When a young teacher sets out to the remote community of Las Delicias in the Amazon rain forest, she is eager to share her knowledge of science, math and geography. While the town’s children love the books she brings, they still keep repeating the legend about a great and dangerous serpent. While in disbelief that her young students could still care about the nonsense of folk tales, the river begins to rise, and suddenly the stories don’t seem to be nonsense after all. Perhaps there are other ways to learn wisdom of past generations besides in books.
folktales
Riding A Donkey Backwards
A collection of 21 riotous tales and riddles about the Mullah Nasruddin. Why does Mulla Nasruddin spoon yoghurt into the river? What is the reason he rides his donkey backwards? Why does he paint a picture that is blank? And is he crazy to move into the house of the man who’s just burgled him? Find out all about the amazing antics of Nasruddin in these twenty-one hilarious stories and riddles, famous throughout the Middle East for their jokes, riddles and wisdom.
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!
Prairie Dog Song
Cumulative text based on an old folksong alternating with additional scientific information explores the role of prairie dogs, a keystone species in North America’s grasslands, and conservation efforts to restore the balance of plants and animals of the Janos, Mexico, prairie dog complex. Backmatter includes timeline, photographs, music, prairie dog facts, glossary, and authors’ sources.
Tree Of Dreams: Ten Tales From The Garden Of Night
A master storyteller offers a collection of folktales, from Brazil, China, India, Japan, and other countries, that involve dreams and dreaming. By the award-winning author of The Man Who Tricked a Ghost.
The Pied Piper Of Hamelin
The Pied Piper pipes the village free of rats, and when the villagers refuse to pay him for the service he pipes away their children as well.
Yoshi’s Feast
When Yoshi’s neighbor, Sabu, the eel broiler, attempts to charge him for the delicious smelling aromas he has been enjoying, Yoshi hatches a plan to enrich them both.
Whittington
Whittington, a feline descendant of Dick Whittington’s famous cat of English folklore, appears at a rundown barnyard plagued by rats and restores harmony while telling his ancestor’s story.
The Little Brown Jay: A Tale From India
Kindness and helping others often bring unexpected rewards. Meet Princess Maya and the little brown jay in this magical folktale from India, and find out how unselfish acts bring great joy.
Babushka’s Mother Goose
Presents a collection of traditional rhymes, rewritten to feature Russian characters and scenes.