Week 2 Reading Diary: "Aesop for Children (Winter)"

For my first reading diary I will share some of my thoughts and favorite things from reading Aesop for children, illustrated by Milo Winter.

The Tortoise and the Ducks
My grandmother is obsessed with turtles; she has around 20 of them in an enclosure in her back yard, some that she has had since my dad was a little kid. Since I've grown up around turtles and turtles as decorations, this story was quite intriguing to me. I liked that the ducks were kind enough to carry the turtle on a stick up into the sky to help him see the world. I could envision the turtle falling from the sky and landing, maybe in an ocean? This could be how seas turtles were created... maybe an idea for my story!

The Boy and the Filberts
I had heard this story line before- of children getting their hands stuck in the cookie jar- but had never thought of the greater life lesson behind it. "Do not attempt too much at once." It might be interesting to see what a future would be like if the boy never let go of the nuts in this case, just like some of us find it hard to let go of the things in life that weigh us down or keep us trapped.

The Plane Tree
This was a very short fable but it had a great lesson to be learned. I get how important it is to be thankful for the things in our life, even the most miniscule of things can be blessings- like trees. When reading, I pictured a speaking face in the tree like the ones I have seen in many movies before. What if the tree stood up and moved to take his shade away from the ungrateful men, and what if other trees followed suit?

The Farmer and the Stork
This fable features a situation that I encounter very often in my life, avoiding falling into the wrong crowd. I like the farmers character, he is an unwavering individual. I feel like there could be a lot more to this story, either in events leading up to it or in what happens after the farmer catches the birds. The cranes are kind of like the mischievous bad kids and the stork is the A+ student who got dragged down.

The Boys and the Frogs
Yet another great lesson from a fable- Always stop to think whether your fun may be the cause of another's unhappiness. I am guilty of skipping rocks over many a pond and I thought it was interesting that the author thought beyond our fun actions to their consequences. In a spin off the boys could be helping the frogs out by throwing rocks at the top of the frozen pond so the frogs can get into the water.

The Lion and the Gnat
I enjoyed that the tiny gnat was able to conquer the fierce lion king. A spider also came into play at the end, catching the gnat in his web. I think it would be interesting to focus on more on the spider if I were to write my story from this story. The ending lesson was a good reminder to never get too big for our britches.

The Wild Boar and the Fox
The actions of the boar when he could have been simply relaxing were inspiring, he is a very smart animal. I liked that the boar had a good answer to give the fox when he asked what he was doing- and it quickly shut him up.

The Mice and the Weasels
What an interesting thought to have mice wearing headdresses and armor. I thought for sure that the mice would win and was surprised to see the weasels win the food. Their headdresses became their demise- greatness has its penalties.

The Monkey and the Dolphin
First of all, what an unlikely pairing. I thought it was interesting how loyal the dolphins were to the humans, and it made me sad to learn that they were so loyal that would leave the monkey in the water to fend for himself. Maybe in another story that monkey survives at sea?

The Monkey and the Dolphin by Winter

The Dogs and the Hides
I love that the silly dogs thought they could drink up an entire river just to reach the hides at the bottom. Any one can see that would be an impossible task to begin with but the dogs were overwhelmingly optimistic about it.

Part two to be continued tomorrow!