Two hungry travelers arrive at a village expecting to find a household that will share a bit of food, as has been the custom along their journey. To their surprise, villager after villager refuses to share, each one closing the door with a bang. As they sit to rest beside a well, one of the travelers observes that if the townspeople have no food to share, they must be "in greater need than we are." With that, the travelers demonstrate their special recipe for a magical soup, using a stone as a starter. All they need is a carrot, which a young girl volunteers. Not to be outdone, another villager contributes a potato, and the soup grows as others bring corn, celery, and other vegetables and seasonings. In this cumulative retelling of an ancient and widely circulated legend, author Heather Forest shows us that when each person makes a small contribution, the collective impact can be huge. Susan Gaber's paintings portray the optimism and timelessness of a story that celebrates teamwork and generosity
In this award-winning home-grown version of "The Three Little Pigs," the villain is, naturally, a fox - the Appalachian red fox, who any local hunter will tell you is a worthy and cunning opponent. Davis's storytelling skills make full use of the tale's inherent repetition, capturing the mountain rhythms, homestead setting, and rural wisdom of the Appalachians. The bright watercolors depict a clever fox and capture the eastern mountain terrain that has shaped this unique version of a well-known tale.
When the barnyard animals are invited to a party by their neighbors, they dress in their Sunday best and set off for a day of merriment. But when dinnertime arrives, the famished animals are perplexed to find a simple meal of cornbread. Most of them are polite but Rooster turns his beak up in disgust and rudely leaves the party, missing the treasures hidden for the guests. The surprising twist at the end of the story explains why, ever since, Rooster scratches in the dirt. Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss capture the rhythms and idioms of this rural Southern tale, and Don Tate's whimsical acrylics serve up a regular hoedown of fun.
A little Red Hen lived in a house, with a frisky dog, a cat, and a mouse. So begins this fresh look at a beloved old fable. The little Red Hen's frisky housemates, Dog, Cat, and Mouse, would rather play than settle down to daily chores such as planting, cutting, and grinding wheat. But when the wheat is used to make a delicious cake, the little creatures are more than happy to help eat it! Heather Forest's rhythmic retelling captures the chaos of daily living and celebrates the spirit of teamwork inherent in the tale. Susan Gaber's whimsical illustrations transport the reader to a cozy cottage where the little Red Hen helps others learn how to help her even if it is more effort than doing the work herself.
When a rich man is rescued from thieves by a smelly, slobbery dog, the man offers the dog any treasure is his house as a reward. The treasure that the dog chooses is the rich mans daughter. With great sadness, the daughter honors her fathers promise and goes to live with the dog. Over time, a friendship grows between the girl and the dog, but she still misses her father. In this tale from Great Britain, award winning author, Margaret Read MacDonald puts a new spin on the classic story, Beauty and the Beast, reminding us all that appearances can be deceiving and that compassion can be powerful.
Have you ever heard the saying, Your eyes are bigger than your stomach? Well, Cat's stomach is bigger than a lot of things. He is always hungry, and living with culinary-inclined Mouse, who makes thirty-five pies in one day, just makes it worse. Fat Cat swallows everything in sight, including the washlady and her washtub, a troop of soldiers and their swords, even a king and his elephant! But when Cat swallows Mouse and her sewing basket, that's the last straw. Tiny Mouse cuts to the heart of the situation, taking an upside-down world and turning it right-side-up again. Greedy Cat learns his lesson and turns fat into fancy, fabulous, and fantastic. Margaret Read MacDonald's infectious energy combines with Julie Paschkis's folk-inspired gouache paintings to create a new retelling of a favorite comic cumulative tale.
A wise rabbi uses a pillow full of feathers to teach a gossipy villager a lesson on what happens when a person's reputation and trust are harmed by someone's negative, mean-sprited remarks.
In this action packed folktale from Panama, a clever little rabbit and his Tía Mónica find ways to outwit a fox, a tiger, and a lion, all of whom want to eat him for lunch.
This hilarious Maynard Moose tale as retold by master storyteller Willy Claflin takes us on another whimsical journey with the misadventures of a Bully Goat who suffers from Random Hostility Syndrome. The Bully Goat clashes with a three headed troll family and is undone by a baby girl troll when she suddenly realizes that everybody ought to mess with him! Her inspiration leads to a confrontation with the Bully Goat using only a pillow and three raggedy old bed sheets. After she cleverly outwits the Bully Goat, all of the forest animals follow her example and the threat of the bully is eliminated. Fortunately, everyone lives happily for never afterwords except for the Bully Goat since nobody likes a dubnoxious beastly. A Moose-English Glossary is included along with Hoofnotes to help guide you through the translation. This latest fractured fairy tale from the Piney Woods marks the third collaboration from the creative team who brought you the 2011Texas Bluebonnet Award winning book, The Uglified Ducky and the award winning Rapunzel & the Seven Dwarfs. James Stimson has worked his magic once again with his eclectic stylized illustrations that depict the humor of the offbeat trolls and capture the joy of the forest animals inhabiting the Piney Woods.
