From the earliest age, children can learn about their world and appreciate the pleasure of storytelling. For readers and listeners up to 8, "The Gingerbread Man" and "I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" maybe familiar, but this collection also includes nursery tales from India ("The Cat and the Parrot"), Mexico ("The Ram in the Chile Patch"), Zaire ("The Boy Who Tried to Fool His Father"), and the Philippines ("Odon the Giant"). Stefano Vitale contributes wonderfully folksy illustrations and decorative borders for the pages.