The traditions of Western fairy tales and African oral storytelling are beautifully combined with bold and colorful illustrations in a collection of stories that celebrate the ingenuity and compassion of four young heroines.
Folklore and Fairy Tales
Arabian Nights
A retelling of three tales from the “Arabian Nights” including “Aladdin,” “The Queen of the Serpents,” and “The Lost city of Ubar.”
Pea Boy and Other Stories from Iran
Retells folktales and fables from Iran, including the story of a mouse and a cockroach who fell in love, a foolish weaver’s apprentice, and a boy with the head of a chickpea.
The Arabian Nights
Sheherezade, daughter of King Shahryar’s advisor, tells her husband a different story every night to keep the king from killing her.
The Tale Of Ali Baba And The Forty Thieves: A Story From The Arabian Nights
A poor woodcutter discovers the hidden treasures of a band of robbers, survives great danger, and brings riches to his whole family.
The Enchanted Storks: A Tale Of Bagdad
The Calif of Baghdad is turned into a stork by an evil sorcerer, the only one who knows the magic word that will restore the Calif to his human form.
Tales Told In Tents
Retells folktales from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, and includes several stories that cross regional lines, proverbs, riddles, and poems.
Why are some carpets magic? What is a wish-tree? And where can the fountain of eternal life be found? The answers to these and many other intriguing questions can be found in Sally Pomme Clayton’s enchanted storytelling journey through Central Asia. On her travels in the region, Sally has accumulated a wealth of folklore and knowledge of nomadic cultures. The 12 exotic retellings of stories related to the author in storytelling tents are linked by a mix of memories spiced with homespun wisdom, as she retraces her steps through Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tadjikistan and Afghanistan. Sophie Herxheimer’s brilliantly-patterned artwork, together with a glossary and brief notes, combine to reveal the richness of these little-known, faraway lands of Central Asia.
The Adventures of Young Krishna, The Blue God of India
Diksha Dalal-Clayton retells the stories which enchanted her as a youngster–stories told to her by her grandmother, stories passed down through the generations. For centuries, the adventures of the young Krishna, the god who was always getting into trouble because of his boyish pranks, have delighted Indian boys and girls. Because he embodies both the human and the divine, the child-like and the god-like, Krishna is a favorite with both the young and the young at heart. Stories of the young Krishna’s adventures with gods and kings, his battles with demons, his flirtations with the girls of his village, are all retold with charm, grace and wit. Richly detailed illustrations enhance the text and rouse the imagination. These classic tales from Hindu mythology will open your child’s eyes to the richness and splendor of ancient Indian civilization.
The Monkey Bridge
A human king learns wisdom and compassion from a monkey king willing to make a great sacrifice for the good of his subjects.
The Ocean Of Story
A twelfth-century Sanskrit parallel to “The Princess and the Pea” is just one of the surprises in this unusual collection, in which wily peasants, scheming rajahs, and saintly brahmans mingle in stories full of spice and wit. “An intriguing collection of 18 stories….skillfully retold….Vibrant, richly patterned full-page paintings and delightful spot illustrations transport children to a magical country of long ago.”–School Library Journal.