Help Your Child's Imagination Grow with Fairy tales and Folktales

One of the highlights of my writing career was when I retold 60 fairytales, folktales, and classic stories for Compass, a South Korean educational publisher. Compass publishes picture books for young children to help them learn English. While I remembered many of those stories from my childhood, the ones that were new to me helped me learn about the rich cultural heritage and traditions of the countries where the stories originated.

Most people use the words fairy tale and folktale interchangeably. But did you know that fairy tales have magic while folktales don’t? Reading them to young children has many benefits, such as:

· develop their imagination

· understand emotions

· impart wisdom

· teach moral values

With some classic tales, like Little Red Riding Hood, there are many versions of the same story. According to the Smithsonian Magazine, “There are at least 58 versions of similarly themed [Little Red Riding Hood] stories around the world, from Japan to Africa to Korea.” A new, charming retelling of a Korean folktale that is similar to Little Red Riding Hood is called Sun, Moon, and Star: A Folktale from Korea. It releases in three weeks, February 24, 2026.

Author and artist Nancy So Miller came across the folktale The Three Sisters in a collection of Korean folktales translated into English. Nancy imagined the main characters as her sister and herself and started writing her own retelling.

Sun, Moon, and Star is beautifully told. This version is different enough from Little Red Riding Hood to be enjoyed on its own. Instead of one girl, there are three sisters. Instead of a wolf, the sisters outsmart a tiger. The artwork is fascinating. Nancy created intricate, cut-paper art scenes and photographed them. The book evokes a different time and place, one long, long ago. I highly recommend this charming retelling. An instant classic.

Here’s the tiger paper craft. (NOTE: It needs to be printed on cardstock to stand up.)

Nancy gives easy to follow, step-by-step instructions in this 6-minute video to complete the tiger paper craft here. Parents can help children depending on their age and ability.

Win some book swag from Nancy by leaving a comment listing your favorite fairytale!

Nancy So Miller (서혜석) is a Korean American children’s book author/illustrator and traveling art teacher based in Savannah, Georgia. She creates handmade, dimensional paper worlds that capture the magic and joy of childhood, inviting viewers to feel part of the moment.

Link to purchase the book Sun, Moon, and Star.

Link to Nancy So Miller’s website.

Linkr.ee for Amy Houts, author of 100+ picture books for children.

Which 60 fairytales, folktales, and classic stories did Amy retell for Compass Publishing? See here.