A collection of four fables which recount the adventures of various animals living on the islands of the West Indies.
Once Upon an Island
Animals
The First Music
When the animals all get together in the jungle, they discover that the noise that they have been making is indeed music. Dylan Pritchett weaves a tale that helps us discover that we all have music inside just waiting to come out.
Stories of Mexico’s Independence Days and Other Bilingual Children’s Fables
This collection of six bilingual children’s stories takes a regional and historical emphases. “Sixteen” provides the background of September 16, Mexico’s day of independence from Spain. “The Little General” teaches children about Cinco de Mayo through a young boy who helps save his village from the French army. The remaining four stories are fables that impart important moral themes to young readers. In “Sweetie, the Lion that Thought He Was a Sheep,” children learn to respect different backgrounds and abilities. “A Parrot for Christmas” demonstrates the friendship children can share with animals and “Orlando, the Circus Bear” emphasizes the importance of compassion toward animals. “A Horse Called ‘Miracle’” teaches the value of helping others in need. Each story is followed with discussion questions to help children recall the story’s key details and suggestions for classroom activities designed to stimulate curiosity and expand knowledge of historical events.
Opossum and the Great Firemaker
Relates the traditional Cora Indian tale in which Opossum outwits the larger and more powerful Iguana and returns the stolen fire to the people of the earth.
The Absent-Minded Toad
A rhyming tale about a toad who travels to the outdoor market, only to discover upon his return home that he has neglected to pick up the items on his grocery list. He does manage, however, to have a spectacularly wonderful time perusing the venue and mingling with fellow customers.
Everywhere the Cow Says “Moo!”
In English, the duck says, Quack, quack! But in French, the duck says, Kwang, kwang! This book introduces the sounds of a dog, a frog, a duck, and a rooster as pronounced in English, Spanish, French, and Japanese.
The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest
Exhausted from his labors, a man chopping down a great kapok tree in the Brazilian rain forest puts down his ax, and, as he sleeps, the animals who live in the tree plead with him not to destroy their world. “This modern fable with its urgent message contains an abundance of information.”–The Horn Book
The Daring Adventures of Penhaligon Brush
When Penhaligon Brush the fox is summoned by his step-brother to the seaside town of Porthleven, he finds immediately upon arrival that his brother is incarcerated in the dungeon at Ferball Manor.
Like People
Baby animals have moms and dads who help them to grow up and to take care of themselves–just like people!
Bringing the Boy Home
As two Takunami youths approach their thirteenth birthdays, Luka reaches the culmination of his mother’s training for the tribe’s manhood test while Tirio, raised in Miami, Florida, by his adoptive mother, feels called to begin preparations to prove himself during his upcoming visit to the Amazon rain forest where he was born.