Alvin Schwartz and Glen Rounds team up once again to preserve the heritage of American folklore in this hilarious compilation of word tricks and verbal hocus-pocus. The compilation of funny folklore has lots of riddles with ridiculous answers, very tall talk and an endless array of tales.
Folktales and Fairytales
Trollerella
This version of the Cinderella story features a troll living under a bridge who finds an invitation to a ball, where she dances with Prince Charming.
Wee Winnie Witch’s Skinny
James Lee and Uncle Big Anthony become victims of Wee Winnie Witch, who takes them on a ride up into the sky, but Mama Granny saves them.
When Birds Could Talk And Bats Could Sing
Based on African-American folktales told in the South during the plantation era, a collection of stories originally gathered by journalist Martha Young pays tribute to the human spirit in the face of terrible hardship.
Sindbad
Perhaps the best known of the Tales of the Thousand and One Nights are those about Sindbad the Sailor. For centuries, people have been fascinated by the stories of a simple, sometimes confused, sailor who mistakes a giant whale for a lovely island and the egg of the Roc (a bird so huge that she can carry an elephant in her talons) for a mountain. Sindbad encounters many dangers, but he prevails in this irresistible trilogy, thanks to nothing but his own wits. Ludmila Zeman’s exciting text and lavish illustrations have made Sindbad, Sindbad in the Land of Giants, and Sindbad’s Secret an international and critical success.
The Three Little Dassies
In this adaptation of the traditional folktale, three little dassies (also called rock hyraxes) build their houses in the Namib Desert of Southern Africa, hoping for protection from the eagle that lives atop a nearby mountain.
Koi and the Kola Nuts
An African folktale follows the son of a chief who must make his way in the world with only a sackful of kola nuts and the help of some creatures that he has treated with kindness.
The Enchanted Storks: A Tale Of Bagdad
The Calif of Baghdad is turned into a stork by an evil sorcerer, the only one who knows the magic word that will restore the Calif to his human form.
How The Fisherman Tricked The Genie
After releasing a captive genie from a bottle, a poor fisherman must rely on his wits when instead of wishes the genie promises revenge.
The Ocean Of Story
A twelfth-century Sanskrit parallel to “The Princess and the Pea” is just one of the surprises in this unusual collection, in which wily peasants, scheming rajahs, and saintly brahmans mingle in stories full of spice and wit. “An intriguing collection of 18 stories….skillfully retold….Vibrant, richly patterned full-page paintings and delightful spot illustrations transport children to a magical country of long ago.”–School Library Journal.