In George Shannon’s The Knock at the Door , 34 English-language tales from 35 cultures and one Spanish-language tale from Mexico centre around one theme: a dangerous character knocks at the door and pretends to be a familiar, protective family member or friend to those inside who have been warned not to open the door to strangers. But once the door is opened, the adventures begin. Beginning with Aesop’s sixth century B.C. story in fable form, each of the tales in The Knock at the Door shares a more developed and expansive variation of the initial theme. Tales are represented from Europe, Asia, Africa, India and sections of the Americas and contain a wide range of narrative twists and diversity of tones. Following the tales section, the tales notes section lists each source of sources, including the date and place and manner in which the tale was collected, if available. In addition, A Telling Look at Pictures examines the many ways The Knock at the Door has been illustrated and what these artists have to offer the storyteller. Sharing the Family explores ways the teacher, librarian or storyteller can link the cultural context of a tale to the audience’s interests.
A Door with Many Windows offers a bibliography of psychological, social and legal interpretations of The Knock at the Door . The book concludes with a bibliography of reference sources.