When Peach Blossom Village’s bridge disappears, Master Chen must solve the mystery! The Mystery of Dragon Bridge is an English-Chinese bilingual children’s fantasy story. The tale revolves around the inhabitants of Peach Blossom Village and the mysterious Dragon Bridge—the villagers’ only connection to the outside world—which suddenly vanishes in the middle of the night. The astonished villagers appoint a retired soldier, Master Chen, to investigate what has happened to their missing bridge. What he finds will surprise readers as much as it did the perplexed villagers! Both a satisfying mystery story and a lesson in working together for the community, preserving the environment, and appreciating what is often taken for granted, The Mystery of Dragon Bridge can be enjoyed by younger children and intermediate readers alike. The short, easy-to-read story is presented in both English and simplified Chinese, with vocabulary suitable for students aged 7 to 10, and features 12 beautiful watercolors painted by the author.

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Are you ready to go on a magical adventure with twins Sophie and Crystal Carter? Will they be able to save their mum in time from the ultimate evil?

Sophie and Crystal think that they are ordinary girls until one day, completely out of the blue, they discover a huge secret that their mum has kept from them. Not only do they have a granddad that they never knew existed, but they also have to go up against the ultimate evil who killed their dad when they were babies.

They are taken to their granddad’s house by their mum who is acting very scared and worried about ‘something important’ that she must take care of. At their granddad’s house they discover the whole amazing truth, the huge secret that their mum never wanted them to find out about.

They embark on a big adventure full of danger, magic and uncertainty, and see the most amazing things that they could only even dream of, as they experience a race against time to save the ones that they love the most.

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Spider wants to be a police captain! Can he capture the evil Blacksnake and show the town he’s a hero? Maybe he can stop Lion from stealing the other animals’ food—but if he’s not careful, he might wind up in Lion’s belly! In these West African Spider tales, YOU decide what happens next! Six journeys to follow! Which will YOU take?

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Travel to ancient Cathay and meet young Aladdin as he engages in a battle of wits with an evil sorcerer.

Enter an underground cave and come face-to-face with the Queen of the Serpents.

Journey across a boundless desert to find the Lost City of Brass–and discover for yourself the horrible fate that befell its inhabitants.

Many years ago, the stars twinkled in the desert sky as a beautiful woman entertained a sultan for one thousand and one nights with tales of demons and jinns, sultans and sailors, glittering jewels and lost lands. In this lively and accessible retelling, Deborah Nourse Lattimore brings to wondrous life all the adventure and magic of three of those special tales–tales so amazing, they can’t be true.

Or can they?

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In this hilarious southern folktale, mean old Boss Lion threatens the peaceful folk of Brer Village, and Brer Rabbit is forced to teach the carnivorous trouble-maker a lesson he’ll never forget. Brer Rabbit outsmarts the baddest fella in the forest—then saunters back to town as the local hero. This witty, playful adaptation is just the kind of fun your family will enjoy again and again. Ages 5 and up

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La Acequia del Rito y la Sierra in the Mora Valley is the highest and most famous traditional irrigation system in New Mexico. It carries water up and over a mountain ridge and across a sub-continental divide, from the tributaries of the Río Grande to the immense watershed of the Mora, Canadian, Arkansas, and Mississippi Rivers. The names and stories of those who created this acequia to sustain their communities have mostly been lost and replaced by myths and legends. Now, when children ask, some parents attribute the task of moving mountains and changing the course of rivers to Juan del Oso, the stouthearted man whose father was a bear.

From the mountains of northern Spain to the Andes in South America, Spanish-speaking people have told ancient legends of Juan del Oso and his friends. In this children’s tale, agriculturalist Juan Estevan Arellano and folklorist Enrique Lamadrid share a unique version of a celebrated story that has been told in northern New Mexico for centuries.

Reading level: age 10 years and up

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In this colorfully illustrated retelling of an African folktale, a young hunter, Ajani, discovers a lion playing a magical tree stump. When he tells the people of his village what he has seen and heard, they don’t believe him. Can Ajani make the villagers believe him?

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Mbaba Mwana Waresa, the rain goddess who lives in a round hut of rainbow arches in the clouds, embarks on a quest for companionship among the mortals and puts the young cattle-herder who has captured her heart to the test to determine whether he can see beyond her appearance and into her deepest soul.

