One of the oldest and most treasured folktales in the world, Hansel and Gretel resonates deeply with young readers. Now Jane Ray revives this venerable story with a retelling that preserves the power of the tale.
Primary (ages 6-9)
Material appropriate for primary age groups
Rose Red & Snow White
Snow White and her sister, Red Rose, let a cold bear into their home to rest one night, but as he leaves, he warns them of the dangers of a little man, so when a evil dwarf shows up on the doorstep, the girls begin to get very worried.
Persephone and the Pomegranate
Demeter refuses to allow spring to appear until she has been reunited with her daughter Persephone, who has been abducted to the Underworld by Pluto.
The Seven Ravens
A little girl walks to the end of the world to find her seven brothers and free them from enchantment.
Cinderella
With the help of her fairy godmother, a beautiful young woman mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters attends the palace ball where she meets the prince whom she marries.
The First Marathon: The Legend of Pheidippides
Twenty-five hundred years ago, in ancient Greece, a small band of Greek soldiers faced the mighty Persian army on the plain of Marathon. A runner named Pheidippides ran to neighboring Sparta, one hundred forty miles away, to ask for the Spartans’ aid. Afterwards he sped back to the battle, where he helped defeat the enemy. Then the weary runner did his duty yet once more; he ran from Marathon to Athens to deliver the miraculous news of the Greek victory. The legend of brave Pheidippides has inspired the running of marathons worldwide.
The Bearskinner: A Tale of the Brothers Grimm
A dejected soldier makes a pact with the devil in this haunting, ultimately hopeful fairy tale. When a person gives up hope, is he still human? Such is the story of a soldier who has lost everything to war: his childhood home, his family and friends, his youth, and his innocence. Enter that sly opportunist, the devil, who wraps the soldier in the armor of a dead bear’s skin, fills its pockets with gold, and makes a dangerous and horrible wager.
Hercules
Journey back to ancient Greece and meet the greatest hero who ever lived-Hercules! With eleven difficult tasks behind him, he now must face the last and most terrifying. To bring back the three-headed monster dog, Cerberus, Hercules must enter the Underworld-where the dead go-and come back alive!
Days Of The Blackbird
Gemma, a young girl living in the mountains of northern Italy, asks the blackbirds to sing to her ailing father, Duca Gennaro, and only one blackbird decides to remain when the weather becomes cooler. The story of the origins of the Days of the Blackbird.
Adventures Of Pinocchio: Tale of a Puppet
From the comic opening of a piece of uncarved wood already endowed with a personality all its own, to the drama of the final moment when Pinocchio rejoices over his transformation into a flesh-and-blood boy, this is a work of irresistible charm. Full-color illustrations.