Vassilisa The Wise

A clever and beautiful woman uses her wits to get her husband out of Prince Vladimir’s prison.

First Snow, Magic Snow

A little girl made from the magical first snow lives with a lonely man and his wife through the winter, and when she disappears in the spring, the couple set out in search of her.

Firebird

“In the shadow of King Vaslav’s Palace was a marvelous garden, and in the middle of that garden stood a tree that grew apples of solid gold, each one as dazzling as the sun.”Someone is stealing the king’s famous golden apples, and the culprit must be found. The palace gardener spots the luminous Firebird snatching the apples in the night. The king’s two oldest sons are sent to capture it but fail. So Ivan, the youngest son, must go on the dangerous quest, befriending a gray wolf, winning both the Firebird and the heart of the beautiful Princess Helen. Saviour Pirotta’s powerful retelling of this classic folktale plumbs the heart of human fears, courage, and love.

I-Know-Not-What, I-Know-Not-Where: A Russian Tale

A retelling of a Russian fairy tale in which an archer assigned many dangerous quests by the greedy, cruel czar wins a crown and the woman of his dreams.

Little Rooster’s Diamond Button

Little Rooster is happy to find a diamond button-it’s a perfect present for his mistress. Then along comes the King, who snatches the button for his treasure chamber! And when Little Rooster demands the button back, the King is so furious he has Little Rooster thrown into a well. One thing the King doesn’t know: Little Rooster has a magic stomach. Water? Fire? Bees? No problem! Children will cheer for the spunky hero of Margaret Read MacDonald’s sparkling retold tale, which she has been sharing with children since 1965. Will Terry’s vibrant and funny paintings complete the delight. The author lives in Washington State; the illustrator lives in California.