The festival of lights is one of the most popular festivals in the Hindu calendar. Like most Hindu festivals, Diwali celebrates the triumph of good over evil. According to one legend Diwali is observed to mark the return of Lord Rama to his homeland.
Its time to carve the turkey and give thanks! Thanksgiving explores in colorful detail this national holiday, from mashed potatoes and gravy to the religious observances. Learn the history of Thanksgiving, from its first pilgrim celebration in 1621, to its celebration in modern day.
Ghouls and goblins take to the street in Halloween! But theres more to this spooky celebration than carving pumpkins and trick-or-treating. Halloween explores the history behind this yearly custom, including its roots in ancient Celtic tradition, as well as the costumed and candied evening it is today. Wonderful color photographs bring this celebration to life for young readers.
Theres more to Easter than hunting for eggs and stuffing ourselves with chocolate! Come inside Easter to learn the history and ancient customs of this Christian festival. Wonderful color photographs bring this celebration to life for young readers. Inviting design and color photos make this topic fun to learn.
Passover looks at this major Jewish spring festival celebrating the freeing of Israelites from Egyptian slavery. Come inside Passover and learn the history behind this holy observance and how it is celebrated today. Vibrant photographs and easy-to-read text brings this celebration to life for children.
Commemorating the birthday of this champion of civil rights, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebrates the accomplishments and efforts of Dr. King. This compelling new title from Crabtree looks at Martin Luther King, Jr., his life, and the different celebrations in his honor every year. Full color photographs and detailed text bring to life the story of a great man.
In this delightful story of perseverance and survival from Russia, two frog sisters learn the truth of that old saying, "It ain't over til it's over," or, "The opera isn't over until the fat frog sinks."
In this story from India, a poor boy's dream of having a drum takes him on an unlikely journey of discovery. He meets several people who guide him along the way. In time, he learns to make his own "magic" in this world.
In this chain story from Cuba, Rooster learns that he needs a lot of help from his friends to get cleaned up in time for Heron's party. Then the real fun begins.
In this story from Peru, we meet a baker who is so stingy that he wants to charge people just for smelling his baked goods. When the baker takes his case to court, the wise judge decides to teach the greedy man a well-deserved lesson.
In this story from China, when a woodcutter finds a magic pot that makes two of everything that he puts inside of it, he thinks all of his troubles have disappeared! Or have his troubles merely doubled?
In this story, a farmer and his wife match wits with a large, mean-spirited ogre. If they cant outwit him, they will end up with no crops of their own to eat or sell. This whimsically drawn story is based on an old Swedish folktale.
Three brothers embark on separate journeys to different parts of the world to fulfill their father's dying wish. In their journeys, they visit distant lands, find curious treasures, and learn the true meaning of unselfish giving when they need to work together to save a life.
In Puerto Rico, there are many stories about Juan Bobo, a young man with a good heart, but little common sense. In this tale, Juan Bobo's mother tells him to take care of their pig while she goes to church. When the pig won't stop grunting, Juan Bobo decides that the pig must want to go to church as well.
Many years ago, the proudest animal in the jungle was not the peacock. The proudest animal was the tiger. In this timeless folktale from Vietnam, we see how Tiger's pride leads him to covet wisdom and, with the help of a wise farmer, earn his stripes.
When the head of a Buddhist monastery decides to pick a successor, he sends the young monks out to accomplish one task. The monks must each steal something, but they must steal in such a way that no one knows they have stolen.
In this story from India, a farmers three lazy sons don't want to work, they just want to make a lot of gold. When their mother tells them about gold buried in the field, they discover the value of a good day's work.
A big, bully lion is no match for our old friend - the Clever Monkey in this retelling of a classic story from West Africa.
When two greedy jungle cats discover a large piece of cheese, they can't decide how to divide it fairly. The clever monkey comes to their rescue. Or so they think. After reading this trickster tale from West Africa, you will think twice before asking a monkey for help.
In this classic story from China, we learn why the sun comes up in the morning and goes down at night. We also discover why a certain farm animal is there every morning to greet the sun.
In this trickster tale from Africa, Anansi learns the value of being a good host. He also learns the truth of the old saying, what goes around, comes around.
Anansi is invited to three parties and wants to attend them all. He gives each of his hosts a rope to tug, ties the other end around his own waist, and waits to be summoned when the food is served -- but when all of the food is ready at the same time, Anansi is caught in the middle!
In this story from West Africa, Anansi the spider uses his wits, his trickster skills, and the help of his friends to bring light to the world.
In this trickster tale from Africa, Anansi proves to Elephant and Killer Whale that in a battle of wits, brains definitely outdo brawn.
Did you ever wonder why spiders have no hair? After reading this African trickster tale, you will know. When Anansi goes to help his grandmother, he can't resist her steaming, hot pot of beans. Co-authors Bobby and Sherry Norfolk take a wonderful new look at a classic African story.
