Pourquoi story (explanatory tale, etiological tale)

Like creation myths, pourquoi tales use symbolism in the absence of scientific fact. Pourquoi tales explain observable facts and phenomenon for which early peple lacked scientific knowledge to explain, such as why the sun falls from the sky, why beavers have flat tails, and how tigers got their stripes. The explanation is not scientifically true and while this type of folktale is often serious, it has hilarious aspects integrated into the telling. The Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling are pourquoi tales. Pourquoi (por-kwa) means "why" in French.

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears (Dial, 1975)

Retold by Verna Aardema. Illus. by Leo and Diane Dillon

Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky (Houghton Mifflin, 1968)

Retold by Elphinstone Dayrell. Illus. by Blair Lent

The Great Ball Game: A Muskogee Story (Dial, 1994)

Retold by Joseph Bruchac. Illus. Susan L. Roth.

Her Seven Brothers (Bradbury, 1988)

Retold and illus. by Paul Goble

· Story that explains why something happens; usually explains something in the natural world, such as the weather or how a particular plant or animal came to be (ex.: Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears, by Leo and Diane Dillon).

· Pourquoi tales are often found in mythology, also.

Talking animal tales (talking beast tales)

↑Beast Tales

Beast tales feature animal characters with human characteristics. They walk like humans, they talk like humans, and they exhibit all of the other follies that befall humans. The tone of a beast tale can either be serious or funny. Morals in beast tales are more subtle, as opposed to fables, which baldly states the moral at the end of the story. While the animals in a beast tale interact with humans, it is the animals who are the principle characters, with the humans taking a back seat. Examples of beast tales are "The Three Bears," "Henny Penny," and "The Three Little Pigs."

The Three Little Pigs (Little, Brown, 2000)

Retold and illus. by Barry Moser

Henny Penny (Scholastic, 2000)

Retold and illus. by Jane Wattenberg

Goldilocks and the Three Bears (Dodd Mead, 1992)

Retold and illus. by Jan Brett

· Tales of animals which talk and act like human beings (ex.: The Little Red Hen, by Paul Galdone)

· Especially popular with preschool children.

Realistic tales

· All the elements of the story could happen, though they may be exaggerated or humorous (ex.:"Clever Manka").

· These tales are relatively few in number.