Nasreddin Hodja
Stories to Read & Retell
66 traditional stories, compiled by: Raymond C. Clark
Illustrations by: Robert MacLean
Level: High beginner to Advanced proficiency

Price: $16.50 ISBN: 0-86647-166-9 2nd Edition, New Format CD $18.00 ISBN: 0-86647-215-0 Text and CD $28.00 ISBN: 0-86647-216-9

The Tales of Nasreddin Hodja

Who was Nasreddin Hodja? Born in rural Turkey around 1208, Nasreddin became known as Hodja, the teacher. The 40 stories about his adventures, his common sense, and droll sense of humor have become true folk tales, told and embellished by adults and children alike for over 700 years. They are known from Gibraltar to the Himalayas, from Timbuktu to Timor to Tajikistan, throughout the whole world touched by Islam.

This edition of the tales of Nasreddin Hodja is designed so that it can be used as a reader or for storytelling.

When used as a reader, the stories progress from short and easy to longer and more complex. The first forty are wonderfully illustrated by Robert MacLean, and on the back of each of these is a page of prompts which can be used for a reconstruction exercise or as cues for retelling the tale orally, and there is space for notes. At the back of the book there are 26 new tales not included in the first edition.

To use the tales for storytelling, detach the perforated pages from the book (each page has a complete story), give each student a different tale, and have the students study, understand, and then swap tales with each other.