Donso, a West African hunterman, learns the importance of living in harmony with nature and the necessity of placing humans among, not above, all other living things.
The Hunterman And The Crocodile
Folklore and Fairy Tales
The Hatseller and the Monkeys
An African version of the familiar story of a man who sets off to sell his hats, only to have them stolen by a treeful of mischievous monkeys.
Sugar Cane: A Caribbean Rapunzel
A version of the folktale Rapunzel, set in the Caribbean.
Rama and Sita
A children’s retelling of the epic story from India and Southeast Asia. Rama marries beautiful Sita, but Ravana, the 10-headed, 20-armed Demon King, falls in love with her, too. He captures her and takes her in his chariot to the Demon Kingdom, Lanka. Rama has to find a way to rescue Sita, and he seeks the help of the monkey general Hanuman, and Jambuvan, the King of the Bears. Rama, his brother Lakshman, and the band of monkeys and bears battle their way to the Kingdom of the Demons. With the help of the fish, they build a bridge to cross the sea and find Sita locked in Hanuman’s tower, guarded by demonesses. After a final, terrible battle, the Demon King is defeated and Rama and Sita are reunited. The touching ritual at the heart of the Hindu festival of Diwali features the lighting of earthen lamps, called “divas,” which celebrate Rama’s and Sita’s return home.
Maui and the Secret of Fire
Måaui forces the mud hens to tell him the secret of how to make fire.
Maui Goes Fishing
Måaui makes a fishing hook of great power and out of the sea he pulls land that becomes the islands of Hawaii.
Aukele The Fearless (Kolowalu Book)
Recounts the exploits of the legendary Hawaiian hero who, among other deeds, slays the bird of prey, Halulu-the-evil-one.
Lehua: A Legend of Old Hawaii
This legend tells of a young girl’s journey to dispel a curse cast upon her for saving the life of a pig. Lehua, the heroine of the story, and ‘Ehu, the pig, travel far distances to solve a riddle that can break the curse. Includes glossary of Hawaiian terms.
How Maui Slowed The Sun (Kolowalu Book)
Recounts how Maui uses his magical powers to slow the path of the sun across the sky, thus allowing crops more time to grow, fishermen more time to fish, and children more time to play.
The Story Of Colors / La Historia De Los Colores: A Bilingual Folktale From The Jungles Of Chiapas
When the NEA -rescinded funding for The Story of Colors, the news hit the cover of the New York Times and made the book an instant bestseller. But far from being subversive, this beautifully illustrated folktale teaches us all about the value of diversity. Old man Antonio tells how a long time ago the world was just black and white and gray. This bored the gods, so they went looking for bright colors and they found them in the most peculiar places!
No one exactly knows who -Subcomandante Marcos is, but since New Year’s Day 1994, when the Zapatistas declared war on the Mexican government, he has become a post-modern revolutionary hero.