In this volume, a long-awaited sequel to his international best-sellers Faeries and Good Faeries/Bad Faeries, Froud returns to the world of faerie with a wealth of new, never-before-seen paintings, watercolors, and drawings. Brian Froud's World of Faerie offers us a startling new vision of the magical realm, enhanced by Froud's own words about his experiences and insights. This lavish, full-color book opens the door to Brian Froud's wondrous imagination as never before. It presents beautiful portrayals of faeries that have touched hearts and minds for generations. World of Faerie is by far Froud's most personal book, and represents this visionary artist and creator of fantasy worlds at the pinnacle of his powers. This encompassing volume is a must-have for faerie and fantasy fans of all ages, the world over.

    At first, Martina is skeptical of her Abuela's suggestion, but when suitor after suitor fails the Coffee Test, she wonders if a little green cockroach can ever find true love.After reading this award-winning retelling of the Cuban folktale, readers will never look at a cockroach the same way again. Also available in Spanish and in audio (read by the author), Carmen Agra Deedy delivers a delightfully inventive Cuban twist on the beloved Martina folktale, complete with a dash of caf� Cubano.Teacher's Guide available!Pura Belpre Medal (Honor Book) - American Library AssociationOdyssey Award (Honor) - American Library Associationp>Best Children's Books of the Year - Bank Street College of Education

    . . in Ireland . . . in Zimbabwe . . . there lived a girl who worked all day in the rice fields . . . then spent the night by the hearth, sleeping among the cinders.Her name is Ashpet, Sootface, Cendrillon . . . Cinderella. Her story has been passed down the centuries and across continents. Now Paul Fleischman and Julie Paschkis craft its many versions into one hymn to the rich variety and the enduring constants of our cultures.A Junior Library Guild SelectionGlass Slipper, Gold Sandal: A Worldwide Cinderella is a 2008 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

    K. Rowling about a teenage boy named Harry Potter. Since the release of her first novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in 1997, the books have gained enormous popularity, critical acclaim and commercial success worldwide, spawning films, video games and assorted merchandise. The Unofficial Harry Potter Encyclopedia: Harry Potter A - Z studies each character in Harry's World from his two best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger to Lord Voldemort to Professor Dumbledore. No Wizard, Witch or Muggle is to be missed in this encyclopedia of characters. Note: This book is an independent and unauthorized publication. It is not endorsed by J.K Rowling, her publishers, copyright or trademark holders.

    But when onlookers criticize his father for riding while Nasreddine walks, the boy is ashamed. The following week, Nasreddine persuades his father to walk, and let him ride -- but then people criticize the boy for making his father walk! No matter what Nasreddine tries, it seems that someone always finds something to disapprove of.Nasreddine is a legendary character popular in stories told throughout the Middle East, and this clever story will bring him to a new audience. Accompanied by stunning artwork, this tale offers a gentle reminder to readers that it isn't always necessary to listen to the world's criticisms.

    Historian Scott Nelson brings John Henry alive for young readers in his personal quest for the true story of the man behind the myth. Nelson presents the famous folk song as a mystery to be unraveled, identifying the embedded clues within the lyrics, which he examines to uncover many surprising truths. He investigates the legend and reveals the real John Henry in this beautifully illustrated book. Nelson’s narrative is multilayered, interweaving the story of the building of the railroads, the period of Reconstruction, folk tales, American mythology, and an exploration of the tradition of work songs and their evolution into blues and rock and roll. This is also the story of the author’s search for the flesh-and-blood man who became an American folk hero; Nelson gives a first-person account of how the historian works, showing history as a process of discovery. Readers rediscover an African-American folk hero. We meet John Henry, the man who worked for the railroad, driving steel spikes. When the railroad threatens to replace workers with a steam-powered hammer, John Henry bets that he can drive the beams into the ground faster than the machine. He wins the contest, but dies in the effort. Nelson’s vibrant text, combined with archival images, brings a new perspective and focus to the life and times of this American legend.

    One of the children, now grown, is the re-teller of these tales, while his sister, Miruna, seems to possess the gift of second sight. Incorporating elements of fantasy common to the storytelling traditions of the Balkans, historical figures mix with imaginary beings in a landscape to recreate the world of an isolated hamlet that had managed to keep the modern world at bay over a succession of political regimes, but whose idiosyncratic ways might now be irretrievably lost without its story being told.Blending the autobiographical and historical with the marvelous, Miruna, a Tale is a novel whose core is the exploration of the imaginary themes and motives that informed traditional society in the mountainous regions of Romania, a world that was radically transformed into virtual extinction over the course of the 20th century.Described by critics as a “literary jewel whose strange and singular spell holds the reader in its thrall,” and "a kind of meta-fairy tale," Miruna, a Tale received the Bucharest Writers Association Fiction Award in 2007.

