SuitabookEast Lothian Folk Tales for Children
Tim Porteus
- Reading
- Treat the collection as a series of separate encounters rather than assuming every tale has the same mood. After each story, invite your child to describe its atmosphere and what remains unresolved.
- Themes
- Landscape and local legend: The tales connect mysterious stories with East Lothian’s landscape, including an ancient tree and Hanging Rock Cave. The book?s stance on this remains unclear.
- Supernatural imagination: The collection features magical beings, supernatural figures and eerie events. The book?s stance on this remains unclear.
- Transformation and unusual identity: One tale asks how a rat became more than just a rat; another concerns the Skeleton Boy’s home in a cave. These premises suggest stories about unusual identity or transformation, but their meanings and outcomes cannot be determined.
- Worth knowing
- Before reading aloud, check how your child responds to eerie folklore. You could begin with a less unsettling tale, pause after frightening moments and discuss whether the story feels mysterious, amusing or alarming.