41) Jim Henson's The Storyteller Volume 1

Bibliography: Cosby, Nate& Marz, Ron; Jim Henson's The Storyteller Volume 1; Archaia Entertainment; Los Angeles, CA; 2011; 120 pages; ISBN 978-1-936393-24-4.

Plot: The Storyteller is made up of nine folk tales that have been adapted for retelling.  The Storyteller was originally a TV program in late 1980s.  The book is made up of a few of the stories that were told during the show.  The Storyteller is shown as an old man at the beginning of each folk tale.  He is sitting by the fire and begins talking to his dog about all the various stories he has heard in his lifetime.  The graphics are by well established graphic artists and compliment each story beautifully.  This is a great book for readers of all ages to experience. 

Review:  This is a great book to introduce readers to folk tales of different cultures.  Each tale contains a lesson and is beautifully represented by amazing art work.  The stories range from very innocent to horror.  The included folk tales are from Scandinavia, Romania, France, China, Japan, and Russia.  This is a great book for readers of all ages to experience different cultures.   

I really enjoyed this book.  The graphics are amazing and comic book fans will like the fact that the book is illustrated by some of the more well known artists in the field.  Some of the tales are short and humorous, while others are longer and a bit on the scary side. Since this is a first volume, hopefully, we will be seeing more of these stories in the future. 

Genre: Graphic Novel/Folklore/Fantasy

Interest Level: age 9-12

Related Books:  The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths, Vol. 1 by Brian Holguin; Jim Henson's Tale of Sand by Jim Henson.

Illustrators:

Roger Langridge ­– The Muppet Show Comic; Thor; The Mighty Avenger

Marjorie Liu – Black Widow; Dark Wolverine

Ron Marz – Green Lantern; Artifacts

Jeff Parker – Hulk; Thuderbolts

Nate Crosby – Pigs

Jennifer L. Meyer – Star Wars Adventures

Tom Fowler – Batman

Craig Rousseau – Captain America

Chris Eliopoulos – Pet Avengers

Colleen Coover – Spider-Man

Janet K. Lee – Return of the Dapper Men; Emma

Ronan Cliquet – Marvel Adventures The Avengers

Paul Tobin – Spider-Man, Spider-Girl

Evan Shaner – Dark Horse Presents

Katie Cook – Fraggle Rock

Further Information: http://henson.com/