The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship

Title: The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship
Author: Arthur Ransome
Illustrator: Uri Shulevitz
Genre: Multicultural or International Literature

Summary:
The Caldecott winner tells the story of a couple who had three sons. The oldest two sons were very smart and were loved very much by their parents. The third son on the other hand was considered simpler than a child. One day the Czar declared that he would give his daughter's hand in marriage to the man who could bring him a flying ship. The two oldest brothers jumped at the opportunity to marry the Czar's daughter and with their parent's blessings, they set out into the world to figure out how to build a flying ship. The youngest son was not happy about being left at home, so he begged his parents to allow him to go. Annoyed by their simple son's constant pestering, the Fool's parents let me follow in his brother's footsteps. However the Fool went without his parent's blessings or any of the supplies that had graciously been provided for his older two brothers. Not long into his journey the Fool meets an old man. The old man is no ordinary person, he is actually a very wise being who is able to see that the Fool is not only a simpleton but a kind soul. Upon this realization, the old man tells the Fool how to obtain a flying ship. The old man only asks one thing of the Fool, and that is that the Fool has to give every person he meets a ride in the flying ship. Read this story to see if the Fool ever obtains a flying ship and if he marries the Czar's daughter.

Making the Connection:
This book is based off of an old Russian tale and would be a good story to include when talking to your class about multicultural or international literature. This book can also be considered a folk tale and could be used when covering traditional or folk tales in your class. A fun writing assignment for your class could be rewriting the story from the Princess' point of view. The Princess is never really considered during the whole story, so it would be neat to see what your students imagine she would think about her father being so mean, having to marry a stranger/or a fool, or just being a princess in general.