Easy folk tales for kids

Best Folk Tales for Kids | Top picks for kids of all ages

• Parents
• Reading Corner

• July 16, 2021
• 5 minute read
• 37.3K views
• Epic

Check out the best folk tales for kids on Epic!

Some of the most popular children’s books on our platform are classic fairy tales and stories from famous folklorists like the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen, and even Native American Indian folk tales. 

Is your kid into American folktales and fables like “Jack and the Beanstalk” and “Beauty and the Beast?” This is the list for you. Read on for some of our top titles! 

Written by: Darcy Pattison

Illustrated by: Soraya Bartolomé 

Ages: 6-12

In this hilarious, nontraditional rhyming version of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” Goldilocks thinks she can get away with anything. Stealing? Breaking and entering? Property damage? Who does this name-fame-dame think she is? Will the girl be able to get out of trouble, or will she end up in folktale-jail? Your kid will get a kick out of reading along to this spoofy retelling, along with the rollicking, playful wordplay.  

Written by: Brothers Grimm, Karen Kelly

Illustrated by: C.B. Canga

Ages: 10-12

As the first people to collect the fairy tales and folklore of Germany in one place, the Brothers Grimm brought to life many of today’s most iconic stories. This illustrated Calico Classics version of “Grimm’s Fairy Tales” makes these age-old stories accessible for younger readers while staying true to the original plots. Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin, Hansel and Gretel, Snow White and more are included in this collection for older elementary school readers.

If your kid enjoys this book, they might like another Calico Classics book on Epic: “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll.  

Written by: Nadia Higgins

Illustrated by: Kathleen Petelinsek

Ages: 3-7

Kids can follow Little Red as she strolls through the woods, encounters a “friendly” wolf and comes out on top after facing peril at Grandma’s house. 

This gorgeously illustrated version of “Little Red Riding Hood,” written by Nadia Higgins, teaches kids about bravery, resilience, keeping your wits about you and the importance of listening to parents and caregivers.

By: Michael Buckley

Illustrated by: Peter Ferguson 

Ages: 9-12

Treat your kid to another humorous fractured fairy tale in this delightful twist on the story of the Brothers Grimm. In this first installment of the New York Times bestselling Sisters Grimm series, fairy detective sisters Sabrina and Daphne Grimm return to their home in New York to discover a whole lot of magical oddities: wand-wielding fairy godfathers, swashbuckling Wall Street pirates, subway-stealing dwarfs—and a murder.

As the pair investigates the crime, they uncover a secret that could lead them to the bottom of things, and into an evil underground organization, the Scarlet Hand.

By: Naomi McMillan

Illustrated by: Kathy Wilburn 

Ages: 4-9

Many of us are familiar with the tale of Cinderella and her mean-spirited stepmother and jealous stepsisters.

This vividly illustrated picture book stays faithful to the traditional story of how, with the help of her fairy godmother, she finds her happy ending and escapes her terrible circumstances.

By: Eric A. Kimmel 

Ages: 5-7

The magic trickster of West African lore, Anansi the spider, is at it again. This time, not wanting to do any chores, he steals Hyena’s stick and puts it to work doing his bidding. 

Tired of the other animals laughing at his messy house, he decides to make it the tidiest in town without cleaning a single thing. But when he tries to use Hyena’s magic stick to do all the chores, he gets more than he bargained for. This imaginative retelling combined with expressive illustrations makes it the perfect silly cautionary tale for fun-loving kids.

If your child loves this audiobook, they can also follow along to the story with the Read-To-Me version on Epic.  

By: Hans Christian Andersen

Ages: 5-8

An awkward duckling braves hecklers, hunters, and trying circumstances in this magical retelling of the classic tale by Hans Christian Andersen.

Big, gawky and grey, the baby duck looks nothing like his cute siblings. But in a happy twist, he discovers beauty comes in many forms, and sometimes it just takes a little time to blossom into your best self.

By: Jon Scieszka 

Ages: 5-8

You and your kid will laugh out loud at this alternative take on “The Three Little Pigs,” narrated by Paul Giamatti.  

According to the aggrieved Alexander T. Wolf, there’s a lot more to the story than a whole lot of huffing and puffing. In fact, he claims, it all started with a cup of sugar and a sneeze. Follow the wolf’s version of events as he attempts to explain his “misunderstanding” involving the three brother piggies and clear his name.

