Kids are in for Jurassic-size laughs as they follow a boy in his quest to bring a pterodactyl to school. And not just any pterodactyl: this one wards off bullies, loves to read stories, and makes an excellent science display. Hilarious illustrations capture the madcap imagination of the determined hero and his creative pleas to his teacher.
Joe Dumpty, Humpty's brother and private detective, thinks Humpty Dumpty's fall was no accident. But who would have pushed him? Was it Little Miss Muffet? Old Mother Hubbard? Chicken Little? Joe has until five o'clock to question characters and catch the culprit.
This diary reveals the secret hopes and dreams of a rather green and warty toad. Although his life is slightly damp and dull, it is his great hope that one day he will meet a princess and that one kiss will change his life.Meanwhile there is babysitting to do, and friends to meet at ‘The Knot’, where everyone has a good croak.
This diary records the problems of a lady with lots of feet and lots of shoes. She needs fluffy slippers to wear when she curls up with a good book. She needs wellingtons to wear when she fetches lunch from the garden. And best of all, beautiful sandals to dance in at the club. But when she loses a sandal, and is forced to miss the fun, she has no idea that someone will find the shoe and change her life for ever.
In this chain story from Cuba, Rooster learns that he needs a lot of help from his friends to get cleaned up in time for Heron's party. Then the real fun begins.
In this story from China, when a woodcutter finds a magic pot that makes two of everything that he puts inside of it, he thinks all of his troubles have disappeared! Or have his troubles merely doubled?
In Puerto Rico, there are many stories about Juan Bobo, a young man with a good heart, but little common sense. In this tale, Juan Bobo's mother tells him to take care of their pig while she goes to church. When the pig won't stop grunting, Juan Bobo decides that the pig must want to go to church as well.
If you love Maynard Moose tales from the Northern Piney Woods, then be forewarned, this book might just be the funniest yet. The fourth installment in the Maynard Moose series, provides the back story for the Maynard Moose tales. In this whimsical telling of how Little Moose struggled with going to sleep each night, you'll meet Little Moose, Maynard's youngest cousin and his favorite kin, her parents Mr. and Mrs. Moose, the sheep and most important you'll learn the legend of Mother Moose and her kitchen. You'll also visit Moose Academy where young moose go to learn proper posture, Woodland Skills and counting to three over and over again.
In this Choctaw variant of Aesop's fable "The Tortoise and the Hare," master storyteller Tim Tingle reveals some unexpected twists and expands the cast to include a wild turkey, a colony of ants, and a cheering squad of Little Bitty Turtles as well. When Rabbit boastfully challenges Turtle to a race, he gets his comeuppance and Turtle gets a little assist from his winged friend, Turkey. In the process, we learn why Turtle's shell is cracked and why you never see Rabbit racing Turtle today. The bold and vibrant illustrations capture not only the grasslands of the High Plains but also the demeanor of its animal inhabitants and the humor of the tale.
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.
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.
This lyrical picture book of 20 clever riddles challenges young readers to use their imagination to solve the word and picture puzzles.
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.
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.
This collection of world tales focuses on stories originating from nearly every continent. They are short, gripping stories that "kick in fast including comedy, trickster, tall tales and family themes for middle and young readers.
Kids love to tell stories among themselves, and the two most popular types are funny stories and scary stories. Scared Witless delivers double dividends - it contains thirteen stories that are funny and scary. These tales are surefire entertainment for sleepovers, summer camp and parties.
This collection of humorous folktales from around the world share one common feature: the character of a fool.
In this book, the award winning author shares humorous childhood memories of Christmas with his family in rural Appalachia.
Everyone remembers the exploits of Br'er Rabbit and his cohorts Br'er Fox, Br'er Possum, and other sly characters. But while these tales were circulating among slaves in the southern United States, another set of stories was passed along just as enthusiastically only here the clever tricksters were female. Who better to tackle the stories of these sister tricksters than the San Souci brothers? Utilizing a contagiously rhythmic, pitch-perfect dialect, writer Robert gleefully interprets the exploits of Molly Cottontail, Miz Grasshopper, Miz Duck, and Miz Goose against worthy (and not-so-worthy) foes such as Mistah Slickry Sly-fox, Mistah Rooster, and Mistah Bear. Brother Daniel's comically realistic paintings capture the slapstick frenzy of these characters engaged in battles of wits against the rural Southern landscape that nourished the tales in their infancy.
High John the Conqueror sometimes called simply High John or John was a slave trickster who always outwits Old Master. Much like Greek slave Aesop's animal characters, High John was the subject of a series of subversive narratives, whose mission was to outsmart his oppressors. Tall tales of High John's exploits flourished during slavery, but after emancipation they fell out of circulation and his antics were all but forgotten.
Posey Prefers Pink introduces an "it-must-be-pink" little girl named Posey and her patient-about-pink family. The story uses a lot of "p-word" alliteration in conveying Posey's preferences for pink furniture and decor, foods, clothes, and toys. She will throw a pink-hot tantrum when her parents try to insist on incorporating other colors into her clothing or food choices. But during a trip to the mall Posey surprises everyone--especially herself--when she suddenly prefers...a purple dress!
Elephant, Alligator, and Stork share poolside hijinks as they mix up their towels, tussle over ice cream, and compare diving styles. Best-selling author/illustrator Ethan Long brings his energetic and engaging style to this delightful story of poolside fun and summertime friendship.
An awesome series takes root! Animal Princess first appeared in The Totally Awesome Epic Quest of the Brave Boy Knight. Now she has her own trio of fulsomely funny adventures (with a cameo by Brave Boy Knight) set in a magical funkadelic kingdom ruled by Queen Mom and King Dad. Though they sometimes force her to wear awful, frilly dresses, Animal Princess prefers magical pajamas, quests, and battling three-headed wizards. Pink? Not her thing! It's radically awesome, big, funny fun!
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.
Kioko had been watching the matatus come and go for as long as he could remember. But today, for his fifth birthday, he climbs aboard one with his grandfather. As the matatu pulls away from the market, the village dogs chase after them. When Kioko asks his grandfather why the dogs always bark and chase after matatus, his grandfather tells him an entertaining tale about a dog, a goat and a sheep. Set in East Africa, The Matatu is a colorful story filled with many unexpected turns and twists along the way.
