Fiesta Feminina: Celebrating Women in Mexican Folktale

Deep in the lush Mexican forests, amidst the tall mountains and the rushing rivers, dwells a great goddess. Her broad torso bends to form the sky and her legs rise to become the valleys and deserts. She is the earth, the land of Mexico, and if you listen closely, you will hear her calling “tengo hambre, tengo hambre,” for she is always hungry. Gifted storyteller Mary-Joan Gerson draws from Mexico’s rich cultural traditions, including tales from the Mayan, Mixtec and Yaqui peoples to create an authentic collection that reflects the many faces of Mexico’s heroines. And Maya Christina Gonzalez’s vibrant paintings brilliantly capture the spark behind the stories, and the noble dignity of these eight extraordinary women.  The tales come from the different cultures of Mexico, all focusing on the important roles of women.

The Furry-Legged Teapot

In ancient Japan, a young tanuki, a raccoon dog that can change shapes, becomes stuck in the form of a teapot. Includes notes on the original Japanese folktale from which this story is derived.

The Lion’s Share : A Somali Folktale

The Lion’s Share is one of the most widely known animal fables throughout Somalia. It is told for entertainment but also for its wisdom about the misuse of power. At different times in history the folktale was retold in poems, songs, and other prose.

The Fish And Their Gifts

The Fish and their gifts is a student-created product. Written and illustrated by ten middle and high school students, this book is the result of an interdisciplinary book-publishing project integrating English Language Arts, Fine Arts, Hawaiian Language, Hawaiian Studies, and Science and Technology.

The story is told in both English and Hawaiian about Hawaiian sea creature’s strength.

Tales Of Don Quixote

Never one to lose faith in his conviction that he is a knight from the books of chivalry, Don Quixote is up off his sickbed and back upon his faithful steed, Rocinante.  At his side, the long suffering squire, Sancho Panza, endures the rigors of his station, as his master sets out to right wrongs, defend the weak and on this final sally, disenchant his Lady Fair Dulcinea.

Der Standhafte Zinnsoldat

Two vanished dolls are discovered by a home builder. They are given to children and they are dumped after the children grew so that they didn’t need the dolls any more. The dolls’ journey begins from sewers, ocean, exotic foreign land, and placed in a museum in the end of the story.

The Steadfast Tin Soldier

Grandmother’s Tale

Every week, Nazan and her particular grandmother go to the market very Friday. Nazan loves shopping with Grandmother, because she tells such good stories while they shop. Waiting in the queue, Grandmother remembers her childhood in Turkey and Nazan watches the vegetables come to life.

English and Urdu bilingual book