Written by: Aesop

Illustrated by: Annalise Olson

Ages: 7-9

For centuries, kids have loved these fables handed down by ancient Greek storyteller, Aesop. This book includes the entire collection in English, with the clear, simple narration that the stories are known for. Each short tale contains hidden lessons and features personified birds, beasts and other creatures of nature. Stories include favorites like “The Hare and the Tortoise,” “The Ants and the Grasshopper,” “The Goose and the Golden Egg” and many more.

Written by: Lily Murray

Illustrated by: Wesley Robins 

Ages: 5-7

Let your kid create their very own fairy tale adventures with this fun-filled story-building book. They can pick from a variety of heroes, including the dragon, the Gingerbread Man or even a gnome. From there, they can choose their destination, tools and magical companions to join their hero on their journey, like a talking toadstool or a genie like Aladdin’s sidekick from the Arabian nights. 

The illustrated choose-your-own-adventure format offers millions of possibilities. With tons of inspiring prompts and vibrant pictures, it’s chock-full of silly options. And once they’re done, they can start over again.   

Other Recommendations 

Want more folk tales for kids? Here are a couple of honorable mentions available on Amazon:

By: Chris Colfer

In this #1 New York Times best-selling series, siblings Alex and Conner Bailey open a mysterious book and fall into a fairy tale world filled with magical beings, including a witch, wolves, goblins and more. Will they be able to find their way out of this foreign land and get back home? This fast-paced adventure beautifully  meshes reality with a world of enchantment.  

By: Cornelia Funke

One night, Meggie’s father reads aloud from a book called “Inkheart,” and a villainous ruler escapes the pages and ends up in their living room. In this tale about books and the power of imagination, Meggie must learn to harness the magic that’s been unleashed in order to come out triumphant. 

That’s it! These are just a few of the huge variety of folk tales for kids on our platform! We hope you enjoyed this list and explore even more on Epic. For more time-honored tales for your young reader, check out our post, “Best Classic Books for Kids on Epic.”  

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28 Folktales for Kids - Imagination Soup: Children's Books & Reviews

Do your kids know about folktales? These are traditional narrative stories from a culture’s oral traditions meant to share values and/or explain something in the natural world or about human nature, often about ordinary people, and can include talking animals like fables. Sometimes folktales contain a wise life lesson at the end, just like a fable does.

When researching folktales, I found that there is quite a bit of overlap with myths, fables, and legends. One website I read said, “Folktales include myths, legends, fables, animal tales and fairy tales.” Which makes it a bit confusing when trying to distinguish the difference between these different stories. Plus, tall tales are considered folktales.

For now, we’ll just say that folktales are stories meant to teach something, and they are orally passed down from generation to generation. (More or less.)

However, the point of this post is not to define folktales so much as to share with you good folktales picture books for kids that recently impressed me. I think you’ll really like these titles.

A Taste of Honey by Rebecca Sheir, illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat
Our clever beekeeper hero, Kamala, uses her wits to outsmart thieves in a very funny way!

The Unwelcome Guest by Rebecca Sheir, illustrated by Mert Tugen
Nasruddin works all day in this vineyard and arrives at the governor’s celebration banquet in his work clothes. When people judge him for how he looks, he finds a creative and messy way to teach the villagers a valuable lesson.

The Great Ball Game by Rebecca Sheir, illustrated by Joshua Pawis-Steckley
The teams for the ball game are separated into animals and birds until Bat arrives which eventually helps the players learn to be more accepting of diversity.

Helga’s Dowry: A Troll Love Story by Tomie dePaola
A hardworking, clever troll named Helga earns her own dowery so that Lars will finally marry her, not Inge. But once she’s amassed a dowery, she realizes that Lars doesn’t love her, he just wants her money. But there is someone who loves Helga and doesn’t need money — the king! Tomie dePaola does it again!

Martina: The Beautiful Cockroach / Martina, la hermosa cucaracha by Berta de Llano, illustrated by Jaime Rivera Contreras
Doña Julia wanted to help Martina find a suitable groom. So she devised a tricky test for prospective suitors. Anyone who would drink the disgusting tembleque with added salt would show that they really liked being with Martina. Eventually, she meets Perez, a kind mouse, who passes the test and they get married in a big ceremony. Adorable!

