The author retells a story heard as a child, one of many invented to explain the landscape on willow pattern china, popular for the last 200 years. In this, two young Chinese lovers are punished by one’s cruel mandarin father.
Folklore and Fairy Tales
The Day Hans Got His Way
Convinced that his work in the field is harder than his wife’s work at home, a farmer trades places with her for the day.
East O’ the Sun and West O’ the Moon
A girl travels east of the sun and west of the moon to free her beloved prince from a magic spell.
The Talking Pot
A retelling of a Danish tale in which a magical talking pot causes a poor family to triumph over a rich couple.
The Little Mermaid
A little sea princess, longing to be human, trades her mermaid’s tail for legs, hoping to win the love of a prince and earn an immortal soul for herself.
The Perfect Wizard: Hans Christian Andersen
A biography of the famous Danish writer of fairy tales, interspersed with excerpts from his stories.
Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairytales
This compilation of eleven classic tales, including “The Princess and the Pea” and “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” provides readers of all ages a richly illustrated introduction to these timeless tales.
The Tinderbox
With the help of a magic tinderbox given to him by a witch, a soldier finds a fortune and pursues a princess imprisoned in a castle, in an edition of a classic tale of dark adventure.
The Emperor’s New Clothes
In this version of Andersen’s tale by John A. Rowe, the emperor loves shopping and new clothes, but he is still tricked by two rascals.
Unwitting Wisdom: An Anthology of Aesop’s Fables
For over 2,500 years the simple stories and wry humor of Aesop’s fables have entertained children and adults alike. Their lessons have seeped into the very fabric of our language, as evidenced by expressions such as ‘sour grapes’ and ‘a wolf in sheep’s clothing.’ Through the centuries many artists have risen to the challenge of interpreting their favorite tales. In this magnificent edition, award-winning illustrator Helen Ward has chosen a dozen of her favorite fables, creating with words and watercolors.