School Library Connection Archive

Children's Literature Basics

Course
Traditional Literature [5:54]
In this lesson, we will discuss traditional literature.
I'd like to talk about traditional tales, or sometimes called traditional literature. This is the classic form of children's literature that is rooted in the ancient stories or our past. These were stories that were passed on by word of mouth for many generations before they were ever written down. In modern times, now, the last few hundred years, they've been put in print and children's books have been created from these oral stories. They're wonderful to share, especially to read aloud, because they are so engaging. They've obviously stood the test of time, and because they rely on archetypes and ancient story threads that have been with human beings for eons. When it comes to the children's literature form of traditional literature, you'll find a variety available. Riddle books, fables, fairy tales, myths, legends. I'd like to talk about each one of these kinds just a little bit, and point out connections that we can make between the old traditional tales in new book form and how they can enhance our curriculum.

One of the things we note about traditional tales, is that although they are ancient, you'll also find that many contemporary works of literature, whether for children, young adults, or even adults, make allusions to the characters, the motifs, of traditional literature. For example, Humpty Dumpty and all the King's Men, is the title of an adult work by Robert Penwarren. A lot of fantasy, for example, makes connections and allusions to traditional literature from way back when. Part of their appeal is they are so ancient, so simple, they move fast, their characters are pretty much two dimensional, and there are lots of fun motifs, like the three brothers, or three sisters, or three tasks. That makes it really fun for kids, too, to get a handle on it quickly, jump into the story, and understand it.

Probably the primary benefit of traditional literature for a classroom or a library instruction is to tell it out loud. That's how it began, and that's how it ought to continue as well. If you have a traditional story, and you can comfortably share it out loud as a story teller, that is ideal. You can use simple props or hat or costume, and help develop children's listening skill, and even guide them in telling their own stories to develop their speaking skills. Quite often I lean on children's playground lore to help them understand how these stories are out there and you don't even realize they're in book form. Just think about the jump-rope jingles that kids say on the playground, and show them those and how they exist in book form too.

In terms of books, and the traditional tale in published form, the folk tale certainly dominates. There are many many picture book versions of folk tales that we can choose and share with children. They come in many forms as well, even in that category. The cumulative tale like The House that Jack Built, the pourque that explains how the zebra got it's stripes, the beast tale with animals that talk, the noodle-head tale about a character that acts foolishly but everything comes out okay in the end, and even the trickster tale where the character that uses his or her wits to survive. Folk tales are probably the most appealing form for children.

There are other kinds of traditional tales in children's literature as well. For example, myths, and myths from many cultures nowadays, too. Those are very interesting to help children look at how human beings have tried to explain the origin of earth and humanity from way back when. Legends are also available in book form to share with children, and those have great connections with history because so many legends are rooted in a tiny kernel of truth, a real person, or a historical deed, heroic deed, or historical person. We can share those books, and separate the fact from the fiction. Fables are another form of traditional tales, and they are also very kid friendly, with simple morals and lessons, and animal characters acting often in foolish ways with things to learn about life. A lot of people make connections between fables and character educations, which is a current trend in the curriculum as well. Then the tall tale, one of my favorites, living in Texas. The tall tale, or exaggerated tale, is a great one to inject humor into the curriculum, and if you wanted to connect with geography, you can look at the roots of the tall tale in its geographic region, like Babe the Blue Ox in Minnesota, Pecos Bill in the south. That's fun for kids to study as well. The picture book form is probably the most popular way that folk tales are published. Those are done by re-tellers, and not authors. That's an important note. Hans Christian Anderson is also considered to be part of this lore, but he wrote his own original tales. He did not capture ancient tales on book form.

Finally folk tales and traditional literature also enable us to look at culture, and how some stories cross many cultures, and some stories are rooted in particular cultures with details that really tell you a lot about the culture. That can be an added layer of study and interest to share, too.
Where Are Tall Tales?

Context:

Traditional literature is rooted in the stories of our past. This set of stories includes folktales, fables, fairy tales, legends, and myths, and within these, there are numerous classifications and subcategories. Once shared mostly through oral storytelling, stories from traditional literature are commonly retold today in picture books and novels for wide ranges of readers, including adults. Cultural studies may be incorporated into reading of traditional literature in the classroom or library, such as a comparison of a similar story told in different cultures.

Instructions:

The tall tale, or exaggerated tale, is "a type of legend in which the hero's exploits are highly exaggerated and retold in a hyperbolic style, generally to the point of being hilariously funny" (Horning 2010, 51). Tall tales are usually situated in a specific geographic region or location, such as Old Stormalong in New England, Pecos Bill in America's West, Joe Magarac in Pittsburgh, and Johnny Appleseed in the Ohio River Valley.

Works Cited:

Horning, Kathleen T. From Cover to Cover: Evaluating and Reviewing Children's Books. Revised edition. Collins, 2010.

For this exercise, you will explore background reading, conduct information gathering, and practice with student products integrating maps and tall tales.

1. With a potential unit or lesson for students in mind, read a selection of tall tales from your library collection or other libraries. Attend to the geographic details, consulting geography standards for curricular connections.

2. Experiment with these or other activities, perhaps in collaboration with a classroom teacher, as potential student learning experiences:

MLA Citation

Morris, Rebecca J. "Children's Literature Basics: Where Are Tall Tales?" School Library Connection, November 2024, schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/1960208?learningModuleId=1960216&topicCenterId=2247902.

Entry ID: 2122870

About the Author

Sylvia M. Vardell

Sylvia Vardell is Professor Emerita of literature for children and young adults in the School of Library and Information Studies at Texas Woman's University. She has authored or co-authored more than 100 published articles, more than 25 book chapters and given more than 150 presentations at national and international conferences. She is the author of Children's Literature in Action: A Librarian's Guide, Poetry Aloud Here!, The Poetry Teacher's Book of Lists, Poetry People, and co-edits many poetry anthologies for young people with collaborator and poet Janet Wong.

MLA Citation

Vardell, Sylvia M. "Children's Literature Basics. Traditional Literature [5:54]." School Library Connection, ABC-CLIO, September 2015, schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/1960208?learningModuleId=1960216&topicCenterId=2247902.

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https://schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/1960208?learningModuleId=1960216&topicCenterId=2247902

Entry ID: 1960208