The task before you is to create a picture book for your kindergarten buddy based on a world folk tale.  The seven steps for this book along with the necessary research tools are found on this page.  Carefully follow the steps below to navigate through the creation of this picture book.

• Step 1: Find a tale.

• Step 2: Retell your tale.

• Step 3: Plan your book design using a storyboard.

• Step 4: Create the pages for your book.

• Step 5: Bind your book.

• Step 6: Submit your book for grading.

• Step 7: Present your book to your Kindergarten Buddy.

• "African Folktales"  http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/africa.htm

  • Eight Traditional Zulu Folktales from CanTeach.

• "African Folktales" http://ccs.clarityconnect.com/NRiggs/AfricanFolktales.html

  • Many folktales from Nigeria, South Africa, Central Africa, Ethiopia, Zulu and West Africa

• “Folktales from China.” www.pitt.edu/~dash/china.html.

  • Eleven Chinese Folktales retold in English

• “Folktales from Around the World.” www.otan.us/webfarm/emailproject/folk.htm.

                   This site contains links to folktales from several different countries.

• “From Around the World.” www.unc.edu/~rwilkers/title.htm

Many world stories, legends, and folktales organized by country.

• "Myths and Fables from Around the World" http://www.afro.com/children/myths/myths.html

  • This site, published by AFRO-Americ@ has many world folktales.

• “Myths From Around the World.” teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/mff/myths.htm.

                   Scholastic site that has many stories from around the world.

• “Mayan Folktales.”  www.folkart.com/~latitude/folktale/folktale.htm

                   Five Mayan Folktales in translation.

• Shepherd, Aaron. “Folktales.” www.aaronshep.com/stories/folk.html

          Folktales from around the world, plus storytelling tips.

• South African Folktales http://www.sacred-texts.com/afr/saft/index.htm

  • Numerous folktales from South Africa

• “Stories in a Nutshell.” www.storyarts.org/library/nutshell/

                   A Collection of Concise Folktale Plots for Student Retelling

• Strauss, Kevin.  "Naturestory.com"  http://naturestory.com/stories.html

Six World stories that involve animals.

• “Tales of Wonder.” www.darsie.net/talesofwonder/

                   Folktales from 14 countries.

• "Urban Legends and Folktales"  http://urbanlegends.about.com/cs/pockettales/index.htm

  • Stories from all around the world.  Collected by Pocket Tales.

• Vietnamese Myths http://www.marymount.k12.ny.us/marynet/StudentResources/art/southeastasia/vietnam/html/vietmyths.html

  • Myths and legends from Vietnam

• “World Folklore and Fairy Tales.” www.rochester.lib.ny.us/folklorefairytales/world_fairy_tales.html

  • Monroe County Library collection of folk lore from around the world.

• "World Folktales" http://www.eslstation.net/theREALWF/Folktale%20Links.htm

A variety of links to World Folktale sites from San Jose Community College.

• “World Folktales and Ledgends.” www.bcpl.net/~perhllms/folk/flktales.html.

                   Folktales from around the world.  Listed by country.

• "World Wise Schools" http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/students/folktales/

Folktales collected by Peace Corp workers around the world.  Listed by Continent.

Have you found other World Folktale web sites that aren't listed here?  Email Mrs. Babin so she can add to the list!!  

Step 2:

Retell your tale.  We are not into plagarism (copying another person's work)!  Take the tale and recraft with an original spin.  Stay as true to the bones of the story as possible, but you must shape this story so that it is uniquely yours.  Some ideas to consider:

• Add rhyme
• Fill in the story's holes with vivid details
• Remove details that you will exhibit in your artwork
• Change the perspective of the story to a minor character or antagonist
• Make the characters into animals
• "Update" the story for your kindergarten buddy
• Add a new twist to the story.
• Create dialogue

Along with retelling the tale, there are some other elements that must be constructed into the story.

• Your Kindergarten Buddy's name and your name must appear in the story. 
• The vocabulary for the story must be for a  5 or 6 year-old.
• Use the "Power of 3" to create the plot for your story.

Print out 2 Revision and Editing Checklists for review of your tale.  We will be using our revision and editing strategies, including one peer and one adult review for both revision and editing on your story.  Click here for Revision Checklist and Editing Checklist.

Step 3:  

Print out your a Storyboard worksheet to plan how your book will look.  Then create a storyboard for your the pages of your book.  Don't forget to include your Cover page and dedication page.  Picture book pages are usually printed in multiples of 4.  The minimum number of story pages for your book is 12.  PLUS, you must also include a cover page and a dedication page.

Your cover page needs to include the following:

• The title of your story.
• The nation from which the folktale originated (based on a folktale from . . . )
• The author's name (that's YOU!)
• INCREDIBLE artwork--That's the first thing a reader will see!

Your dedication page needs to include the following:

• Dedicated to (Your kindergarten Buddy's Name)
• A small note to your Kindergarten Buddy
• A paragraph about you the author
• The MLA citation that tells where the original story came from.

Step 4:

Create the pages for your book.  Create illustrations that are colorful, rich and add to the text of your book.  Use a common thread to connect all of the illustrations together.  If you feel uncomfortable drawing or painting, use a digital camera to stage photos of your illustrations. Claymation books are very popular.  Another idea is to use a combination of media: clip art, drawings, photographs, magazine clippings to create your illustrations.  Be inventive!

Step 5: Bind your book in a beautiful way to enhance the character of your book.  After all your hard work do not just put a staple in it and call it done.

Step 6:  Turn your book in for grading before the Kindergarten Buddy's Name.  Make sure to turn in your rubric along with your book.

Step 7:  Wrap your book to give to your Kindergarten Buddy at our picnic.  Be sure to watch the smiles on their faces when you read your book to them.

Updated by Mrs. Babin, educator at Sarasota Christian School.  Please contact her with suggestions or questions.

Mrs. Babin's email Link.

Created by Elisabeth Babin.
Copyright © 2001 by Elisabeth Babin. All rights reserved.
Revised: 06/22/07.