The American Book of Fables

From the Everglades to the Great Lakes, from the sequoias of California to the rocky islands of Maine, The American Book of Fables invites readers to rediscover the beauty of America—her lands, her people, and her principles of liberty, law, and love.

In this heirloom collection of original and adapted fables, best-selling author and educator Matthew Mehan reimagines Aesop for the New World, replacing lions and tigers with buffalo, eagles, manatees, and other creatures of our own blessed land. Each tale—crafted in the rhythms of classic verse and prose—reveals the joyful and hard-won harmony between faith, virtue, and freedom, showing how the gifts and laws of nature and nature's God can continue to guide and free the hearts of all Americans in their pursuit of happiness.

With sections "for Littles, Middles, and Bigs," the book speaks to all ages. The youngest will delight in playful rhymes; older children will ponder and laugh with amusing moral tales; adults will savor Mehan's rich wit, historical wonder, and layered reflections on the human heart. Together, the book will help Americans to recapture that wit and wisdom, that gratitude and self-government, which are the foundations of both a good life and a great republic.

Featuring luminous realist-impressionist illustrations by acclaimed painter John Folley—each an homage to American art, history, and landscape—this volume is both a moral treasury and a work of beauty.

For families seeking to renew their love for nature, neighbor, God, and country, The American Book of Fables is more than a book—it is a keepsake, a handbook of liberty, and a celebration of the providence and the inspired generations that shaped America and that still calls her—and us—to greatness today.

Matthew Mehan is Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Government at the Van Andel Graduate School of Government at Hillsdale College's Washington, D.C. campus. He has taught and designed humanities and leading citizenship curricula for over twenty-five years. Trained as a literary scholar, he earned a B.A. in Politics, an M.A. in English, and an honors Ph.D. in Literature from the University of Dallas. Mr. Mehan is the author of The Handsome Little Cygnet and Mr. Mehan's Mildly Amusing Mythical Mammals, a best-selling illustrated book of poetry praised as “a new classic” in children’s literature. He writes for both scholarly and popular audiences, with bylines in outlets such as The Wall Street Journal. He lives in Virginia with his lovely wife and their children.

"The American Book of Fables is a wild and wondrous work of imagination — but its real literary achievement is that it is a beautiful and unifying testament to our country's incomparable moral and civic greatness. It will not only inspire parents and children alike to think deeply about what it means to be American — it will leave them mindful of the principles and culture that will sustain and preserve that greatness for generations to come."
Mollie Hemingway
Three-time New York Times best-selling author, editor, and journalist

"Matthew Mehan’s American Book of Fables celebrates America’s 250th birthday in grand style, reconnecting the principles of liberty, equality, and the rule of law to the history, the people, and especially the beautiful lands and waters of our amazing United States of America.”
Christopher Rufo
New York Times bestselling author of America’s Cultural Revolution

"Perfect for reading aloud together, The American Book of Fables is a loving celebration of America’s landscape, heritage, and enduring ideals. Beautifully illustrated by John Folley, this patriotic treasury reminds us — and teaches the next generation — of the high principles, dangerous freedoms, and shared memories that make our country not just great, but good."
Justin Shubow
President of the National Civic Art Society

"Mehan writes a book that is an adventure in America. In it, the reader might cross the Mississippi, explore the Great Plains, or charge up the Rockies—and he will find all sorts of creatures, big and small, along the way. The American Book of Fables explores the timeless virtues of our country in all their glory: the natural, the literary, and the political. And like America, a trip through her pages cannot but leave the journeyer charmed and more edified for the effort."
Dr. Larry P. Arnn
President of Hillsdale College

"I feel deprived: I didn't have The American Book of Fables when I was a young boy. Mehan's new book is beautiful and profound and enthralling and inspiring. I love it, and I am glad for all those young (in age and at heart) men and women who do have it now. Thank you Mr. (Dr.) Mehan!"
Alvaro de Vicente
Headmaster of The Heights School