Arabic folktales for children Timeless stories to share in English and Arabic

Gr 1--5--Every folktale in this rich collection is presented in dual language, Arabic or Tagalog. While the settings and characters may be unfamiliar, the structure of the tales will be familiar to anyone who likes folktales. These stories often punish greed and reward hard work. The stories are text-heavy, making this feel more like a middle-grade chapter book than a modern picture book. Arabic folktales feature lots of desert exploration and the character of Goha, a popular figure in Arabic folklore. Filipino stories include a creation myth, and their individual stories are longer than the Arabic tales. The books have different illustrators, but each features high-quality artwork to accompany the traditional tales. The illustrations for the Arabic tales are soft, welcoming, and colorful. The illustrations for the Filipino tales feature sharper lines and more details, but the people have some grotesque facial expressions, and the animals don't fare much better. Both books advertise free online audio, but the audio was not available at the time of this review. VERDICT While the artwork quality varies, both volumes are worthy additions to folklore shelves.