms. Yolen and Ms. Stemple engage in lively and revealing conversations as they share their impressions and memories of the stories, which present a wide spectrum of family life from conventional to unconventional, from devoted daughter to ungrateful child, from loving mother to wicked witch. "Cinderella," an all -time favorite, is presented in both French and German versions as well as its Russian incarnation titled "The Wonderful Birch." An ensuing conversation between the editors emphasizes the fact that most "Cinderella figures are strong-willed young women" and that the tale holds mixed messages, such as "Do not share. Do not be fair. Fight for what is yours." And so it goes from Aesop's "The Crab and Her Mother" to the biblical story of Ruth plus fascinating stories from India, the Sudan, China, Scotland, and Czechoslovakia. Readers may be happily surprised at the issues these stories raise and the conversations they engender. - Gail Cooke

For every daughter with a mother!

One must always take notice of any new work by Jane Yolen, especially someone like me who adores fairy tales. This collection of tales expands one of the most commonly explored themes in fairy tales--mother and daughter relationships. Yolen and Stemple include tales that present the dark relationships and the wonderful ones between mother and daughter. I recommend this book to anyone who is exploring this theme whether or not they are avidly interested in folklore. These tales present this relationship from various cultures and times that will inspire thought and discussion. Plus, it will just be fun to read with your mother or daughter.