Zinnia: How The Corn Was Saved

A retelling of the Indian legend which explains why the Navajo always plant a scattering of zinnia flowers among their food crops and respect every spider.

The Fire Stealers

Tells how several animals failed in their efforts to steal fire for the Hopis, but eventually Vulture succeeded.

La Llorona / The Weeping Woman

La Llorona (yoh-RROH-nah), now available for the first time in a full-color paperback, is the ghost story to end all ghost stories and truly the most popular cuento of Hispanic America. This story of the weeping woman appears at first to be only a frightening tale filled with mysterious events which cause children to sit wide-eyed. Yet it’s the simple, universal wisdom at the core of the story that finally works its magic into their hearts. Joe Hayes is best known for his bilingual tellings of stories from the American Southwest. La Llorona is one of his favorite stories.

El Cucuy: A Bogeyman Cuento (English And Spanish)

So, you’ve been in trouble. Your -parents tell you they’re calling the bogeyman. You laugh. There’s no such thing!

Then—you hear a sharp knock. Standing at the door is the oldest man you have ever seen. It’s el Cucuy (coo-COO-ee)! With that big red ear, he hears everything!

In this cautionary tale, storyteller Joe Hayes tells about two girls who didn’t believe in el Cucuy until he snatched them up. Of course, the story has a happy ending.

The Busy Beaver

The busy but careless beaver spends his days following random impulses, rarely thinking things through and leaving in his wake a devastated forest filled with stumps, half-nibbled trees and injured, homeless animals. But then one day the beaver finds himself on the wrong side of a falling tree, which as it turns out, is just the thing to knock some sense into him. After reflecting on his behavior, he decides to make some changes. Soon, the now wiser and gentler beaver is getting down to the business of making things right, much to the delighted surprise of his forest friends.

The Mermaid of Warsaw

Enchanting, wicked and often very funny, Poland’s folk tales are one of the great treasures of Central Europe. Crowned by the story of The Mermaid of Warsaw, the eight colourful tales in this collection include Skarbnik’s Second Breakfast, set deep in the Wieliczka salt mines, The Turnip-Counter from Karkonosze and The Copper Coin of Wineta, alongside stories from Poznan and the Polish lakes.

Moon Rope: Un Lazo a la Luna

An adaptation of the Peruvian folktale in which Fox and Mole try to climb to the moon on a rope woven of grass.

Tales from India: Stories of Creation and the Cosmos

Come on a journey with renowned storyteller Jamila Gavin as she writes of great floods, legendary romances, and epic battles between good and evil. This new collection of Hindu tales, including the birth of the gods, tales of creation, and the arrival of humans, is illuminated by Amanda Hall’s exquisite artwork, which reflects the influence of both classical and contemporary Indian art.

Monkey: A Trickster Tale from India

Monkey is hungry for the delicious mangoes on the island in the river, but he can’t swim! How will he get there? Crocodile offers to carry Monkey across the water on his back, so Monkey hops aboard. Trouble is, Crocodile is hungry, too—for Monkey! Will clever Monkey come up with a way to get the mangoes and escape Crocodile’s sharp teeth?   Master storyteller and artist Gerald McDermott brings the vibrant colors of India to his telling of this classic trickster tale, which has plenty of cleverness and a sprinkling of mischief.