Did My Mother Do That?

What was I like when I was born? The perennial question receives a fanciful response in a tale that takes an interspecies tour of mothers and babies. Holly loves to hear the story of the night when she was born—but first she needs to ask a lot of questions. Did her mother hatch her out of an egg? Did she carry Holly in her pocket? Maybe she fed her baby mice for dinner? As Holly and her dad rule out one imaginary scenario after another, little listeners will be eager to join in, while learning some interesting details along the way. And they’ll be just as comforted as Holly to hear one final, satisfying tale of a happy and loving human mother on the day her baby was born.

Skate Fate

I wanted to roar out. touch things i had never touched. to see if it was true. was i still here was this life still here. on this side. whatever you call it dude. wanted to touch everything like van Gogh touched and smeared everything when he painted. so i wrote it and spoke it. maybe mama would hear me. cuz i could hear her. sayin’ When your heart hurts, sing. wherever you go.

Lucky Z has always lived on the edge—he loved to skateboard, to drag race, to feel alive. But things have taken a turn—he’s living with new foster parents and a tragic past. An accident changed everything. And only his voice will set him free.

Juan Verdades: The Man Who Couldn’t Tell A Lie

A wealthy rancher is so certain of the honesty of his foreman that he wagers his ranch.

Ten Little Puppies/Diez Perritos

Ten little puppies are lost, one by one, for different reasons, until only one little puppy remains.

The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred

When a farm girl starts cooking, all the animals want to help. The cow contributes milk, the hen offers eggs, and even the duck makes a special trip to the market. Key English words change to Spanish as the story builds to a delicious ending.

Featured in Volume XIII, Issue 2 of WOW Review.

Go To Sleep, Gecko!: A Balinese Folktale

The author of The Girl Who Wore Too Much retells the folktale of the gecko who complains to the village chief that the fireflies keep him awake at night but then learns that in nature all things are connected.