A pair of mandarin ducks, separated by a cruel lord who wishes to possess the drake for his colorful beauty, reward a compassionate couple who risk their lives to reunite the ducks.
Asia
Materials from Asia
The City of Dragons
A boy with a face so sad that nobody wants to look at him runs away with a caravan of giants to the city of dragons, where his sorrowful face is finally appreciated.
The Junior Thunder Lord
Yue, a Chinese merchant, discovers the wisdom in passing along kindness, when Bear Face, the huge hairy man Yue has befriended, saves his life.
The Shell Woman and the King
Good Wu marries a young woman who can change herself into a shell. Because of this ability, a cruel ruler wishes to own her. In order to escape and save herself and her husband, she must perform three wonders.
The Firekeeper’s Son
In Korea in the early 1800s, news from the countryside reached the king by means of signal fires. On one mountaintop after another, a fire was lit when all was well. If the king did not see a fire, that meant trouble, and he would send out his army. When his father is unable to light the fire one night, young Sang-hee must take his place. Sang-hee knows how important it is for the fire to be lit, but he wishes that he could see soldiers just once.
The Boy Who Swallowed Snakes
An honest young boy tries to get rid of an ever-increasing number of snakes that have come with the bowlful of silver coins he found.
The Farmer And The Poor God: A Folktale From Japan
A poor god living in the attic of an unsuccessful family prepares to move with them and causes a reversal of their fortunes.
The Man Who Tricked a Ghost
Sung, a brave man who is not afraid of ghosts, meets one on a dark road and tricks it into revealing its secret weakness.
Maneki Neko: The Tale of the Beckoning Cat
This book retells the Japanese folktale about how the beckoning cat became a symbol of luck and prosperity in Japan.
Leo the Snow Leopard
When Leo was less than seven weeks old, he became orphaned in the snowy Himalayan mountains in Pakistan. Snow leopards need their mothers during the first two years of their lives, but Leo was all alone. Luckily, the cub was rescued by a kind shepherd and his family, who hand-fed Leo and kept him safe. But Leo quickly grew too large and was given to Pakistani authorities, who also found themselves without the resources to help him. When the Wildlife Conservation Society learned of Leo’s plight, they knew they had to do something. There was a special place that could save Leo:the world famous Bronx Zoo in New York, the leading experts on caring for and breeding the critically endangered snow leopard. After a rescue that involved a treacherous, winding trek in the Himalayas, an extraordinary partnership between Pakistan and the United States, and the help of dozens of dedicated people, Leo is making the Bronx Zoo his new home, where he is thriving and learning how to be a snow leopard again. Readers will delight to make a place in their hearts for Leo, one little snow leopard who inspired an international community to help save him. With breathtaking photographs, Leo the Snow Leopard is an extraordinary story about bravery, kindness, and the wonderful things that can happen when people come together to solve a problem.