Selected and annotated by Tiffany Torbeck
Aardema, Verna. Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears. Dial Publishing, 1975. Gr. K-3
My favorite pourquoi tale! This memorable tale will make sense of annoying mosquitoes and give you a new perspective on their story.
Bruchac, Joseph and James Bruchac. How Chipmunk Got His Stripes. Dial Publishing, 2001. Gr. K-2.
Chipmunk learns the hard way not to get into an argument with Bear and learns a lesson about teasing in the process.
Bryan, Ashley. The Story of Lightning and Thunder. Karl/Atheneum, 1993. Ages 4-7 years.
This tale has great conversational language and tells how lightning and thunder were once sheep. This tale will give one explanation to timid children about thunder and lightning.
Crespo, George. How the Sea Began: A Taino Myth. Clarion, 1993. Ages 6-9 years.
A hurricane comes a sweeps up Yayael, a skilled hunter. His hunting tools are stored in a gourd, which starts to provided fish for the village, but four young boys become too greedy and become part of a great creation myth.
Doucet, Sharon Arms. Why Lapin's Ears are Long and Other Tales from the Louisana Bayou. Orchard Books, 1997. Grades 3-6
Lapin may be cunning, crafty and curious, but he's not big, at least not yet. However, his plan backfires in this series of tales. These stories have a rich language and would be a joy to tell.
Duvall, Deborah L. How Rabbit Lost His Tail: A Traditional Cherokee Legend. University of New Mexico, 2003.
Rabbit was jealous of Otter's fine coat, so he steals it for the Council of the Animals. When they figure out his trick, Bear becomes very angry and grabs onto Rabbit's tale, but it works out in the end because now, no one can ever catch Rabbit.
Hamilton, Martha & Mitch Weiss. How and Why Stories: World Tales Kids can Read & Tell. August House, 1999. Gr. 2-6.
Twenty-five tales that explain various animal behaviors like why hens scratch the dirt and also why tigers have stripes. Great source for quick stories to tell.
Mama, Raouf. Why Goats Smell Bad and Other Stories from Benin. Linner, 1998. Grades 4-6.
This collection of tales includes a section on pourquoi tales of animal wisdom, including a tale on why the chameleon is extra careful when walking about. These stories are great for telling and reading.
Lattimore, Deborah Nourse. Why There is No Arguing in Heaven: A Mayan Myth. Harper, 1989. Grades 2-5.
This is a creation story that describes how the four Mayan gods created man and argued the whole time. After succeeding in their work, they learn to work together and through appreciation of their creation, there is no more arguing in heaven.
Paye, Won-Loy and Margaret H. Lippert. Why Leopard Had Spots: Dan Stories from Liberia. Fulcrum Kids, 1998. Grades 3-5.
This book includes several stories from Liberia, but the title story tells about the Deer's deception and how that got Leopard into a lot of trouble.
Reneaux, J.J. How Animals Saved the People: Animals Tales from the South. HarperCollins, 2001. Grades 3-6.
The title story in this collection explains why certain animals and insects are harmful to people, and why we should respect them for saving our lives by taking the poison from the deadly vine.
Rosen, Michael. How the Animals Got Their Colors. Harcourt, 1992. Ages 5-8.
This collection of short tales explains how the various animals got their colors, including the frog, tiger and peacock. A poem at the end sums up a few other animals. This is a great resource for curious minds.
Ross, Gayle. How the Turtle's Back was Cracked: A Traditional Cherokee Tale. Dial, 1995. Ages 5-8 years.
Turtle gets into quite a bit of trouble with the Wolves and he tries to trick them into throwing him in the river as punishment, however, his plan backfires and he still ends up getting punished in this Cherokee tale.
Troughton, Joanna. How Stories Came into the World: a Folk Tale from West Africa. Bedrick/Blackie, 1990. Ages 4-6.
Mouse collects stories and cares for them like children. This is a collection of stories within a story are mouse talks about the hare, the hippo and lightning and thunder.
