[operamommy]

I didn't want to take that post too OT!

I've noticed lately that my 3-year-old is very into "bad guys" and "good guys." Bad guys more than good, natch

. What are some great hero stories that I can read/tell to him? Robin Hood comes to mind, but where do I find stories of him? The only Robin Hood I've ever been exposed to is the Disney movie.

Any others? Book suggestions would be highly appreciated. I know that developmentally ds2 is interested in this stuff for a reason, so I'd like to find a waldorfy-type way to indulge it! Thanks!

 

[JamieCatheryn]

I have some other books from this series, bigger original classics abridged for younger kids, I like them a lot to read to my 3 year old.

http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Starts...0075695&sr=1-3

Here's another that may be good for heroes: King Arthur and His Knights
http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Starts...ref=pd_sim_b_7

I'd also look for things from ancient myth, like Hercules and such out of Greco-Roman stuff, either written for kids or you could read about it and retell it if you are good at (or want to practice) that sort of thing.

 

[Angierae]

We've been going through the hero stories with our 4 year olds lately! I really likes ones with beautiful illustrations.

Our fav for robin hood is:
http://www.amazon.com/Robin-Hood-Scribner-Storybook-Classics/dp/0689854676/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240084091&sr=1-2

For King Arthur:
http://www.amazon.com/Tales-King-Art...0084152&sr=1-5
The art is just sooooo beautiful.

Also "St George and The Dragon" by Margaret Hodges is beautiful! Love his story, and his st day is next week, the 23rd.

"The Kitchen Knight" by Margaret Hodges about Sir Gareth of the round table.

She also loved Peter Pan. DH read her the original, but there are a lot of childrens versions.

 

[operamommy]

Thanks so much for the book recs! I'm getting ready to order some of them. I think ds2 is really going to love them.

 

[bendingbirch]

I think for children so small, in the Waldorf tradition, the idea of good and bad would be satisfied through the fairy tales and through some of the festival celebrations - Michalmas comes to mind with St. Michael and his sword, as does Suzanne Down's "Little Boy Knight" story from her "Autumn Tales" book (www.junipertreepuppetry.com I think is her website). Robin Hood, King Arthur, etc. usually comes in more heavily in the second grade with Saints, Heroes, Legends (children are about 8 then). Has anyone used any particular fairy tale with those archetypal images of good and evil to work with the whole good guy/bad guy theme? There are several that come to my mind, but they seem they would be more for the six and seven year old crowd....I will keep thinking.

 

[operamommy]

bendingbirch, that's a good point. He LOVES fairy tales with a "bad" character like The 3 Little Pigs, 3 Billy Goats Gruff, etc. Maybe I need to start telling some of those more. I bought a really gorgeous book of fairy tales, but he simply will not let me read them to him. It's this one - I'm not sure why he doesn't like it. Any other suggestions? We have an Usborne one that he really likes, but I think they take a lot of the flavor out of the tales.

 

[bendingbirch]

I think what a three year old is often looking for is the fairy tale told orally with lots of repetition or a little song in it, told with your own warmth in it....The book Let Us Form A Ring has some fairy tales in the back, perhaps a bit too complex for a three year old except the wonderful "Pancake Mill" but there are a lot of repetitive lines and singing...If you can find or make up repetitive lines to go with the fairy tales that really does help.
As far as Grimms, I like the Pantheon version but it for adults not kids, so I just try to memorize out of there. Do try mainlesson.com, there are lots of simple tales a three year old would like......Also some of the older collections of fairy tales are excellent, like Virginia Haviland's collections are excellent for a six year old....
Probably about as clear as mud!

 

[Angierae]

I agree with the oral storytelling. As much as we LOVE the above books, we got them for my 7 yo, and it just happened that the 4yo was hooked by the art. They were good inspiration to get me started telling her more "hero/ine" stories, though. She loves "Jack and the Beanstalk" and "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." Often I take a story or myth that I am familiar with, like King Arthur or Cupid and Psyche, and tell her little bits in a made up story. I am often wondering what is really age appropriate and I try to make things up that are at her level. Good Luck.