    Hated and feared by many, he schemed to win the love of the beautiful goddess Parvati . . . but learned an important lesson when he invited her elephant-headed son Ganesha over for lunch one day . . . So goes one of the many delightful tales in this decidedly grown-up book of traditional Indian stories, retold for the modern reader. Author Kamla Kapur is well known in her native India as a poet and playwright, and her connection to these age-old stories is the reverent yet individualistic one we might expect from someone whose introduction tells of her hometown, where naked, dreadlocked holy men speed about on motorbikes. To collect these stories, Kapur relied on ancient sacred texts, modern scholarship, and chance encounters with interesting people who just happened to know a really good one about this time that Vishnu sank into the ocean, was incarnated as a pig, and had a really wonderful time. Like myths around the world, these are teaching stories that offer both a window into a fascinating culture that has endured for thousands of years, and a code for living that can be applied to the modern world.

    "Beasts " is a classic mythological menagerie, comprised only of creatures that were thought at one time to actually exist, depicted by about a hundred of the most acclaimed artists and cartoonists coming from the most avant-garde ambits of the art world. The "Beasts" project has fired the imaginations of luminaries such as Craig Thompson, Souther Salazar, Jeff Soto, Glenn Barr, Dave Cooper, Tim Biskup, Seonna Hong, Jeremy Fish and Jay Ryan, who will present never-before-seen art completely original to this book, superbly laid out in breathtaking, full-color two-page spreads. "Beasts " collects many of the best visual artists from the worlds of comics, skateboarding, rock graphics, science-fiction, children's books, commercial and fine art. The book is conceived and designed by Jacob Covey, lead art director for Fantagraphics ("Dennis the Menace, Billy Hazelnuts, Hanging Out With the Dream King," etc.) and a well-regarded designer and artist in his own right in the Northwest rock and arts community. Other contributors include: Anders Nilsen, Art Chantry, Brian Chippendale, Brian Ralph, Bwana Spoons, Colleen Coover, Jason Miles, Jesse LeDoux, Johnny Ryan, Jordan Crane, Keith Shore, Kevin Scalzo, Marc Bell, Martin Cendreda, Mat Brinkman, R. Kikuo Johnson, Richard Sala, Sammy Harkham, Stan Sakai, S. Britt, Steven Weissman, Ted Jouflas, Tom Gauld and many more

    Readers will squeal with delight all over again during that most memorable scene when Little Red Riding Hood declares, "Oh, Grandmamma, what great teeth you have!"Pinkney's charming, masterfully-wrought illustrations--as warm and cozy as LIttle Red's cloak and as captivating ast he clever wold himself--are sure to lure you into the heart of this treasured tale.

    Elves, dwarves, giants, wights dwelling in rocks, streams, and oceans: these beings have been friends, foes, and even lovers of humans, and often worked more closely with farming and fishing folk on a daily basis than did the gods themselves. In this book, Kveldulf Gundarsson, long-famed scholar of Old Norse religion and Heathen leader, looks closely at the history and folklore of these beings and offers a practical guide for dealing with them. Elves, Trolls, and Wights also includes Kveldulf's new translation of the little-known Icelandic skaldic poem "Berg-Dweller's Song," in which the giant Hallmundr tells of his own folk and world-faring.

    Occult symbols are decoded, fortune telling is demystified, and the inexplicable is made explicable.

    Sometimes the greatest strength comes from a place of gentleness.

    And there is Oshoosi, fresh out of prison, who always takes the wrong track. When his ex-cell mate Elegba gives him a clapped-out car, true freedom seems just around the corner... The Brothers Size is the European debut of an amazing young writer who plants Nigerian myth in the fertile soil of Louisiana. The play premiered at Drum, Plymouth, in October 2007, before touring and transferring to the Young Vic, London.

    An excellent introduction to foreign countries, these beautifully told stories are perfect for reading aloud and encouraging children to learn about different cultures and other parts of the world. From a dragon princess in China to a clever peddler in Morocco, children will meet wonderful characters as they travel story-by-story around the globe. An ideal gift, this deluxe volume is a joyous celebration of the world's wonderful diversity.

    Rackham took the printing developments of the early twentieth century further than any other artist of his time, masterfully manipulating the latest color processes. At once a technical and artistic genius, Rackham had few equals when it came to the use of muted color, ambience, and expressive lines.This magnificent collection displays more than eighty of Arthur Rackham's most beguiling illustrations. These phantasmagoric renderings spring from such literary legends as Rip Van Winkle, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Aesop's Fables, Puck of Pook's Hill, Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, and A Wonder Book. From the loveliest fairy to the most grotesque goblin, Rackham's art captures the wonder, innocence, and adventure that forever stir the human heart.

