Sandpiper finds her daily stroll on the beach interrupted by Whale, who boasts that he is ruler of the sea. Sandpiper responds with equal bravado, asserting her rights to the sand and seawater. Soon the rivals are calling in their cousins, and the beach and sea are filled with shorebirds and sea mammals of every stripe. The standoff grows ominous as Whale leads his cousins in an assault on the beach, eating the sand from under the birds. Sandpiper retaliates by ordering her cousins to drink up the ocean. Soon the landscape is filled with fish, crabs, and sea creatures gasping for survival. How will this end? The outcome of this timely yet timeless nature tale suggests that we are all connected in the ecological chain.
Carlos is working in the kitchen of the Mexican monastery when the cook enters the room in a panic. The Spanish Viceroy is on his way for a surprise visit and will arrive by noon, expecting dinner. What will the brothers feed this important ambassador to the king? Carlos tries to stay out of the way as lunch is hastily prepared, but his curiosity gets the best of him. His eagerness results in a moment of crisis, followed by what the brothers can only assume is a miracle. This story, inspired by the Mexican folk tradition, explains the origins of molé , the popular national dish that combines chocolate with turkey, spices, and nuts. Stefan Czernecki's amusing, angular illustrations capture the chaos in the kitchen as well as the folk tradition behind the tale.
Gecko may be small, but he has a giant-sized problem. Every night he is awakened by the fireflies outside his window. And when Gecko doesn't get his rest, he gets a little grumpy. So he goes to Elephant, the head of the village, to complain. His request that the fireflies stop working at night sets off a comical chain of problems for everyone in the village and complicates everyones life. Through this cumulative tale from the Balinese tradition, Gecko learns that his well-being depends on that of the entire village and he finally goes to sleep, a little wiser.
This story is a retelling of a traditional Bengali tale in which a kind and generous Indian barber, pressed by his father and then his wife to earn more money, cleverly persuades a ghost to bring him riches.
In this timeless tale from Thailand, a girl cannot decide which of her many silken dresses and lavish jewels to wear to the dance. So she wears them all. Her foolish decision teaches her a valuable lesson.
When the animals get together in the jungle, they discover that the noise that they have been making is indeed music. Celebrated author and master storyteller, Dylan Pritchett weaves a tale that helps us discover that we all have music inside just waiting to come out when the time is right. This original award winning story is based on the model of traditional African folktales.
In Mus White's skillful adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's classic folk story, "There Is No Doubt About It", the news that a hen has lost a feather grows into a humorous tale of five chickens engaged in battle as the story spreads from coop to coop and from hen to hen. Stefan Czernecki's bright primary illustrations and panel design reflect the comic boldness as each chicken passes along the story, until it is no longer recognizable to the original hen who started it in the first place.
Turtle loves to dance and play the flute. But her exuberance puts her at risk when her music attracts the attention of a brave hunter who brings her home to make turtle stew. After she is caught, her only hope for escape is the hunter's children ... and her own wit. This folktale, first told by the indigenous people of Brazil, is now told throughout Latin America. Like the people of Latin America, Turtle always seems to survive any challenge by using her courage and wit. Beautiful watercolors radiant with the dense foliage and hardy wildlife of the Amazon rain forest, guides the reader through this timeless adventure story.
Based on a fable from Aesop, the Sun and the Wind test their strength by seeing which of them can cause a man to remove his coat, demonstrating the value of using gentle persuasion rather than brute force as a means of achieving a goal.
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 collection of authentic stories from the years around 1492. These tales have been carefully crafted to sound as exciting and mysterious as they were when first told five hundred years ago by sailors around a lantern on a ship, shared by explorers reclining around a campfire, enjoyed by Native Americans in a grass hut, whispered inside a stone palace in the Totonac city of Zempoala, or fondly remembered by an adventurer back home in Europe.
This collection of fifty folktales and parables was selected from diverse story traditions such as Sufi, Zen, Taoist, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, African, and Native American. Comprised of ancient plots both poignant and comical, this anthology contains simple truths, common sense, and the promise that we can benefit from past generations' experience. Wisdom tales offer useful insights into life's joys and sorrows that all of us experience.
This collection of Hindu folktales for middle readers features stories about the Hindu god, Ganesha, who is easily recognized because of his elephant head. Krishnaswami introduces the stories by recalling her own introduction to Ganesha and goes on to offer a mythological context for the tales. Included among these classic stories are "Ganesha's Head", "The Broken Tusk", and "Why Ganesha Never Married". Most of the stories come from Hindu legend; one comes from Mongolia, where Ganesha made his way into the Buddhist tradition. The simple pen-and-ink illustrations support the themes and a helpful pronunciation guide and glossary are also included.
Nationally acclaimed storyteller J.J. Reneaux has compiled highly engaging animal stories, fairy tales, ghost stories, and humorous tales from her native Cajun culture.
This collection of 31 stories comes from all over the world and different variations can be found in a variety of cultures that have been passed over the grapevine and adapted in different cultural traditions.
This collection of delightful tales from around the world and through the ages explains why an animal, plant, or natural object looks or acts the way it does.
As a companion to her award-winning story collection Three Minute Tales, Margaret Read MacDonald has compiled another delightful collection of entertaining stories from around the world edited especially for the tastes and interests of young readers.
This collection of humorous folktales from around the world share one common feature: the character of a fool.
Nine traditional tales about insects from various parts of the world, including Mexico, Japan, Jamaica, and Fiji.
Nine inspiring folktales about heroes, including selections from Hungary, Switzerland, India, Japan, and other parts of the world. Each of these classic stories shares an inspiring message of courage and perseverance.
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.
A collection of nine traditional tales about leprechauns, dwarfs, shapeshifters and other enchanted creatures from various countries, including Russia, Norway, and Germany.
This collection of nine short stories features a range of cat "tales" from different countries that are especially worth sharing. You will find stories that explain why cats choose women over men, how cats trick other (in cat's view) "lesser" animals, how cats outwit humans, and how cats wait patiently for their time in the sun.
