Book picks similar to
The Wise Old Woman by Yoshiko Uchida
picture-books
children-s
1
folktales
The Seven Chinese Sisters
Kathy Tucker - 2003
Each one had a special talent. When baby Seventh Sister is snatched by a hungry dragon, her loving sisters race to save her.
The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks
Katherine Paterson - 1990
But the wild creature pines for his mate. When Yasuko, the kitchen maid, releases the bird against her lord's command, she and the one-eyed servant, Shozo, are sentenced to death. The grateful bird intends to return their kindness, but can he outsmart the cruel lord?Winner of the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award for Illustration, and a New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year.
The Irish Cinderlad
Shirley Climo - 1996
His new stepmother and her three daughters feed him crusts of bread and banish him to work in the fields. So Becan runs away.With the help of his only friend, a magical bull, he defeats a giant, slays a dragon, and rescues a princess. But before she can thank him, Becan disappears, leaving behind him one of his enormous boots. The princess scours the kingdom for the owner of the giant boot. Will Becan's feet give him away? And what will his fate be if they do?Folklorist Shirley Climo retells an age-old Irish tale that is an unusual twist on the popular Cinderella story. Just like his female counterpart, Becan has a mean stepmother and stepsisters. Unlike Cinderella, Becan has large feet and a magical bull for a fairy godmother. He defeats a sword-swinging giant, slays a fire-breathing dragon, and rescues a princess. But before the princess can thank him, he runs off, leaving her with only an enormous boot to aid her in the search for her rescuer. And, as in all Cinderella stories, true love prevails.
Where's Halmoni?
Julie Kim - 2017
Two young children pay a visit to Halmoni (grandmother in Korean), only to discover she's not home. As they search for her, noticing animal tracks covering the floor, they discover a pair of traditional Korean doors, slightly ajar, new to their grandmother's home. Their curiosity gets the best of them, and the adventure begins when they crawl through and discover an unfamiliar, fantastical world. As they continue to search for their grandmother and solve the mystery of the tracks, they go deeper into the world of Korean folklore and experience their cultural heritage in unexpected ways, meeting a number of Korean-speaking characters along the way. Translations to Korean text in the story and more about the folktale-inspired characters are included at the end.
English Fairy Tales
Flora Annie Steel - 1890
Favourites such as Jack the Giant-killer, Jack and the Beanstalk, Dick Whittington, The Three Little Pigs and The Babes in the Wood are all here among many others, but stories from different traditions also make their appearance, including The Three Bears and Little Red Hiding Hood.
The Well at the End of the World
Robert D. San Souci - 1999
She prefers good books to good looks and keeps both the royal accounts and the castle drawbridge in working order. When her greedy stepmother and stepsister scheme to spend the royal treasury and her father, the king, falls ill, Rosamond must set out in search of the one thing that can cure him -- the healing waters found in the magical well at the end of the world. In the spirit of The Talking Eggs, award-winning author Robert San Souci has once again created a feisty heroine whose generosity and courage save the day combined with Rebecca Walsh's vibrant paintings. This is an adventure story that readers will turn to again and again.
The Fortune-Tellers
Lloyd Alexander - 1992
Lloyd Alexander's story of a young man visiting -- and then becoming -- the village fortune-teller is brought to vibrant life with some of Caldecott Medalist Trina Schart Hyman's most memorable artwork.
The Princess and the Pea
Janet Stevens - 1835
In this rendition a tiger is proven to be a princess.
The Girl with a Brave Heart
Rita Jahanforuz - 2013
After showing kindness to a strange old woman, Shiraz receives the gift of beauty but her lazy and unkind stepsister, Nargues, suffers a less pleasant fate in this adaptation of the Grimm's fairy tale, Mother Hulda, reset in Tehran, Iran.
Babushka Baba Yaga
Patricia Polacco - 1993
Baba Yaga is a witch famous throughout Russia for eating children, but this Babushka Baba Yaga is a lonely old woman who just wants a grandchild?to love."Kids will respond to the joyful story of the outsider who gets to join in, and Polacco's richly patterned paintings of Russian peasant life on the edge of the woods are full of light and color." -- Booklist"A warm, lively tale, neatly mixing new and old and illustrated with Polacco's usual energetic action, bright folk patterns, and affectionate characterizations." --Kirkus Reviews
Ming Lo Moves the Mountain
Arnold Lobel - 1982
The couple live beside a big mountain which causes them no end of trouble. Shadows fall over their garden. Rocks fall through their roof. And it is always raining. "Husband," says Ming Lo's wife, "you must move the mountain so that we may enjoy our house in peace." But how can a man as small as Ming Lo move something as large as a mountain? Maybe the village wise man can help. This whimsical literary folktale is set in China.
Jack and the Beanstalk
Steven Kellogg - 1991
Meet a hen that lays golden eggs and a harp that sings by itself. And don't forget the ogre...A classic fairy tale with rich and dynamic illustrations that will leave you chanting "Fee-fi-fo-fum!"
The Seven Chinese Brothers
Margaret Mahy - 1990
"Exceptional." - School Library Journal, starred review
Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story from China
Ai-Ling Louie - 1982
"Executed with chromatic splendor--a unique combination of brilliance and restraint".--The Horn Book. Full-color illustrations.