    Here, in an abundantly funny retelling, the timehonored drama unfolds. This outrageously frilly, jump-roping Goldilocks skips through the bears’ house, reciting saucy rhymes as she goes. Her wide-eyed glee makes a hilarious contrast with the genteel bear family, and children will love poring over the wonderful visual details, such as the bear-related knickknacks slyly scattered throughout the cottage. Another outstanding collaboration from Caralyn and Mark Buehner, Goldilocks and the Three Bears is perfect for sharing with children, adults, and fairy-tale collectors alike.

    Faery healing is a form of spiritual healing known in folkloric tradition and implies a working relationship between humans and the spiritual forces of the land or region in which they live. In this book, we begin with the folkloric foundation, but extend many of the ideas and techniques into remarkable new areas, previously unknown. Faery healing becomes, for the modern era, earth healing, a way of healing the wounded relationship between humanity and the planet. R.J. Stewart is a Scot, an author and a composer, now living in the USA, where he was formally admitted as a "resident alien of extraordinary ability," a category awarded only to those of exceptional and formally recognized achievements in the arts and sciences. His books have been published in many languages, and he is widely acknowledged as an authority on mythology, legends, magical arts and ancient traditions. As a composer, R.J. Stewart has written and recorded music for feature films, television and theater productions. His bestselling books include the Merlin Tarot, Celtic Gods and Goddesses, The UnderWorld Initiation and The Miracle Tree: Demystifying Qabalah. For a full list of books and recordings, see www.rjstewart.net.

    This beautifully designed collection contains "Cinderella," "Brave Little Tailor," "Snow White," and 12 more. Coupled with antique illustrations by such artists as Arthur Rackham, Walter Crane, and Randolph Caldecott, these retellings are as fresh as springtime and as timeless as "happily ever after."

    It also shows the reader how to create personal illuminated manuscript pages with the help of an appendix of tools and techniques.Knotwork: The Secret Method of the Scribes examines knotwork and plaitwork in detail against the sacred background from which they sprang. Illustrations of motifs taken from famous brooches and carvings show how Celtic knots can be adapted for all manner of craftwork.Illuminated Letters is a unique blend of history, anecdote, and practical instruction that recreates the schooling of the Celtic illuminator.

    Based on well-worn patterns and operations of Traditional sorcery and European Witchcraft from the 16th-19th centuries, this manual of magical arts provides a complete working system of Craft-sorcery which taps into the numina of the British Isles folk-tradition, the Luciferian mysteries of the Witchmaster, traditional wortcunning, the Rades of Edric and Godda, and the hidden roads to Faery-Elfhame. Included are incantations, conjurations, instructions in the application of the Ten Pillars of Sorcery, "The Service of Sigils" working, and the operations of "Biting the Tongues of Serpents," "Summoning the Witch-Dream by Moth Flight," "Binding the Lovers One to the Other," "The Fruitful Working of the Womb-Seed," and "A Pavis from Foul Imprecations," all of which are intended to instruct an initiate in the use of this timeless arcane system.

    When the Marines he accompanied reached the village, they ordered the civilians there to evacuate their homes—grass huts whose thatched roofs they set ablaze with Zippo lighters. Safer’s report on the event soon aired on CBS and was among the first to paint a harrowing portrait of the War in Vietnam. LBJ responded to the segment furiously, accusing Safer of having “shat on the American flag.” For the first time since World War II, American boys in uniform had been portrayed as murderers instead of liberators. Our perception of the war—and the Zippo lighter—would never be the same.But as this stunning book attests, the Zippo was far more than an instrument of death and destruction. For the American soldiers who wielded them, they were a vital form of social protest as well. Vietnam Zippos showcases the engravings made by U.S. soldiers on their lighters during the height of the conflict, from 1965 to 1973. In a real-life version of the psychedelic war portrayed in Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now, Sherry Buchanan tells the fascinating story of how the humble Zippo became a talisman and companion for American GIs during their tours of duty. Through a dazzling array of images, we see how Zippo lighters were used during the war, and we discover how they served as a canvas for both personal and political expression during the Age of Aquarius, engraved with etchings of peace signs and marijuana leaves and slogans steeped in all the rock lyrics, sound bites, combat slang, and antiwar mottos of the time.Death from Above. Napalm Sticks to Kids. I Love You Mom, From a Lonely Paratrooper. The engravings gathered in this copiously illustrated volume are at once searing, caustic, and moving, running the full emotional spectrum with both sardonic reflections—I Love the Fucking Army and the Army Loves Fucking Me—and poignant maxims—When the Power of Love Overcomes the Love of Power, the World Will Know Peace. Part pop art and part military artifact, they collectively capture the large moods of the sixties and the darkest days of Vietnam—all through the world of the tiny Zippo.

