A special treasury of Aesop's fables with 68 Engravings by Thomas Bewick (1753-1828), together with The Life of Aesop by Oliver Goldsmith.

Some of Aesop’s most classic works are fill the pages of this book, bursting with strong morals for readers all ages. One tale that resonated strongly with me, and I feel would be great for any elementary level lesson on appearance, was The Ant and the Chrysalis. In this fable, an ant comes across a chrysalis nearing its transformation. The ant looks at the chrysalis with disdain and pities him, for he is held “prisoner in his scaly shell.” The ant carries on as if nothing happened. A few days later when taking the same path, he sees the remains of the shell—the chrysalis is gone. In its place, he sees a gorgeous butterfly- wings spanning across the sky. The butterfly rises above, literally and figuratively, leaving the judgmental ant out of site. Simple and to the point, this traditional fable teaches readers that appearances can be deceptive and we shouldn’t judge others based on their looks. Implementing fables can prove beneficial with all grade levels to reiterate major themes. For example, in a kindergarten or first grade classroom, this would be a great short story to share with students before reading "The Ugly Duckling" to reaffirm the major motif. Moreover, it lends itself to a variety of creative opportunities for students to then generate their own creative tales that validate why we shouldn’t judge books by their covers. A truly classic tale, this fable reminds us to have maintain an open mind regardless of what we see on the outside- spread your wings and soar, butterfly!