Brad Sneed brings his zany and creative talents to the world of Aesop. In his signature style of tricky perspectives, amusing exaggerations, and rich, delicate watercolors, his animal characters are beautifully realistic and yet humorously human, as they mimic a wide range of human feelings . . . and foibles. The stories of Aesop have been told and retold over the centuries; in his lively adaptation Brad Sneed updates the language and infuses these fifteen stories with a sense of humor that children will enthusiastically enjoy. And once again, as in his popular alphabet book Picture a Letter, Brad has included a wordless bonus for sharp-eyed readers of all ages-a sixteenth tale told only in pictures is hidden somewhere between the covers.
Age
Catalog sorted by age group
The Hobyahs
Forest goblins called the Hobyahs come creeping in the dead of night toward a little girl and the old man and woman with whom she lives, but the Hobyahs are in for a surprise.
Tollins: Explosive Tales For Children
These are the first three stories of the Tollins. Yes, they do have wings, but no, they aren’t fairies. Tollins are a lot less fragile than fairies. In fact, the word fragile can’t really be used about them at all. They are about as fragile as a house of brick. In “How to Blow Up Tollins” a fireworks factory comes to the village of Chorleywood and the Tollins find themselves being used as industrial supplies. Being blasted into the night sky or spun round on a Catherine wheel is nowhere near a much fun as it sounds. It’s up to one young Tollin to save his people from becoming an ingredient. In “Sparkler and the Purple Death” our hero look execution in the face. Luckily, the executioner’s mask in backwards. Finally, in “Windbags and Dark Tollins” Tollin society faces a threat from the Dorset countryside, which, again, is much more frightening and nail-bitingly dramatic than it actually sounds.
Unique Monique
Monique hates her school uniform. Who wants to wear brown and blue? Monique wants to be different. One day she finds a trunk filled with her mother’s old clothes, and the next day , and the day after that, and the day after that Monique transforms her boring old brown and blue, (and herself), until she finally learns that no matter what you wear, individuality always shines.
Mr. Semolina-Semolinus: A Greek Folktale
Since she cannot find the perfect man to marry, feisty Princess Areti decides to create a man of her own, Mr. Semolina-Semolinus, out of sugar, almonds, and semolina wheat, but when he is kidnapped by an evil queen, Areti must brave a perilous journey to get him back.
Iron John
With help of Iron John, the wild man of the forest who is under a curse, a young prince makes his way in the world and finds his true love.
Once Upon A Time, Though It Wasn’t in Your Time, and It Wasn’t in My Time, and It Wasn’t In Anybody Else’s Time…
Three folktales–“The Fox, the Hare, and the Cock,” “The Girl and the Geese,” and “Battibeth”–are retold by an expert in fairytales and folklore in a new edition designed to be read aloud.
Aesop’s Fox
One summer morning, Fox awakens and begins his search for food. His travels take him to a vineyard, where the unreachable grapes are probably sour, and to a conversation with Rooster and Crow, during which flattery first fails but then succeeds. Fox meets–among others–foolish Donkey, wise Boar, vain Leopard, and shrewd Lion. With each meeting, Fox gains wisdom–until at the end of the day, falling asleep in the hollow of a tree, he says, “Time fixes everything.” And so it does.
Sleeping Beauty
Amidst light, shadow, and magic emerge the drama of a king’s decision, an angry thirteenth fairy, a prince undaunted by a wall of brambles, and a lovely princess, fast asleep. For at that moment, a thicket of briars grew tall and wide around her court and castle, enveloping it with mystery. A legend began to spread.
The Wanderings Of Odysseus
A master storyteller and an award-winning illustrator evoke the golden age of mythical Greece in this spirited retelling of The Odyssey.