    If he tightens his belt, he doubles his strength. If he swings his hammer, lightning flashes. When he races his billy goats across the sky, their hooves kick up huge thunderclouds. And when the folks below in Middle Earth hear a boom of thunder, they always smile, for they know their loyal Thor, protector and defender of civilization, has once again brought order to the universe. Told and retold often and with great affection, the Thor stories have been around since the days of the Vikings. Here, illustrated with high drama and written with humor and skill, are ancient stories made accessible and fun.

    Magical spirits in the mountains of the northeast, sneaky robbers and brave heroines in the heart of the Indus Valley, action and adventure in the far south, and much more.

    Culpeper—a famed astrologer, physician, and author—covered almost 400 herbs and plants from Aconite and Adder’s Tongue to Yew and Yucca. For each entry, he gave both the Latin and common names, details on where to find it, its flowering time, astrology, and medicinal virtues.  Following the alphabetical list of herbs comes the inventory of illnesses and their cures, as it appeared in 1649.  Many of these plants still occupy a prominent position in the dispensaries of today’s herbalists, so in addition to Culpeper’s entertaining and often caustic comments and descriptions, there are notes on contemporary usage by an established practitioner

    They appear in the ancient Irish brehon laws and early nature poetry for which Ireland is famous. As with its companion 'Irish Trees', this book is illustrated with specially commissioned watercolours by Grania Langrishe.

    For sure the most comprehensive collection of rebel workers' songs and poems ever compiled in English. It includes ALL the songs that appeared in the IWW's celebrated "little red songbook" from 1909 through 1973, plus dozens of others that never made it into the songbook. Here are the songs of Joe Hill, T-Bone slim, Dick Brazier, Ralph Chaplin, Covington Hall and other Wobbly legends; lesser knowns, but ought to be legends such as Eugene Barnett, Paul Walker, and Henry Pfaff; for the first time anywhere, a good selection of songs by women Wobblies: Anges Thecla Fair, Laura Payne Emerson, Sophie Fagin, Jane Street, Laura Tanne and others; songwriters from other continents, including Australians Bill Casey and Harry Hooton, the Englishman Leon Rosselson, Germans Ernest Riebe and John Olday, and the Scotsman Douglas Robson. A special section focuses on variants and parodies of IWW songs: a Depression-era version of "Hallelujah I'm a Bum," Jack Langan's 1960s version of "Solidarity Forever," an Earth First! adaptation of Joe Hill's "There is Power" by Walkin' Jim Stoltz, and Hazel Dickens' bold update of "The Rebel Girl." Best of all, perhaps is the wealth of essays, analysis, references, bibliographies, and discographies, provided by Archie Green, his coeditors, and other collaborators, providing not only historical/biographical context, but also a wide range of perspectives on the Wobbly counterculture and its enduring legacies. And there's an afterword by Utah Phillips!

     To prevent the huldrefolk from stealing your healthy child and leaving a child with rickets in its place, make three dolls from the child’s clothing to put into the cradle. The huldrefolk will take one of them instead of your child. These and many more fascinating folk-healing rituals were secretly administered by healers, “witches,” and religious caregivers who tended the medical and spiritual needs of rural Norwegians for hundreds of years. In Remedies and Rituals, Kathleen Stokker culls from hundreds of original documents and first-hand accounts to detail the ingredients, customs, and histories behind natural remedies, potions, whispered spells, and the infamous “black books” used for centuries by Norway’s folk healers.  Stokker also illuminates the surprising personalities of those who risked imprisonment and persecution to help fellow Norwegians throughout the nineteenth century, as well as the often reluctant healers in the U.S. who continued to treat immigrants living in rural communities beyond the reach of doctors. Dodging harsh criminal laws championed by formally trained doctors, these rebel practitioners drew on ancient written and oral sources to treat everything from burns, broken bones, and whooping cough to difficult labors and emotional stress.  Kathleen Stokker is a professor of Norwegian at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. Recipient of Norway’s prestigious St. Olav Medal in 2006, she is the author of Keeping Christmas: Yuletide Traditions in Norway and the New Land (MHS Press).

    Encountering witches, giants, an ogre who refuses to do housework, unwanted boyfriends, and all manner of conundrums, Molly manages to outwit them all with a potent combination of nerve, trickery, and plain luck. Also appearing in the stories are Molly's sisters Polly and Betts, the famous Appalachian hero Jack (Molly saves him a few times), and three cornbread-baking mice.These delightful and often surprising stories are sure to appeal to readers and listeners of all ages who enjoy an adventurous tale well told.

