One frosty Christmas Eve in the Canadian wilderness, six homesick fur traders are visited by a mysterious stranger. The man claims that he can send them home to faraway Montreal that very night, but on one condition: they must not utter a word until they reach their homes. Agreeing to the terms, the fur traders climb into an enchanted canoe and paddle through the sky. But when hot-headed Armand cannot keep silent, it will take a daring move to outwit the stranger.
Magic
Meow Said the Cow
A hilarious send-up of animal sounds! It’s a noisy morning in the barnyard: roosters crowing, cows mooing, mice squeaking! And the farmer’s cat has had enough. With a flick of his tail, the cat casts a spell and the barnyard is turned upside-down. The chickens are oinking, the sheep are barking, and the sheepdog can only let out a confused “Baa?” It’s not long before the animals figure out who’s to blame.
Sylvie and the Songman
Sylvie Bartram lives alone with Mr. Jackson the dog and her eccentric composer father, who invents strange and wonderful musical instruments. One day she returns from school to find a message left in toothpaste on the bathroom mirror: her father has been kidnapped. Later that night, the house is visited by a terrifying apparition—a half-man, half-creature who is searching for something and will not rest until he has found it. Sylvie uncovers an underground world of magic and evil, and with help from her friends, she must hold off a power that threatens the lives of all beings in the world. The Songman is at large, and is determined to steal music and use it for his own evil ends.
Troubletwisters
When their house mysteriously explodes and they are sent to live with an unknown relative named Grandma X, twelve-year-old twins Jaide and Jack Shield learn that they are troubletwisters, young Wardens just coming into their powers, who must protect humanity from The Evil trying to break into Earth’s dimension.
The Garden of Empress Cassia
Mimi lives with her parents above her father’s herbalist shop. She hates being Chinese and being teased at school. More than anything she loves to draw, so when her art teacher gives her a box of pastels Mimi is thrilled. These are no ordinary pastels for the inscription on the box warns that they are “A treasure for some, a curse for others”. Mimi is able to draw amazing scenes on the footpath outside her father’s shop and the pastels breathe life into the pictures for those able to see it. When Gemma, her tormentor at school, steals the pastels, Mimi knows she must get them back – not only to keep them safe and their magic intact, but to save Gemma from the pastel’s curse.
Perfect Crane
A lonely Japanese magician gains friends through the paper crane that he brings to life but then must set free.
I-Know-Not-What, I-Know-Not-Where: A Russian Tale
A retelling of a Russian fairy tale in which an archer assigned many dangerous quests by the greedy, cruel czar wins a crown and the woman of his dreams.
Little Rooster’s Diamond Button
Little Rooster is happy to find a diamond button-it’s a perfect present for his mistress. Then along comes the King, who snatches the button for his treasure chamber! And when Little Rooster demands the button back, the King is so furious he has Little Rooster thrown into a well. One thing the King doesn’t know: Little Rooster has a magic stomach. Water? Fire? Bees? No problem! Children will cheer for the spunky hero of Margaret Read MacDonald’s sparkling retold tale, which she has been sharing with children since 1965. Will Terry’s vibrant and funny paintings complete the delight. The author lives in Washington State; the illustrator lives in California.
The Frog Princess
Forced to marry an ugly frog, the youngest son of the Tsar is astounded to learn that the frog is really the beautiful princess Vasilisa the Wise.
The Little Humpbacked Horse: A Russian Tale
A young peasant, with the help of his faithful horse, captures magical beasts, marries the woman he loves, and becomes Tsar of Russia.