From the Amazon to the Arctic, the world is teeming with diverse cultures. There's no better way for students to explore the world's cultural diversity than through its folktales. Presenting tales from the foundations of the world's traditions, literature, daily life, and popular culture, The Greenwood Library of World Folktales: Stories from the Great Collections gathers together a vast array of folktales and arranges them according to region or cultural group, thus allowing students to quickly and conveniently learn about the tales of particular cultures. Some of these stories have been told for centuries, while others have emerged only in recent times. The four-volume set includes introductory essays in addition to explanatory headnotes, and provides bibliographies on particular regions as well as a selected, general bibliography. The most comprehensive work of its kind, this set gives students and general readers a guided tour of the world's folktales. Each volume of the set is devoted to a particular broad geographic region:

Volume 1: Africa, The Middle East, Australia and Oceania Volume

2: Asia Volume

3: Europe Volume

4: North and South America Accessible, informative, and entertaining, this book will help literature students learn how to analyze texts and understand the traditions at the heart of many of the world's literary masterpieces. It will also help social studies students learn about the world's cultures and respect ethnic diversity. Volumes are devoted to particular geographic regions. Tales are clustered in sections devoted to particular cultural groups within broad regions. Introductory essays discuss the tales and traditions of different areas. Tales are accompanied by explanatory headnotes. The set includes regional bibliographies and a selected, general bibliography of resources suitable for student research. Supports the literature curriculum by helping students analyze texts and understand the tales fundamental to many literary works. Supports the social studies curriculum by helping students learn about different cultures. Promotes respect for cultural and ethnic diversity.