    Williams intertwines the lore and lifeways of his Tuscarora upbringing, illustrating the dynamic encounter of tradition and innovation at the heart of contemporary Haudenosaunee culture. At the same time, Williams writes with an irreverence, irony, and good humor unmistakably his own.Colored by Ted's wry and irreverent wit, Big Medicine from Six Nations amply fulfills the promise of its title. It offers a fascinating view, not only of herbal medicine, but of prayers, omens, feasts, vision quests, sweat lodges, spirits, humor, and the sacred teachings of the Great Law of the Great Peace. But readers will find that there is more to this book, about the "spiritual mechanics" of humankind writ large.

    Edition and translations of a fascinating body of medieval Welsh poetry related to the legendary figure of Taliesin.

    To beginners, it offers a basic understanding of what magick is and how it can be worked. To more advanced practitioners, it offers an exciting new perspective on the definition of magick, and its relationship to personal enlightenment.

    Volume II includes many incantations for luck, love and good health. This volume also has numerous poems about plants and animals, and extensive notes on the lore associated with them.Besides the complete English and Gaelic text of the poems, and the beautiful initials, this etext includes the extensive glossary, which occupies the last third of the book. This appendix has not been reprinted in any of the contemporary anthologies of the Carmina Gadelica, and appears for the first time on the Internet at this site. It is a treasure trove of Scottish and Celtic lore, and makes fascinating reading. The glossary includes crucial background information about the main text of the book, many shorter poems, and Carmichael's personal insights into the life and beliefs of the people he studied for many years.About Author:Alexander Carmichael (1 December 1832, Taylochan, Lismore – 6 June 1912, Edinburgh) was a Scottish writer and folklorist, best known for his multi volume work Carmina Gadelica. He also contributed to John Francis Campbell's work the Popular Tales of the West Highlands. Throughout his career, Carmichael sought to explore and document the traditions of the Gaelic Highlanders, particularly their mythology, much of which is also common to Irish mythology.

    In this gorgeously illustrated book, storyteller Chris Smith shows how two brothers find peace by seeing themselves in each other.

    This edited work brings together ten essays, analysing the iconography of Mississippian art in order to reconstruct the ritual activities, cosmological vision, and ideology of these ancient precursors to several groups of contemporary Native Americans.

    Integrating linguistic and textual approaches into an anthropologically-inspired framework, this book reassesses the full range of evidence. It traces continuities and changes in medieval non-Christian beliefs with a new degree of reliability, from pre-conversion times to the eleventh century and beyond, and uses comparative material from medieval Ireland and Scandinavia to argue for a dynamic relationship between beliefs and society. In particular, it interprets the cultural significance of elves as a cause of illness in medical texts, and provides new insights into the much-discussed Scandinavian magic of seidr. Elf-beliefs, moreover, were connected with Anglo-Saxon constructions of sex and gender; their changing nature provides a rare insight into a fascinating area of early medieval European culture. Shortlisted for the Katharine Briggs Folklore Award 2007 ALARIC HALL is a fellow of the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies.

    Brer Fox couldn't take it anymore and stirred up a gooey, sticky Tar Baby for Brer Rabbit to run into. This whimsical tale of Brer Rabbit outsmarting his nemesis is one of the world's best-loved folktales.Brer Rabbit & Boss LionRead by Danny GloverOrigianl Music by Dr. John Mean old Boss Lion is threatening the folks in Brer Village and Brer Rabbit is forced to teach the troublemaker a lesson. Follow Brer Rabbit as he outsmarts the bad guy and returns to the village as the local hero.

    The Romans did not conquer these ancient inhabitants, though when they retreated from Britain, neighboring tribes tried to lay claim to their lands. Then a magnificent warrior emerged from these ancient Scottish tribes. Remembered Full description

    I have seen them nibbling the ends of the Cigale's claws; I have caught them tugging the ends of her wings, climbing on her back, tickling her antenn�. One audacious individual so far forgot himself under my eyes as to seize her proboscis, endeavouring to extract it from the well! We are delighted to publish this classic book as part of our extensive Classic Library collection. Many of the books in our collection have been out of print for decades, and therefore have not been accessible to the general public. The aim of our publishing program is to facilitate rapid access to this vast reservoir of literature, and our view is that this is a significant literary work, which deserves to be brought back into print after many decades. The contents of the vast majority of titles in the Classic Library have been scanned from the original works. To ensure a high quality product, each title has been meticulously hand curated by our staff. Our philosophy has been guided by a desire to provide the reader with a book that is as close as possible to ownership of the original work. We hope that you will enjoy this wonderful classic work, and that for you it becomes an enriching experience.

