Twenty Tellable Folktales for Multicultural Festivals

By Margaret Read MacDonald with Illustrations Roxane Murphy Smith Edited by

Folktales build bridges to other cultures! Enrich the experience of sharing traditions for your students with this fun, easy, and practical sourcebook. Noted folklorist and storyteller Margaret Read MacDonald presents 20 of her favorite folktales celebrating worldwide holidays. Each is presented in an ethnopoetic format that helps the teller establish the story’s rhythm and construct an exciting, dramatic delivery. Several of the tales inspire audience involvement.

Lively tales are drawn from Indian, Chinese, Iranian, African-American, Norwegian, German, West African, Middle Eastern, and many other traditions. MacDonald explains how the festivals are celebrated in their native cultures, plus suggestions for crafts, music, foods, and games; a list of books to share with children during the celebrations; and a bibliography.

With this book your students will learn about other cultures as they enjoy celebrating:

• Chinese New Year

• Hina Matsuri (Girl’s Day, Japan)

• Tango No Sekku (Boy’s Day, Japan)

• Mardi Gras

• Deepavali/Diwali (Indian Festival of Lights)

• Hmong New Year

• Id Al Fitr (Islamic Festival at the end of Ramadan)

• Highland Games (Scottish)

• No Rouz (Iranian Family Celebration)

• Double Fifth (Tuan Wu Chieh, Chinese)

• Kwanzaa (African American)

• Sylvester Day (France)

• Christmas (Germany)

• Easter (France)

• Charro Days (Southwestern U.S.)

• May Day

• Midsummer Eve (Jonsok, Norwegian)

• Highland Games (Scottish)

• Yam Harvest Festival (West African)

◘ 225 pp.

◘ 1994
◘ ISBN 0-8242-0862-5
◘ $75 — Sale price $30
◘ $30 (outside U.S. and Canada)