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“Let me stay here and see who will jump from the cliff into the lake to save the princess” shouted Annie as she wadded into the water to encourage her two princes.
Both boys got scared when they got to the top of the rock and none of them wanted to jump first. It was here that Ron got an idea that turned out to be a bad one. He pushed Ricky off the cliff as a joke but things didn’t go as he thought. Ricky hit his head on the side of the cliff and fell into the lake… lifeless! Ron panicked and he was just turning to run down the cliff back to where Annie was when suddenly a big black barking bush burst from behind the bushes and rushed by him at a very high speed and followed Ricky over the cliff. Large masses of swinging matted hair and a long red wagging tongue behind large white canines was all Ron saw. It fell into the lake with a big splash and disappeared for like a second before it came back up pulling something… it was Ricky, unconscious.
“Over here! Over here!” Annie and Ron called out together as the giant mass of black hair bit Ricky’s shirt and swam for the shore.

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An arrogant young girl who insults the bears must face the consequences: punishment from the bears themselves. This retelling of an ancient West Coast First Nations’ tale about a young woman’s intimate encounter with the bears chronicles her transformative experiences. Detailed watercolor illustrations convey the spectacular natural beauty of the Pacific West Coast, from its misty seashores to its wildflower-filled meadows and icy mountain peaks. Both story and pictures teach children the importance of respecting and honoring nature and animals.

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Coyote is awfully hungry! Can he trick Bear into giving him his lunch? Or fool the prairie dogs into inviting him to their feast? But if Coyote’s not careful, HE could end up on the menu! In these Native American Coyote tales, YOU decide what happens next! Six journeys to follow! Which will YOU take?

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Fox is enjoying a nice day at the marketplace, until her big cousin Roxy starts causing trouble. How can a little fox beat a giant bully? She’ll need to plan the perfect prank! In these Japanese Fox tales, YOU get to decide who the trickster tricks next! Six journeys to follow! Which will YOU take?

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The festival folktales in this collection take readers of all ages on a fascinating journey to the remote villages of the Dai, Xizang, Miao, and Hani, four minority groups of southwest China. In addition to the Han (ethnic Chinese) majority, 55 national minority groups live within China’s borders, each with its own language, beliefs, festivals, and folktales. The delightful and entertaining legends behind the Dai Water Splashing Festival, the Xizang Bathing Festival, the Miao Lusheng Fair, and the Hani New Year celebration reflect the values and customs of these diverse nationalities. A retelling of each legend is followed by a colorful description of the festival and how it is celebrated today and accompanied by stunning illustrations by award-winning artist Li Ji.

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Fairy tales are the simplest and purest expressions of the collective unconscious and so a study of the world’s best fairy stories offers a wealth of insights into the human mind, from a multitude of nations and cultures. Folk tales and fairy stories were originally intended for both adults and children – Grimms’ Household Tales, for instance – and this international anthology brings together ‘The Frog Who Became an Emperor’ from China, ‘The Three Billy Goats Gruff’ from Norway and ‘Pinocchio’ from Italy, as well as the classic stories of Aesop, Andersen, the Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault and Oscar Wilde, among many others.

Accompanying artwork by the masters of children’s book illustration, including Arthur Rackham, Charles Robinson, Walter Crane and Howard Pyle, will appeal to readers of all ages.

Designed to appeal to the booklover, Macmillan Collector’s Library is a series of beautifully bound hardback gift editions of much loved classic titles. Bound in real cloth, printed on high quality paper, and featuring ribbon markers and gilt edges, Macmillan Collector’s Library are books to love and treasure.

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The Broom-Riding Kitty was a mean little kitty who was not liked by the royal people in the kingdom. Learn what she did to be liked by everyone. Also included is a secret message written by the Broom-riding Kitty. She wants you to know how to get people to like you!

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A new edition of a popular classicStunning illustrations from Wayne Anderson, one of the leading fantasy artists of the last 20 yearsStories about dragons from all around the worldPerfect for children (8+) and adults alikeGreat Price! In this sumptuous anthology, David Passes invites us inside the mythical and fantastical world of dragons. He has selected a magnificent mixture of heroic myths, stories and folktales from the storytelling traditions of India, Greece, England, Wales, Sweden and China. Marduck and Tiamat – Babylon, Indra and Vritia India, Heracles and the Hydra Greek, Cadmus and the Golden Dragon Greek, Beowulf and the Fire Dragon Scandanavia, Saint George England, The Lambton Worm England, The Gaoliang Bridge China, The Chinese Dragon’s Pearl China, The Mordiford Wyvern Wales. Age range: 8+ years onwards

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Crippled in an accident and left behind by his hunting party, Lone Warrior must overcome hunger, cold, pain, and despair to survive. But most terrifying of all his trials is the appearance of a skeleton-ghost arisen from the grave. That Lone Warrior can still remember to express his gratitude to the animal he must kill to survive, and that he does not allow fear to diminish his dignity, makes him an ideal hero.

