A richly textured collection of African folk tales centers around the invincible trickster-spider known as Ananse, whose cleverness helps him to outwit many enemies. Reprint.
The Pot of Wisdom: Ananse Stories
Folklore and Fairy Tales
The Magic Gourd (Aesop Prize (Awards))
Brother Rabbit and Chameleon teach a greedy king the importance of generosity and friendship.
The Hunterman And The Crocodile
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 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.
Hawaiian Legends Of Dreams
Moe‘uhane, the Hawaiian word for dream, means “soul sleep.” While sleeping, Hawaiians of old believed they communicated with ‘aumakua, their ancestral guardians, and this important relationship was sustained through dreaming. In this companion volume to her award-winning Hawaiian Legends of the Guardian Spirits, artist Caren Loebel-Fried retells and illuminates nine dream stories from Hawai‘i’s past.
And The Birds Appeared (Kolowalu Book)
Retells the traditional legend of how Maui, a boy with magical powers, made the birds appear on Hawaii.
Hawaiian Tales Of Heroes And Champions
Twelve traditional Hawaiian tales record the exploits of heroes with supernatural powers.
Kawelo: Roving Chief (Kolowalu Book)
Retells the little known legend of Kawelo, set on the island of Kaua’i and O’ahu.