    How the Leopard Got His SpotsRead by Danny Glover • Original Music by Ladysmith Black MambazoHunting on the African plain was easy for the leopard since his light coat blended with the yellow hues of the landscape. But once all the animals moved to the striped and splotchy forest, things got much harder–so for his own survival he had to acquire spots. This tale is rich with subtle humor and enchanced by the gegntle sounds of South African a cappella harmonies. The Monkey PeopleRead by Raul Julia • Original Music by Lee RitenourRevisit this Colombian fable of a village in the Amazon jungle where the lazy inhabitants do nothing but lie in their hammocks. Then a mysterious man arrives one day and creates monkeys who do everything for the villagers. When the monkeys take on every human activity–including complaining–the humans have to deal with the serious and silly consequences of their inaction.

    Anansi. Brer Rabbit. Trickster characters have long been a staple of folk literature, and are a natural choice for the overarching subject of acclaimed editors Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling's third mythic anthology. The Coyote Road features a remarkable range of authors, each with his or her fictional look at a trickster character. These authors include Holly Black (The Spiderwick Chronicles), Charles de Lint (The Blue Girl), Ellen Klages (The Green Glass Sea), Kelly Link (Magic for Beginners), Patricia A. McKillip (Old Magic), and Jane Yolen. Terri Windling provides a comprehensive introduction to the trickster myths of the world, and the entire book is highlighted by the remarkable decorations of Charles Vess. The Coyote Road is essential reading for anyone interested in contemporary fantastic fiction.

    This book contains funny new songs about school written to familiar tunes¿so they¿re easy and fun to sing for students and teachers. A few examples include ¿I¿ve Been Burping in the Classroom¿ to the tune of ¿I¿ve Been Working on the Railroad,¿ ¿Angelica the Beautiful¿ to the tune of ¿America the Beautiful,¿ ¿The Halls Were Decked with Toilet Paper¿ to the tune of ¿Deck the Halls,¿ and ¿Marching Out of School¿ to the tune of the ¿Sound Off¿ (The Army Marching Song).2. The songs are written by Bruce Lansky and his band of giggle-poets-turned-songwriters and have been tested on a panel of 500 school children. (Kids rated them ¿much funnier¿ than the most popular 4-color songbooks on the market, which shall be nameless.) 3. Each page contains 4-color illustrations by Stephen Carpenter that add even more appeal to an already charming collection. This book is sure to fill any musical occasion with giggles because these songs are about smelly lunchboxes, the prettiest girl in school, messy lockers, burping in the classroom, and the day the teacher was sent to detention.

    His journey to find both leads him to new friends and new challenges including the mysterious Animal Eater. Could this be the end of Kendu's journey?

    Every year, on the day before Rosh Hashanah, the beloved rabbi of the village of Nemirov disappears until nightfall and no one knows where he goes. The villagers suspect that he ascends to heaven to beg forgiveness for their sins, but Reuven’s friends want the truth. They appoint him to solve the mystery — after all, he is the smallest and fastest of the group — but how?That evening, when Reuven watches the rabbi through the synagogue window, he gets an idea. Determined to follow him at daybreak, Reuven is baffled as the rabbi, disguised as a simple woodcutter, passes the synagogue, the cheder, and Beryl the Baker’s house — his usual stops — only to enter the great forest. Where could the rabbi of Nemirov possibly be going?Adapted from a beloved story by I.L. Peretz, Richard Ungar once again captures the joyous spirit of the Jewish folktale with lighthearted humor and a rich palette of colors as vibrant as the story he tells.

    Many of the immigrants, and their progeny, settled in the Appalachian frontier. Here they established a particularly old set of religious beliefs and traditions based on a strong sense of folk spirituality. They practiced astrology, numerology, and other aspects of esoteric thinking and left a legacy that may still be found in Appalachian folklore today. Based in part on the author's extensive collection of oral histories from the remote highlands of West Virginia, Signs, Cures, and Witchery; German Appalachian Folklore describes these various occult practices, symbols, and beliefs; how they evolved within New World religious contexts; how they arrived on the Appalachian frontier; and the prospects of those beliefs continuing in the contemporary world. By concentrating on these inheritances, Gerald C. Milnes draws a larger picture of the German influence on Appalachia. Much has been written about the Anglo-Celtic, Scots-Irish, and English folkways of the Appalachian people, but few studies have addressed their German cultural attributes and sensibilities. Signs, Cures, and Witchery sheds startling light on folk influences from Germany, making it a volume of tremendous value to Appalachian scholars, folklorists, and readers with an interest in Appalachian folklife and German American studies.

    Yet many of them went quickly out of print after their initial publication in far-flung journals. Brought together for the first time in this volume compiled and edited by Simon Bronner,  the selection surveys Dundes's major ideas and emphases, and is introduced by Bronner with a thorough analysis of Dundes's long career, his interpretations, and his inestimable contribution to folklore studies.Runner-up, the Wayland Hand Award for Folklore and History, 2009

    This title, like its subject matter, is simply unbelievable Packed with 15 collectible miniature magical creatures in resealable snap-top tubes, theis book is chock-full of gorgeous illustrations, incredible facts, and amazing games with 23 cards each that will reinforce what young children have just read. Full color. Pkg. Consumable.

