Folklore and Fairy Tales

A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts

According to Chinese tradition, those who die hungry or unjustly come back to haunt the living. Some are appeased with food. But not all ghosts are successfully mollified. In this chilling collection of stories,Ying Chang Compestine takes readers on a journey through time and across different parts of China. From the building of the Great Wall in 200 BCE to the modern day of iPods, hungry ghosts continue to torment those who wronged them. At once a window into the history and culture of China and an ode to Chinese cuisine, this assortment of frightening tales—complete with historical notes and delectable recipes—will both scare and satiate!

Featured in Vol. II, Issue 3 of WOW Review.

Dreamtime: Aboriginal Stories

An Australian Aboriginal writer reminisces about her childhood on Stradbrooke Island off the Queensland coast, communicates her pride in her heritage, and presents a collection of traditional Aboriginal folklore.

Moon Magic

A retelling of four Asian myths that deal with the moon & its phases.

Porcupine and the sky mirrors (Siberia) — When the moon child came to live on earth (Japan) — The Fire Dog that bites the moon (Korea) — The plot to steal the moon (Burma).

The Samurai’s Daughter

A Japanese folk tale about the brave daughter of a samurai warrior and her journey to be reunited with her exiled father. When Tokoyo’s father, a samurai nobleman, is sent into exile on a lonely island in a distant sea, his young daughter is determined to join him. Despite her noble birth, Tokoyo has spent much time with the amas, the agile women divers of Japan who harvest shellfish from the sea, and she is strong and brave as any samurai herself. Setting out on her journey to join her father, Tokoyo encounters many terrors and trials, including bandits in the mountains, a ghost ship on the high seas, and finally a monstrous sea serpent. Finally, she reunite with her beloved father.

A Fistful of Pearls and Other Tales from Iraq (Folktales from Around the World)

Secret serpents, devilish demons, mysterious magicians — the folk tales of Iraq are filled with otherworldly creatures, enchantment, and earthy humor. During her time spent in the Middle East, award-winning novelist Elizabeth Laird gathered together the very best Iraqi stories, ranging from thieving porcupines who get their come-uppance to the hilarious tale of the chaos caused by a handsome stranger who knocks at a house harboring a marriageable daughter. Meticulously researched, these stories reveal the true, traditional heart of Iraq, far removed from today’s news headlines.