From China to Burma, Afghanistan to America, this collection of fourteen familiar and little-known stories tells the tales of sons, brothers, kings, and trolls–men and boys united by a common heroism that comes from strength of character, wisdom, and compassion. These stories show that brains trump brawn every time.
A collection of traditional tales for telling or reading aloud, from such parts of the world as Spain, Russia, and Africa.
Presents nineteen folk tales from around the world.
Sedna was once a young woman who refused to marry, but the lies and deception of a treacherous bird and her own father’s cowardice lead her to a life of solitude at the bottom of the ocean. This book serves as an ideal introduction to the mythology of the first peoples to inhabit North America.
Inukpak was big, even for a giant. One day when he came across a little hunter on the tundra and decided to adopt him. And so, from the shoulder of one of the biggest giants to ever roam the Arctic, this hunter experiences Inukpak’s world.
Flora is playing with her brothers and sisters by the loch when she notices a stunning white horse. While her siblings clamour for a chance to ride the beautiful animal, Flora is worried.
“A picture book about the Greek god of the wild, shepherds, music, hunting and misrule, Pan.”
In this timeless Aesop’s fable, a fox and a crow vie for a piece of bread. The crow has it, but can the fox get it? This breathtakingly beautiful picture book adapted by Manasi Subramaniam and by Culpeo S. Fox is an exploration of this tale. Each page stands alone like a brilliant painting; when the pages come together, they tell us the story like never before.
In this retelling of Nankichi Niimi’s masterpiece, delicate watercolors bring to life the mischievous yet kind-hearted spirit of Gon, the Little Fox. Readers should proceed with caution as they begin this tale, however, especially as Gon is sure to win over their hearts. Like many Japanese folktales, Gon, The Little Fox does not exactly end happily; a circumstance which will inspire lively and provocative conversation among young readers. When readers first meet Gon, he is relishing his life as a rascally fox. Each day brings a new opportunity for him to stir up trouble in Nakayama. One day, however, he feels remorse for having killed an eel that was meant for the poor villager Hyoju’s dying mother. Ironically, it is this rare moment of conscience that leads Gon down a path that leads to his fate. As with all great folktales, the world of Gon, The Little Fox is both extremely familiar and extremely mysterious. This quality, as evident in both the text and illustrations, will greatly appeal to readers, both young and old.
In this version of the blind men and the elephant, based on a poem by Rūmī, Persian villagers try to figure out what strange animal in a dark barn has arrived from India.