Let’s Scare Bear

Mouse, Fox, Spider, and Snake all want to scare Bear. But Bear is the bravest animal in the forest–nothing scares Bear. Except, maybe, one thing. Bear says that he’s scared of manju cakes. Armed with that knowledge, the other animals throw their manju cakes at him. . . .only to learn that the only scary thing is how much Bear loves to eat them!

Rapunzel

This retelling of a favorite fairy tale, illustrated by award-winning artist Trina Schart Hyman in an edition Publishers Weekly called “spellbinding,” has been lovingly restored. Digital technology brings back the clarity and brightness of Hyman’s original watercolor paintings to illuminate the terrifying woods, handsome prince, and Rapunzel’s lustrous hair, as Hyman originally painted them.

The Nightingale

When he learns that the nightingale’s song is one of the most beautiful sounds in the world, the Emperor of China sends his courtiers to find the bird and present it as a guest at court. The nightingale can speak to humans and agrees to come, but when the Emperor receives a mechanical nightingale covered in jewels, he discards the real bird, which flies back to its home. Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved story in which a king learns humility from a bird was written in 1843 to honor Jenny Lind, the famous opera singer dubbed the Swedish Nightingale. This new edition of the childhood favorite features shimmering color illustrations by Russian artist Igor Oleynikov.

I Am So Clever

The big bad wolf is hungry and on today’s menu is Grandma, with Red Riding Hood for dessert. But no one is home at Grandma’s house, only a nightdress lying on the bed. The wolf puts on the nightie and sets off to see what he can catch dressed as Grandma.

Vasilisa The Wise

Once upon a time, these stories of magical transformation were told to young women by their mothers and grandmothers and the wise women of the clan. The heroines of these old tales set out on a difficult road of trials to discover their true destiny. And marrying a prince was not the only goal. These ancient tales of wonder and adventure are about learning to be strong, brave, kind and true-hearted, and trusting in yourself to change the world for the better.

The Shadow In The Moon

Two young sisters celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, admire their mooncakes decorated with a picture of a lady in the moon, and listen to their Ah-ma tell the ancient tale of how the holiday began.

The Storm Keeper’s Island

Fionn Boyle, terrified of the sea, must spend the summer with this older sister, Tara, and their grandfather on Arranmore, an island that has been known to make people disappear, and seems to be restless again.

Charlie Hernandez and the League Of Shadows

Steeped in Hispanic folklore since childhood, middle schooler Charlie Hernandez learns the stories are true when, shortly after his parents disappearance, he grows horns and feathers and finds himself at the heart of a battle to save the world.

Mangoes, Mischief, And Tales Of Friendship

In these tales inspired by traditional Indian folktales, Prince Veera and his best friend Suku are given the opportunity to preside over the court of his father, King Bheema. Some of the subjects’ complaints are easy to address, but others are much more challenging. How should they handle the case of the merchant who wants to charge people for enjoying the smells of his sweets? Or settle the dispute between a man who sells a well to a neighbor, but not the water inside? Or solve the mystery of the jewels that have turned into pickles? These eight tales show how Veera and Suku outwit the kingdom’s greediest, wiliest subjects.

Watch Out For Clever Women!

A bilingual collection of humorous trickster tales, in which women pit their formidable intelligence to outwit villains, husbands, brothers, fathers, and sweethearts. From the kind woman who tricked two men who thought they had robbed her of a ham to the woman who saved her gold by tricking her foolish husband into thinking it had snowed tortillas, these tales cultivate lessons of honesty, goodness, hospitality, and honor―not to mention intelligence and wit to survive. As Joe Hayes points out, People the world over tell stories of a humble individual tricking an overbearing person of higher status, but the idea is especially cherished in Hispanic storylore. Making the trickster a woman adds spice to the trick.