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“The children around about seven years should have the concentration to build their own vivid inner pictures when being told a story, and through such imagery will continue learning in the following years. Fairy tales are told by the teacher then retold and dramatized by members of the class. This cultivates the children’s imagination” – From Waldorf 101
Thank you to Waldorf Teacher, Diane Power for creating a book-list for students! She says…
The following books for 1st and 2nd can be read aloud to the students:
Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel
Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik
Elsa Beskow books
The Story of the Root Children by Sibylle von Olfers
The Blue Fairy Book and others by Andrew Lang
The Wind Boy by Ethel Eliot
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
The Iktomi books by Paul Goble
My Father´s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
The 7 Year Wonder Book by Isabel Wyatt
The Story of Jumping Mouse retold by John Steptoe
The King of Ireland´s Son by Padraic Colum
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski
The Tomten by Astrid Lingren
Stuart Little by E.B. White
The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White
Any fables & fairy tales from around the world
Other recommendations from members are…
Audrey Wood
This book might be controversial for some because it is a classic fairy-tale with classic “dark” fairy-tale motifs: a scary witch turns the children in the story-named Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday- into food for her meal. But much to the chagrin of this witch the children’s mother saves them all by remembering her children by what they want: “Bread wants butter…that’s Monday.” When she gives each child its complement they turn back into themselves and the mother chases Heckedy Peg away and the old witch is “never seen again.” I have read this book so often to my children that it is worn out and I have it memorized. I think this is a very Waldorfy fairy tale because of the motifs found within story. It has beautiful illustrations, rhythm and repetition. One of my favorite read alouds.