The Crane Girl adapted by Curtis Manley, illustrated by Lin Wang (JAPAN)

In this adapted Japanese folktale, a young boy saves a crane from a trap. Unknown to him or us the readers, the crane becomes a girl and asks to stay with the boy and his father. To help financially, she weaves beautiful silk cloths, asking that no one open the door to look at her while she’s doing it. When the boy’s father becomes demanding and greedy, he discovers her secret. The girl leaves and the boy follows her. They spend the rest of their lives together as cranes.

A Crowded Farmhouse Folktale by Karen Rostoker-Gruber, illustrated by Kristina Swarner
A farmer complains to a wise woman about his small house. She tells him to put all his animals inside. After a while, she tells him to put the animals back outside. When he does that, the farmer feels like his house is spacious and perfect for his family.

Pacho Nacho by Silvia Lopez, illustrated by Pablo Pino (MEXICO / JAPAN)
This hilarious story begs to be read aloud. It’s about a family that has two sons, the oldest son has a VERY long name that his parents insist everyone use, Pacho-Nacho-Nico-Tico-Melo-Felo-Kiko-Rico. This name appeased the family who suggested all the names but when he falls into the river, it takes so long for his brother Juan to say his name and get help that the parents decided to shorten his name. Based on an old Japanese folktale, you’ll love the retelling set in Mexico interspersed with Spanish words. LOVE this book!!

The Children’s Moon by Carmen Agra Deedy, illustrated by Jim LaMarche
Have you ever wondered why there are eclipses? This folktale explains it! The moon wants to see children so she asks the sun to share about the day, and she tells the sun all about night — the moonflowers and fireflies and best of all, the stars. The sun is furious to know the stars are just like him — and wants to see them for himself. They work together to eclipse and the sun saw galaxies and felt a little less alone. Then, the sun shone brightly on the moon so she could appear in the sky and the children would see her, and she would see them, too.

The Cat from Hunger Mountain by Ed Young (ASIA, maybe CHINA)

Gorgeous mixed-media collage illustrates a new fable-like tale with a valuable life lesson. Lord Cat, a rich, greedy, and wasteful landowner until famine strikes his land. At his lowest point, desperate for food and shelter, he meets a kind monk who feeds him from the Lord Cat’s wasted rice from upstream. “And for the first time ever, he knew what it felt like to be truly blessed.”

The Ghoul by Taghreed Najjar, illustrated by Hassan Manasra
In the village, everyone is afraid of a ghoul living on a mountain. A curious boy named Hasan travels to find the ghoul –– and the ghoul is afraid of the boy. But, they talk and become best friends. Impressive artwork.

The Incredible Shrinking Lunchroom by Michal Baby, illustrated by Paula Cohen
The principal teaches the students a valuable lesson about perspective, without telling them the lesson. In this humorous modern update of a classic Yiddish folktale, the kids complain that their lunchroom is too crowded. So what do you expect the principal to do? Probably not what she does. She adds more to the lunchroom: science projects, a learning zoo, and sports teams. Now it’s really crowded! Then, she takes out the things she added, and the students love the not-crowded space.

Japanese Children’s Favorite Storiesby Florence Sakade, illustrated by Yoshisuke Kurosaki (JAPAN)
Reading these 20 folktales, you’ll notice distinctive Japanese elements as well as similarities in folktales from other countries, particularly the life lessons learned in each. This book is whimsically illustrated and the stories are enchanting.

Yokki and the Parno Gry by Richard O’Neill and Katharine Quarmby, illustrated by Marieke Nelissen (ROMANI)
The Romani, or Traveling Folk, carry with them many rich traditions, of which is this traditional story about a boy who told stories about a Parno Gry, a flying white horse, to lift the spirits of his family during a hard time. In the stories, the Parno Gry takes them to bustling markets where they sold their wares again. But these are just stories and the people are losing hope in the face of hunger and lack of jobs. Then one day, the Parno Gry arrives to fly the Romani to a new location with more food and hopeful possibilities.

The Secret of the Kelpie retold by Lari Don, illustrated by Philip Longson (SCOTTISH)
Read about the enticingly dangerous Kelpie who lures you to the water only to drown you. Fortunately, in this folklore story, a quick-thinking sister deciphers the rock pictures and saves her siblings. I found this fascinating, would your kids?