With a tiny, cluttered house, giggling children, and a snoring wife, the poor man can't get a good night's sleep. If only, he thinks, I had a big quiet house! He throws off his covers and goes to visit the wise old woman at the edge of the village. Surely she can help him solve his problem. And she does, but not without giving him some very unusual advice. Bring a chicken into your house, she suggests. And when that doesn't work, she has him add a goat, a horse, a cow, and even a sheep. The ending of the story proves, as so many ancient folktales do, that quite often, nonsense makes the best sense of all.
A primer of the familiar fairy-tale devices of spells and potions, from who uses them to their effects upon recipients, plus famous stories and movies in which they have appeared.
A primer of the familiar fairy-tale setting of enchanted castles, from what makes them spellbound to who inhabits them, plus famous stories and movies in which they have appeared.
A primer of the familiar fairy-tale characters of magical creatures, from the various forms they take to the tricks they play, plus famous stories and movies in which they have appeared.
A primer of the familiar fairy-tale characters of fairy godmothers, from how they use their magical powers to those they help, plus famous stories and movies in which they have appeared.
A primer of the familiar fairy-tale characters of princes and princesses, from what they are like to whom they interact with, plus famous stories and movies in which they have appeared.
A girl and a boy watch a stranger build a dragon in the sand. The dragon must wait for the night tide to set it free. But there is danger on the beach. As the sea crawls closer, other children come. They jump and play and the dragon begins to dissolve beneath their feet. The boy and the girl must keep the dragon safe until the sea can free him.
Doors in the Air is the story of a boy who is fascinated by doors. He marvels at how stepping through a doorway can take him from one world to another. He is especially enthralled by the doors of his imagination, which he refers to as "doors in the air." He delights in discovering that when he passes through these doors, he leaves behind all feelings of boredom, fear and unpleasantness. Doors in the Air is a lilting journey through house doors, dream doors and, best of all, doors in the air.
Lucy Goose is having a difficult time with all the names she's being called by the other animals in the barnyard. After confronting each one, she reveals her real name and her real heritage. She is actually the great-, great-granddaughter of Mother Goose.
This is a rhyming twist on the tale of Red Riding Hood. All the animals are discovering that food is missing and all they see is a red blur as they try to unravel the mystery of who could be doing this. When they arrive at Little Red's house they determine it was her and she was feeding wolf pups with the food she had taken because they had no mother. Astonished, because wolves were their enemies, they decide to transport the tiny wolf pups to Yellowstone.
Clever word play and comic-book style illustrations showcase the adventures of two "bad eggs" who run amok until Chip--one smart cookie--steps in!
Rumpelstiltskin is back! This time he's making mischief with his multiplying stick. Can Peter unlock the secret of the stick in time to save the kingdom? Whimsical illustrations bring fun to multiplying whole numbers and fractions.
Thump, creaak, clink-clunk . . . MOOOOO! Mr. and Mrs. Noodleman don't know what to do. They've left city life behind and moved to the country with hopes of being farmers. But their dreams turn grim when nightly visits from Boo Cow scare the Noodlemans' hens so much, they won't lay any eggs! These first-time farmers are at a loss. Why is Boo Cow haunting them, and how can they banish this ghostly bovine visitor? Baehr's fun and accessible text make this book a great read-aloud. With unexpected twists and turns, Boo Cow keeps readers guessing as they attempt to solve the mystery on the Noodlemans' farm. This book is good for your brain because: Great read-aloud, encourages audience participation, promotes the importance of learning about others before we judge them
Get ready for an alphabet revolution! X is exasperated. Every other letter in the alphabet has so much to do and plays such important roles in making words. X expects more. He calls for a vote on a new alphabet (gasp!). According to the Alphabet Constitution, X has every right to question the status quo. But the night before the vote, X is plagued by dreams of what could happen if he were to take on another letter's job. S has to run around a lot making singular words plural, except sometimes he isn't needed at all, and sometimes he needs to bring along another letter... it was all very confusing. Then X thought he'd like to be E. E was very important and very useful. E agreed. But E was exhausted. He was in thousands of words and constantly busy. X didn't think E's job was a good idea after all. Jef Czekaj explores the order of the alphabet and the rules of spelling and grammar with hilarious consequences. His graphic-novel-style illustrations make these concepts and the story of X exciting, exhilarating, and extraordinary.