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With colour illustrations by Anastasiya Archipova, a collection of some of the best known tales of the Brothers Grimm, published together with its sequel RAPUNZEL AND OTHER GRIMM’S FAIRY TALES.

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If you close your eyes and listen to the wind whisper in the trees or stand quietly when the snow is falling softly all around you, it is possible that you may become aware of small things that you have not noticed before. Perhaps your imagination will capture the image of a little golden-haired fairy, only two inches tall, who lives in a beautiful forest. Could it be that the flutter in a nearby tree that you thought at first was just a leaf shaking in the wind, could have been the little fairy? Her wings are gossamer clear – she would not be easy to see. Nature has many wonders and forests have secrets.

The little golden-haired fairy spends her days among the trees, flowers, and creatures of a beautiful forest. Once each year, the forest fairies gather in the middle of a frozen lake for a festival that lasts for days. Each fairy builds a small house of tiny packed snow bricks as a shelter. They also build a larger ice house, called a “Rainbow Igloo” that holds a special secret.

The little golden-haired fairy’s friends are lightening bugs, a mouse, a bear, and eventually a shorttail weasel. Hers is the heart of hope and love that sends a message of friendship into all the world. This simply illustrated, charming little story will very likely bring brightness to your day, a smile to your face and hope into your heart.

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Far away to the west there is a magical underwater kingdom called Cafur, deep beneath the dark, emerald sea. The queen of Cafur is Arianne, a cruel mermaid, who likes to steal children. When she captures Ewan, his sister sets out to rescue him.

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When the buffalo herds fail to appear one spring, a village in the Black Hills of South Dakota finds itself in turmoil: the people grow selfish and the elders lose their authority. But a beautiful woman comes, bearing a message. Only if the people learn to cooperate in the building of a great tipi, will she return with the first peace pipe and the rules of how it must be offered to the earth. Her message delivered, she returns to the hills and is transformed into a white buffalo, which in turn becomes a grazing herd.

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The town of Leftrightington is in an uproar, a pie is missing and no one knows where to find it. A delightful list of who’s who characters answer to the charges. This picture story uses poetry and humor and is sure to delight young children everywhere. Unique ending makes for much fun and laughter.

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From the heartbreaking Mi’kmaq story of Minnow, a mermaid in the Atlantic who must choose between two worlds to that of Water Lily and her five brothers, told by the Coos in British Columbia, creatures that inhabit fantastic realms appear in many First Nation stories. C. J. Taylor draws from those stories and from her own Mohawk heritage in this collection of haunting tales about some of the powerful spirits who touch the lives of human folk. The spirits of heaven and earth from the Ute help bring an understanding of the stars in the sky. The Cree story, “Souls in the Fog,” presents the battle between the good and the evil-minded. The Ojibwa “Fairy Village” is a unique and touching love story. Illustrated with her own powerful oil paintings, this is a collection to read and an excellent story-teller’s resource.

From the Hardcover edition.

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This folklore story collection offers a feast of enjoyment for young South African readers. It contains ten enchanting tales, steeped in the imaginative richness of African storytelling. Told with inimitable aplomb by South Africa’s most popular performance storyteller and illustrated by a lively selection of KwaZulu-Natal artistic talent, Stories of Africa is a classic to delight new readers across the multicultural spectrum.

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Stretch was not like other people. She could stretch her body taller than the tallest tree. People didn’t trust her because she was different. That’s why she lived in the forest

Swallow could eat more food than anyone. The villagers made fun of her because she was short and fat. That’s why she left town.
Stare’s eyes were so strong they could burn through anything she looked at. Everyone was afraid of her. That’s why she stayed alone.
And then there was Ira – small, skinny, and short-sighted – with nobody in the world to help him search for his missing sister.

Somehow these four unlikely characters come together and overcome all obstacles – even the most evil magic in the land.

Veronika Martenova Charles has drawn upon an old Czech fairy tale to create her own contemporary story about the strength of friendship and the value of being different.

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“Virtues and Values – Shrawan Kumar and other Moral stories” contains a collection of delightful tales based on popular Indian Mythology, legends and folktales. The stories are re-written in simple, clear and lucid language for children and are also accompanied by colorful pictures. The stories will not only entertain but also educate your child.Reading good books that contain stories with profound meanings is essential for developing the minds of children in their formative years. This wonderfully illustrated book will make story-time the best time of the day.

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