Elephant in the Dark based on a poem by Rumi, retold by Mina Javaherbin, illustrated by Eugene Yelchin (INDIA)

In this lovely picture book adaptation of a famous story about perspective, a merchant arrives with a mysterious beast that he puts into a barn. The villagers are anxious to figure out what it is, so they creep into the dark barn and feel parts of the beast. One thinks it’s a like a snake, the other thinks it’s like a fan, another thinks it’s like a tree trunk, and so on. None listens to the other. They argue with each. The next day, the merchant leads the beautiful elephant out of the barn but no one notices or sees the truth because they are too busy fighting.

El Chupacabras by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Chas McCreery (MEXICO)
Wacky and fun, written in sentences that mix English and Spanish and Spanish and English, this modern folktale explores the chupacabra in a way that isn’t scary but more light-hearted. A farmer and daughter discover the goatsucker (chupacabra) has sucked one of their precious goats. So, the father asks the flower seller for help. She gives him magic powder which, when overused, makes a herd of gigantic goats! Now, they need the chupacabra’s help to suck out some of the air! Beautiful, earthy illustrations.

Never Trust a Tiger (Animal Stories) A Story From Korea retold by Lari Don, illustrated by Melanie Williamson (KOREA)
A man saves a tiger from a pit only to have the tiger want to EAT him. But, that’s not right says the man. A good deed should be followed by another good deed. Of course, the tiger doesn’t care about the man’s moralizing. So the man insists they ask someone else to judge. After asking an ox, a tree, and a hare, you’ll love the surprise ending that the hare sets into motion. Superb! While this is set up as an early chapter book, it’s also great for reading aloud, too.

The Gigantic Turnip by Aleksei Tolstoy, Niamh Sharkey, and Imelda Staunton (RUSSIA)
In this delightful folktale, an old man and an old woman plant many vegetables one year. The vegetables grow and get harvested, all except for the turnip because it’s so gigantic. Since the couple can’t pull it out themselves, they ask one farm animal after another to help, making a long chain of animals. Finally, they ask the last, smallest creature to help — a mouse. And what do you think happens? The turnip comes out! And everyone has turnip stew for dinner.

How the Stars Came to Be by Poonam Mistry
This simple folk tale with exquisite illustrations tells the story of how the stars came into the sky from the Sun so the Fisherman could find his way home safely and the Daughter wouldn’t be worried.

Vole and Troll by Iza Trapani
This book is perfect for reading aloud to children with lots of repetitions and songs. A clever Vole uses familiar preschool songs to trick the Troll into singing and getting distracted that the Vole can get across the bridge safely. The Troll gets so angry when he realizes and repeats a familiar refrain.  How will this charming story end? With the Vole and Troll singing together in harmony!

The Girl with a Brave Heart by Rita Jahanfouz
A story from Tehran about kindness…A little girl encounters an old lady who asks her to destroy things in her yard but the little girl listens to hear heart and makes the garden beautiful again. To thank her, the old lady makes the girl beautiful. When the girl’s sister hears about this, she visits the old lady also. But, she doesn’t follow her heart and destroys the lady’s things — and gets rewarded in kind, with ugliness.

Five Sisters by Stephanie Campisi, illustrated by Madalina Andronic
An old man and old woman desperately want but never have their own children. One day, a magical tree gives the old man its branches from which he carves five colorful wooden nesting dolls. The dolls bring the couple joy and companionship. Then when the worst happens and a wolf attacks, the tree helps them again. Magically, one of the dolls becomes a real girl. Gorgeous Russian-style artwork.

Told and Retold: Around the World with Aesop’s Fables by Holly Berry
I love the block-print artwork which sets this retelling apart with inviting and beautiful scenes.

Carrimebac: The Town that Walked by David Barclay Moore, illustrated by John Holyfield
Brilliant storytelling with a classic folktale feel…Rootilla Redgums and her peculiar grandson, Julius transform Walkerton, Georgia by teaching the Black townspeople to weave rugs that never wear out, to bake ceramic jugs that never empty of sarsaparilla, and to carve wooden walking sticks that somehow never get you lost in the woods. Outsiders grow fearful and angry– and soon a mob of Fearful Folk arrive in white sheets with blazing torches. Then, Julius and his duck save the town!

