When a rich man is rescued from thieves by a smelly, slobbery dog, the man offers the dog any treasure is his house as a reward. The treasure that the dog chooses is the rich mans daughter. With great sadness, the daughter honors her fathers promise and goes to live with the dog. Over time, a friendship grows between the girl and the dog, but she still misses her father. In this tale from Great Britain, award winning author, Margaret Read MacDonald puts a new spin on the classic story, Beauty and the Beast, reminding us all that appearances can be deceiving and that compassion can be powerful.
Have you ever heard the saying, Your eyes are bigger than your stomach? Well, Cat's stomach is bigger than a lot of things. He is always hungry, and living with culinary-inclined Mouse, who makes thirty-five pies in one day, just makes it worse. Fat Cat swallows everything in sight, including the washlady and her washtub, a troop of soldiers and their swords, even a king and his elephant! But when Cat swallows Mouse and her sewing basket, that's the last straw. Tiny Mouse cuts to the heart of the situation, taking an upside-down world and turning it right-side-up again. Greedy Cat learns his lesson and turns fat into fancy, fabulous, and fantastic. Margaret Read MacDonald's infectious energy combines with Julie Paschkis's folk-inspired gouache paintings to create a new retelling of a favorite comic cumulative tale.
A wise rabbi uses a pillow full of feathers to teach a gossipy villager a lesson on what happens when a person's reputation and trust are harmed by someone's negative, mean-sprited remarks.
In this action packed folktale from Panama, a clever little rabbit and his Tía Mónica find ways to outwit a fox, a tiger, and a lion, all of whom want to eat him for lunch.
With a tiny, cluttered house, giggling children, and a snoring wife, the poor man can't get a good night's sleep. If only, he thinks, I had a big quiet house! He throws off his covers and goes to visit the wise old woman at the edge of the village. Surely she can help him solve his problem. And she does, but not without giving him some very unusual advice. Bring a chicken into your house, she suggests. And when that doesn't work, she has him add a goat, a horse, a cow, and even a sheep. The ending of the story proves, as so many ancient folktales do, that quite often, nonsense makes the best sense of all.
A girl and a boy watch a stranger build a dragon in the sand. The dragon must wait for the night tide to set it free. But there is danger on the beach. As the sea crawls closer, other children come. They jump and play and the dragon begins to dissolve beneath their feet. The boy and the girl must keep the dragon safe until the sea can free him.
In this fresh take on a classic tale, a magic meat grinder helps a poor Jewish couple learn a little gratitude after the three wishes it grants them go awry. A cautionary story that questions today's consumerism and excessiveness, Kishka for Koppel, like the best folktales, can help children and adults alike to look both beyond and within.
Doors in the Air is the story of a boy who is fascinated by doors. He marvels at how stepping through a doorway can take him from one world to another. He is especially enthralled by the doors of his imagination, which he refers to as "doors in the air." He delights in discovering that when he passes through these doors, he leaves behind all feelings of boredom, fear and unpleasantness. Doors in the Air is a lilting journey through house doors, dream doors and, best of all, doors in the air.
This fun little book talks about the experience of losing a tooth and the excitement of placing it under your pillow anticipating a visit from the Tooth Fairy.
A modern day version of King Midas' Touch. When the gumball machine delivers a ring instead of bubble gum, Peggy can't hide her disappointment. After turning the ring round and round on her finger, a genie appears and grants her one wish for the "sweet touch."
All of the elements of a classic fairy-tale are present in this simple retelling of the Mozart opera.
A fanciful adaptation of a Turkish folktale that tells the story of a poor villager, a donkey, and a wise man whose clever plan outwits a tyrannical Mongol ruler.
Little witches abound in this rollicking, rhyming adventure that features all of the fun, fantasy, and treats--but none of the tricks--of a Halloween night to remember!
A retelling of the Grimm Brother's beloved tale about five animals who travel together to Bremen, and encounter an unexpected result along the way.
Clever word play and comic-book style illustrations showcase the adventures of two "bad eggs" who run amok until Chip--one smart cookie--steps in!
Thump, creaak, clink-clunk . . . MOOOOO! Mr. and Mrs. Noodleman don't know what to do. They've left city life behind and moved to the country with hopes of being farmers. But their dreams turn grim when nightly visits from Boo Cow scare the Noodlemans' hens so much, they won't lay any eggs! These first-time farmers are at a loss. Why is Boo Cow haunting them, and how can they banish this ghostly bovine visitor? Baehr's fun and accessible text make this book a great read-aloud. With unexpected twists and turns, Boo Cow keeps readers guessing as they attempt to solve the mystery on the Noodlemans' farm. This book is good for your brain because: Great read-aloud, encourages audience participation, promotes the importance of learning about others before we judge them