    Cotsen; the Maurice Amado Foundation; National Endowment for the Humanities; and the National Foundation for Jewish Culture. The second volume in a literary landmark Folktales from Eastern Europe presents 71 tales from Ashkenazic culture in the most important collection of Jewish folktales ever published. It is the second volume in Folktales of the Jews, the five-volume series to be released over the next several years, in the tradition of Louis Ginzberg's classic, Legends of the Jews. The tales here and the others in this series have been selected from the Israel Folktale Archives at The University of Haifa, Israel (IFA), a treasure house of Jewish lore that has remained largely unavailable to the entire world until now.Since the creation of the State of Israel, the IFA has collected more than 20,000 tales from newly arrived immigrants, long-lost stories shared by their families from around the world. The tales come from the major ethno-linguistic communities of the Jewish world and are representative of a wide variety of subjects and motifs, especially rich in Jewish content and context.Each of the tales is accompanied by in-depth commentary that explains the tale's cultural, historical, and literary background and its similarity to other tales in the IFA collection, and extensive scholarly notes. There is also an introduction that describes the Ashkenazic culture and its folk narrative tradition, a world map of the areas covered, illustrations, biographies of the collectors and narrators, tale type and motif indexes, a subject index, and a comprehensive bibliography. Until the establishment of the IFA, we had had only limited access to the wide range of Jewish folk narratives. Even in Israel, the gathering place of the most wide-ranging cross-section of world Jewry, these folktales have remained largely unknown. Many of the communities no longer exist as cohesive societies in their representative lands; the Holocaust, migration, and changes in living styles have made the continuation of these tales impossible. This series is a monument to a rich but vanishing oral tradition.

    Shamanism arises from the actions the shaman takes in non-ordinary reality and the results of those actions in ordinary reality. It is not a religion, yet it demands spiritual discipline and personal sacrifice from the mature shaman who seeks the highest stages of mystical development

    The book contains 150 illustrated panels of Adirondack guides, hunters, hermits, hotels, writers, artists, photographers, explorers, lumbering, mining, tanneries, railroads, boats, sports, entertainers, and amusement parks.

    Originally released as a chapbook of seven stories in 1998, this edition A Mixed Medicine Bag contains 15 original Black Wampanoag folk-tales taken from the award-winning storytelling performances of Mwalim *7); one of the contemporary masters of the oral tradition. Drawing from his Eastern Native American, West Indian, and African American storytelling traditions, Mwalim *7) has shared his original lore with audiences at powwows, festivals, colleges, churches, community centers, schools, theatres, jails, street corners, night clubs, and coffeehouses throughout the USA and Canada for over eighteen years.

    A toymaker who cares for an injured cat ends up having his own life saved and is repaid with good fortune. This classic story reminds us that doing a good deed may offer its own rewards. The Japanese Lucky Cat also known as Maneki Neko has become a very popular symbol of good luck and prosperity. Maneki Neko can be found all over Japan, especially in the entrances of shops, restaurants and homes. A raised right paw is believed to bring fortune, while a raised left paw brings happiness and good luck.

    This masterly and extremely readable survey covers folk superstitions and customs, house and nature spirits, pagan gods, Christianization, saints, icons, the Schism, Old Believers, religious sects, and the characters and symbolism in Russian fairy tales that could be called the origin of the Russian psyche.Andrei Sinyavsky (1925–1997) was also known as Abram Tertz.

    How the saint tamed the wolf with kindness resonants for families today in this beautifully illustrated picture book.Saint Francis was born in 1182, the son of a wealthy merchant. After a swashbuckling youth in Assisi, he had a change of faith and decided to live the life that he ascribed to Jesus, one of poverty and abstinence. He gave away everything he owned. His father disowned him. But over the years he drew to himself a substantial following of men and women and died revered and beloved in 1225. Three years later he was canonized as Saint Francis of Assisi by Pope Gregory IX.This lovely retelling of one of the less known of the Saint Francis lessons centers on the legend of the great wolf of Gubbio, a ferocious canine who terrorized the town and was slowly reducing it to penury and starvation. In nearby Assisi, Brother Francis heard of their plight and came to their rescue. Unbelievingly, the villagers watched from the ramparts as Brother Francis called to the wolf, tamed it with his tenderness, and made it pledge that if the people of Gubbio would care for it, he would do them no harm. He took the pledge and lived in harmony with the citizens of the city until his death.A wonderful collaboration between a Newbery-winning author, Jane Langton, and Caldecott-winning illustrator, Ilse Plume, with a timeless lesson.