Lore of the Wild Folklore & Wisdom from Nature by Claire Cock-Starkey, illustrated by Aitch
Even though I dislike the typeface, I like the format of featuring animals and stories about those animals in this collection of folktales. For example, Horses and Donkeys is one section, and another is Magpies, Ravens, and Crows. Also included are flowers, trees, and weather lore.

Treasury of Magical Tales From Around the World by Donna Jo Napoli, illustrated by Christina Balit
This incredible tome packed with beautifully illustrated, magical folk tales and traditional stories from Italy, Angola, Palestine, Korea, China, Australia, and many other countries from around the world will keep your kids in stories for weeks and months. Setting this treasury of stories apart from the rest are the sidebars of factual information, the global stories representing diverse cultures and countries, and mesmerizing illustrations.

The Legend of Auntie Po by Shing Yin Khor

It’s the late 1800s and Mei lives at a logging camp where her dad works as a cook. She’s friends with the camp owner’s daughter and loves telling stories about a strong heroine called Auntie Po, a twist on the Paul Bunyan stories. As she deals with anti-Chinese sentiments that force her dad to leave, she confronts Auntie Po with anger. The story addresses an important part of history but the pacing and plot were sluggish. There aren’t a lot of American folktales other than the story of a big blue ox, Paul Bunyon, and I was glad to read this new one.

Other popular folktales for kids that I recommend include:

Stone Soup

Tikki Tikki Tembo (CHINA)

The Magic Fish

Why Mosquitos Buzz in People’s Ears (AFRICA)

The Little Red Hen

One Grain of Rice (INDIA)

It Could Always Be Worse (YIDDISH)

Martina the Beautiful Cockroach (CUBA)

Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato (IRLAND)

The Talking Eggs  (SOUTHERN U. S.)

The Legend of the Bluebonnet (COMANCHE)

Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales (AFRICA)

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters (AFRICA)
Find more folktales for kids online at Storyarts.

What folktales do you enjoy reading?

Also Read:

Bedtime Stories for Kids

How to Knit for Kids

Good Books for Age 3

Children’s Fairy Tales

Mindfulness for Kids in Children’s Books

Kids Book Series

How to Write a Haiku

Coloring for Kids

Math Pictures Books
Dinosaur Books
Greek Mythology Books

Read Aloud Books

Russian folk tales - read for free online

Russian folk tales have brought up more than one generation of children, as they have always been not only interesting, but primarily instructive content. Our parents, grandparents fell asleep to these tales every evening, and today they remain just as relevant. In this section you will find a large collection of Russian folk tales, in which you can meet well-known and beloved characters, such as Kolobok, Ilya Muromets, Elena the Wise, and perhaps discover new heroes for yourself.

Sort by: popularity of reading a review of the screening

• householders of people's markets at night of children 4 years of children 9 years of Soldatal Slutdles 1 class of grade 2 class 4 classes 9,000

  Russian people's bondage.

• InstructiveRussian FolkTalesAbout animalsAbout the bearSovietFor children 2 years oldFor children 3 years oldFor kidsAbout good and evilFor schoolchildrenFor grade 1Younger group

• Russian people's markets at the night of animal per bear of children 2 years of fly 3 years of flyer and zlepro Mashuper Grandmother Group

• Russian folk producer-Durakvolnaya seaside of children 7 guago-yaguo good and Zlepro Ivanapo princes KindergartenFor senior group

• Russian FolkTales for the nightMagicalAbout Baba YagaAbout geeseFor schoolchildrenFor grade 1For kindergartenFor middle group

  Russian folk animal animals of the animals of Volokro, Konyadl children of 10 years of flight of children 11 years old - Russian folk people of I Ivanadlya children 8 years of schoolchildren of schoolchildren 4 classes

Russian epics and legendary people's people of the Boys of 4 years of children 11 years of heroic grade 4 preparatory group

• Russian folk About Ivan the Fool For children 9 years old About princesses For schoolchildren For grade 3 For grade 4

  Russian people's salescaps for the night of the waves of 5 years of flying children 6 years of flyer - Russian folk people Ivanapro brothers old schoolchildren of the 1st class of grade 2 class 3 classes of the middle group

9000 9000

about Juraly 2 Classes of animals Lisuitroe 9001 Show more

Short bedtime stories for children

What do older children remember? Rare moments of trust and open dialogue with parents.

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