Search Results: 149 books from 19 publishers. Learn more

Baa Baa, Black Sheep and Baa Baa, Pink Sheep

Mick Gower (author), O'Kif (illustrator)

Publisher: Crabtree Publishing Company ISBN: 9781427180377

Read the traditional nursery rhyme Baa, Baa, Black Sheep first, then enjoy a fun new rhyme. Can you make up a rhyme of your own?

The Woman Who Flummoxed the Fairies

Heather Forest (author), Susan Gaber (illustrator)

Publisher: August House ISBN: 9781939160713

According to this Scottish folktale, long ago sweet-toothed fairies flew into peoples homes and feasted on leftover cake crumbs. But the King of the Fairies was annoyed that crumbs never remained from the very best cakes baked by the talented bakerwoman so he orders the fairies to capture her and bring her down to the Fairy Kingdom. The resourceful woman requests items from her kitchen at home, where her bewildered husband looks on as utensils and ingredients float out of the window, borne by invisible fairies. Eventually she strikes a clever bargain with the impatient Fairy King to win her freedom and return home in return for sharing her tasty cakes.

The Uglified Ducky

Willy Claflin (author), James Stimson (illustrator)

Publisher: August House ISBN: 9780874839531

You may think you know the classic story of the Ugly Duckling, but think again. In the capable hands of his alter ego Maynard Moose, renowned storyteller Willy Claflin takes us on a wacky journey where this Uglified Ducky, a hapless young moose, "blunders away" from his home, is mistaken for a baby duck, and endures endless humiliation as he tries to learn to waddle, quack, swim, and fly. Eventually, he finds his true "fambly," who helps him discover his own beauty. In his fractured Moose English, translated in the glossary at front, Maynard relays a surprisingly tender story that echoes the original tale's theme of the struggle to belong and discover your true self. The Uglified Ducky's quest is playfully but sympathetically interpreted in James Stimson's luminous, droll gouache illustrations.

Rapunzel and the Seven Dwarfs

Willy Claflin (author), James Stimson (illustrator)

Publisher: August House ISBN: 9780874839142

Only Maynard Moose could dream up this hilarious story that mashes up three fractured fairy tales by combining the stories of Rapunzel's golden locks with Sleeping Beauty along with Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs to create a bizarre adventure story.

Stone Soup

Heather Forest (author), Susan Gaber (illustrator)

Publisher: August House ISBN: 9780874836028

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

The Pig Who Went Home on Sunday

Donald Davis (author), Jennifer Mazzucco (illustrator)

Publisher: August House ISBN: 9780874838510

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.

Hidden Feast

Martha Hamilton, Mitch Weiss (author), Don Tate (illustrator)

Publisher: August House ISBN: 9780874837582

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.

Little Red Hen

Heather Forest (author), Susan Gaber (illustrator)

Publisher: August House ISBN: 9780874837957

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.

The Great Smelly, Slobbery, Small-Tooth Dog

Julie Paschkis (author), Julie Paschkis (illustrator)

Publisher: August House ISBN: 9780874838084

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.

Fat Cat

Margaret Read MacDonald (author), Julie Paschkis (illustrator)

Publisher: August House ISBN: 9780874837650

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.

Feathers

Heather Forest (author), Marcia Cutchin (illustrator)

Publisher: August House ISBN: 9780874837551

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.

Conejito

Margaret Read MacDonald (author), Valerio Geraldo (illustrator)

Publisher: August House ISBN: 9780874837797

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.

A Big Quiet House

Heather Forest (author), Susan Greenstein (illustrator)

Publisher: August House ISBN: 9780874836042

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.

Kishka for Koppel

Aubrey Davis (author), Sheldon Cohen (illustrator)

Publisher: Orca Book Publishers ISBN: 9781554693009

In this fresh take on a classic tale, a magic meat grinder helps a poor Jewish couple learn a little gratitude after the three wishes it grants them go awry. A cautionary story that questions today's consumerism and excessiveness, Kishka for Koppel, like the best folktales, can help children and adults alike to look both beyond and within.

My Name Is Not...

J. Jean Robertson (author)

Publisher: Rourke Publishing ISBN: 9781618104410

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.

Little Red Riding Hood

Richelle Selleck (author)

Publisher: Rourke Publishing ISBN: 9781618104441

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.

Paul Bunyan

Robin Koontz (author, illustrator)

Publisher: Rourke Publishing ISBN: 9781618104465

Paul and Babe are summoned to help the people of Shadowtown move their house to the sunny side of the mountain, but Babe's strength kept hurling the houses too far. So a young boy named Ezra devises a plan to tempt Babe with a basket of apples that help her to slowly push the houses to the exact spot they wanted. All the houses were moved and they celebrated while Babe takes a nap.

Rumpelstiltskin

Robin Koontz (author, illustrator)

Publisher: Rourke Publishing ISBN: 9781618104472

Alden promises to build the people of Thatchville new homes after theirs had been blown away in a windstorm. After having some trouble he runs into a beaver who supplies him with bamboo to build the homes in the promise that Alden would not follow him. Needing more bamboo Alden ventures into the forest again and this time the beaver would only give him more bamboo if he could guess his name. When Alden could not the beaver left, and Alden broke his promise and followed the beaver to the bamboo forest. After apologizing for breaking his promise and following the beaver, he decided to supply Alden with more bamboo.

The Sweet Touch

Lorna Balian (author), Lecia Balian (illustrator)

Publisher: Star Bright Books ISBN: 9781595724106

A modern day version of King Midas' Touch. When the gumball machine delivers a ring instead of bubble gum, Peggy can't hide her disappointment. After turning the ring round and round on her finger, a genie appears and grants her one wish for the "sweet touch."

The Magic Flute

Adapted by Kyra Teis (author), Kyra Teis (illustrator)

Publisher: Star Bright Books ISBN: 9781595723239

All of the elements of a classic fairy-tale are present in this simple retelling of the Mozart opera.

A Donkey Reads

Muriel Mandell (author), André Letria (illustrator)

Publisher: Star Bright Books ISBN: 9781595723789

A fanciful adaptation of a Turkish folktale that tells the story of a poor villager, a donkey, and a wise man whose clever plan outwits a tyrannical Mongol ruler.

The Bremen Town Musicians

Brian Wildsmith (author), Brian Wildsmith (illustrator)

Publisher: Star Bright Books ISBN: 9781595724328

A retelling of the Grimm Brother's beloved tale about five animals who travel together to Bremen, and encounter an unexpected result along the way.

Boo Cow

Patricia Baehr (author), Margot Apple (illustrator) (illustrator)

Publisher: Charlesbridge ISBN: 9781580892995

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

A Call for a New Alphabet

Jef Czekaj (author, illustrator)

Publisher: Charlesbridge ISBN: 9781580892285

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.