Aesop's fables are often ungentle tales with profound and instructive morals. Lawrence's bold and expressive pen-and-ink illustrations reflect both the charm and the severity of the fables themselves. The depth of this collection will reach all who read it, from child to adult.

"When Jacob Lawrence was a boy growing up in Harlem, rats gnawed at the tables legs and roaches crawled the floor. You see them in his art. He will not let us forget race riots and chain gangs, war, misery and lynchings. Yet his pictures do not chide us. They evoke more pride than pity, more cheer than bitter rage....Lawrence loves humanity. And is loved in return. You see that in his imagery, in the patience with which he signs autographs for kids. An aura of affection, goodwill and respect, both given and received, shines around the man, and like armor round his art". -- Washington Post