fairy tales
i was very excited for the upcoming readings i have for my info. needs of children class related to fairy tales, because, well...i love fairy tales and folk tales.
we usually do the text book/article/website readings on a topic a week before we are expected to select books from that genre/style to read. so this week, even though the books we had to read are easy readers and transitional readers, our text book and other readings were about fairy tales. and next week, we get to read assorted fairy tales. yay!
but...this article just rubbed me the wrong way. not that there aren't a few valid points in there, but the whole accusatory tone of it ...blech. turned me right off.
and you know what? i like stories that are good fun stories, and i don't *care* if there is actually a traditional egyptian cinderella story or not. i like the idea of transplanting bits and pieces of fairy tales and folk tales and putting spins on them that they didn't originally have. i *enjoy* reading different versions of the same general plot, even if the moral or the motivations of characters are different from story to story.
sure, a book shouldn't call itself a traditional native american story if that is not what it is, but give me a break. i don't think all children's fairy and folk tales need to be "authenticated." seriously...if this is how the author of the article feels, i'm surprised they found any children's versions of folk and fairy tales to their liking:
Critics and reviewers must make fidelity as high a priority in their evaluation of "folktale" books as readability, interest, or beauty; they must seek out originals, document changes, and challenge instead of praise authors for taking liberties.
here's another quote that just...ugh:
Authors need a new attitude: they should seek to become more like real "retellers" whose intent is to preserve the tradition as it has been passed down to them not to celebrate their originality.
no. just...no.
i mean...a book that represents incorrect cultural stereotypes or something...sure...complain about that. and if a book claims to be a traditional native american tale, but it's totally made up, sure...complain about that too. but say a book accurately represents chinese culture in a certain time period, but retells a folk tale in that setting that never would have been told in china? who cares?!?!? i think that's neat and fun! especially if it doesn't claim to be a traditional chinese folk tale. if it calls itself a beauty and the beast tale set in ancient china, what's wrong with that?
whatever. i'm not going to let it spoil my enjoyment of any "fakelore" that i read.
we usually do the text book/article/website readings on a topic a week before we are expected to select books from that genre/style to read. so this week, even though the books we had to read are easy readers and transitional readers, our text book and other readings were about fairy tales. and next week, we get to read assorted fairy tales. yay!
but...this article just rubbed me the wrong way. not that there aren't a few valid points in there, but the whole accusatory tone of it ...blech. turned me right off.
and you know what? i like stories that are good fun stories, and i don't *care* if there is actually a traditional egyptian cinderella story or not. i like the idea of transplanting bits and pieces of fairy tales and folk tales and putting spins on them that they didn't originally have. i *enjoy* reading different versions of the same general plot, even if the moral or the motivations of characters are different from story to story.
sure, a book shouldn't call itself a traditional native american story if that is not what it is, but give me a break. i don't think all children's fairy and folk tales need to be "authenticated." seriously...if this is how the author of the article feels, i'm surprised they found any children's versions of folk and fairy tales to their liking:
Critics and reviewers must make fidelity as high a priority in their evaluation of "folktale" books as readability, interest, or beauty; they must seek out originals, document changes, and challenge instead of praise authors for taking liberties.
here's another quote that just...ugh:
Authors need a new attitude: they should seek to become more like real "retellers" whose intent is to preserve the tradition as it has been passed down to them not to celebrate their originality.
no. just...no.
i mean...a book that represents incorrect cultural stereotypes or something...sure...complain about that. and if a book claims to be a traditional native american tale, but it's totally made up, sure...complain about that too. but say a book accurately represents chinese culture in a certain time period, but retells a folk tale in that setting that never would have been told in china? who cares?!?!? i think that's neat and fun! especially if it doesn't claim to be a traditional chinese folk tale. if it calls itself a beauty and the beast tale set in ancient china, what's wrong with that?
whatever. i'm not going to let it spoil my enjoyment of any "fakelore" that i read.