    Only Samurai were permitted to carry swords, which is why it comes as a shock to many of the characters that the medicine seller would be carrying a sword.

    The worlds of the visible and invisible mesh, and sometimes the unseen is glimpsed between the red posts of the torii on a walk in the woods, or at home. The Kami ever call for their Miko, and they are both within us all. The flower of a poem opens her petals to the sun, amidst a garden of other poems.The poetry herein is the product of a Western Woman who has been heavily influenced by the East, and particularly by her researches into Shinto spirituality and Japanese folklore. Although the poems and songs speak for themselves, brief explanations of culture have been included, with a list of resources for further reading in the back.Teresa Garcia is a mother of two living at the foot of the sacred Mount Shasta in Northern California. She has written poetry nearly all her life, and draws upon her love of nature and the intricate webs of life for inspiration.Song of the Dragon VesselI walk the earth upon two feet To be a path for earth and sky to meet. A vessel for the crystal light Shining ever with love and might. I guide the other to see The waiting dragons that patient be. I search for those of my race Though separated by time and place. A voice for their Voice I chose to be Until all finally grasp their Eternity.

    His tale is inhabited by eclectic characters—a clairvoyant albino aunt; a great-grandfather stolen by the Kickapu Indians; an aunt who learned English from the young Lyndon Baines Johnson in exchange for cabbages and potatoes. Combining traditional memoir, ancient Mexican history and beliefs, personal sacramental journeys, and ghostly interviews, the author gallops through the personal transformation in his first published collection of poetry.

    Shamanism arises from the actions the shaman takes in non-ordinary reality and the results of those actions in ordinary reality. It is not a religion, yet it demands spiritual discipline and personal sacrifice from the mature shaman who seeks the highest stages of mystical development.

    This volume presents a diverse array of response to the sites, tracing how perceptions of the past have changed over the course of three centuries of excavations, what the editors call "the strata of interpretation." The thirteen essays range in subject from a reassessment of the contents of the library at Herculaneum's Villa of the Papyri to the symbolic appearance of the ancient world in such films as Roberto Rossellini's Voyage in Italy and Jean-Luc Godard's Contempt. Antiquity Recovered explores the complexities of "the reception of the past" and helps enhance our understanding of the roles these cities have played, and continue to play, in Western culture.

    Their journey frames this exploration of the extraordinary history of the Gullah culture-characterized by strong African cultural retention and a direct influence on American culture, particularly in the South-described in this fascinating book. Since long before the Revolution, America has had hidden pockets of a bygone African culture with a language of its own, and long endowed with traditions, language, design, medicine, agriculture, fishing, hunting, weaving, and the arts. This book explores the Gullah culture's direct link to Africa, via the sea islands of the American southeast.The first published evidence of Gullah went almost unrecorded until the 1860s, when missionaries from Philadelphia made their way, even as the Civil War was at its height, to St. Helena Island, South Carolina, to establish a small institution called Penn School to help freed slaves learn how to read and write and make a living in a world of upheaval and distress. There they noticed that most of the islanders spoke a language that was only part English, tempered with expressions and idioms, often spoken in a melodious, euphonic manner, accompanied by distinctive practices in religion, work, dancing, greetings, and the arts. The homogeneity, richness, and consistency of this culture was possible because the sea-islanders were isolated. Even today, there are more than 300,000 Gullah people, many of whom speak little or no English, living in the remoter areas of the sea islands of St. Helena, Edisto, Coosay, Ossabaw, Sapelo, Daufuskie, and Cumberland. Gullah Culture in America explores not only the history of Gullah, but takes the reader behind the scenes of Gullah culture today to show what it's like to grow up, live, and celebrate in this remarkable and uniquely American community.

    All the stories are accompanied by notes on their origin, and there is an alternative ending offered for 'Dead of Night'.

    But at the centre of their cosmos stands a gnarled old ash tree from which all distances and times are measured. When the old tree creaks, Ragnarok - the end of the world and of the gods themselves - is at hand. It is from this tree that Odin, father of the gods, hanged himself in search of the wisdom of the dead: a disturbing image of divine sacrifice far removed from the feasting and fighting of his otherworld home, Valhalla. This is the first book to show how the Norse myths have resonated from era to era: from Viking-age stories of ice and fire to the epic poetry of Beowulf; and from Wagner's Ring to Marvel Comics' Mighty Thor. Heather O'Donoghue considers the wider contexts of Norse mythology, including its origins, medieval expression and reception in post-medieval societies right up to the present. From Asgard to Valhalla is a book that will intrigue and delight anyone with an interest in how the Norse myths have so profoundly shaped the western cultural heritage.

    Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.