The Crane Wife


Odds Bodkin - 1998
     This retelling of a traditional Japanese folktale teaches readers young or old a lesson about life and love.

The Story of Colors/La Historia de los Colores


Subcomandante Marcos - 1999
    At the same time, it provides us with a fresh perspective on the struggles of the people there. They fight to conserve their culture and a vision of the world which they see as flowering with holiness—a holiness that cannot be measured in dollars or defined by politics.The text for La Historia de los Colores is taken from the communiqué dated October 27, 1994 from Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos to the Mexican People. Originally published in Mexico with illustrations by Domitila Domínguez as La Historia de los Colores © 1996 by Colectivo Callejero, Guadalajara.Who is Marcos?Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos is the military strategist and spokesperson for the Zapatistas, an indigenous guerrilla movement in Mexico. It is his person, more than any other factor, that has pushed the Zapatista movement and the plight of the indigenous people in Mexico onto the international scene. Marcos continues to be the focus of media attention—in Mexico, in the States, and internationally, despite the Mexican government’s attempts to discredit him.On New Year’s Day, 1994, Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos and the Zapatistas, wearing their trademark ski masks, erupted on the world scene by declaring war on the Mexican government and attacking military installations in San Cristóbal, Chiapas. Since that time, Marcos—because of his charm, intelligence and mystique—has become a post-modern revolutionary hero. In his communiqués to the Mexican people, he has often related folktales and stories that reflect the culture and wisdom of the indigenous peoples of Chiapas.But no one seems to know who Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos is. The Mexican Government claims he is Rafael Guillen, but they’re literalists. He says he’s a Mexican like any other, born somewhere between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and between the northern and southern borders. He says he wears a ski mask because he is no longer whoever he was.

La Llorona, the Weeping Woman: An Hispanic Legend Told in Spanish and English


Joe Hayes - 1986
    It is truly the best known and most popular cuento of Hispanic America. It appears at first to be only a frightening story filled with mysterious events that cause children to sit wide-eyed, to huddle together and listen spellbound. Yet, it’s the simple, universal wisdom at the core of the story that finally works its magic in their hearts. In the original paperback duotone version, this story of the weeping woman, sold close to 100,000 copies.Joe Hayes is best known for his bilingual tellings of stories from the American Southwest. La Llorona is one of his favorite stories.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears


Gennady Spirin - 2009
    Each spread—painted in watercolor, pen, and ink—brings renewed life to this endearing children’s classic in a way that only a master illustrator can. No wonder Goldilocks want to sample the bears’ porridge, sit on their chairs, and rest on their beds!

Turandot


Marianna Mayer - 1995
    The many suitors who fail her challenge forfeit their heads, but when Calaf arrives, he falls in love with Turandot, answers the riddles, and wins her heart....Varied and dramatic in composition, the polished illustrations in cool hues have an underlying sense of elegance and musicality." Booklist. Author's note.

Jorinda and Joringel (Troll's Best Loved Classics)


David Cutts - 1812
    An ancient witch lived in the castle, and she had powerful magic. She cast a spell on any young man who came within one hundred steps of the castle—freezing him to the spot so he could not move or speak until the witch set him free. If a young girl wandered too near the castle walls, the witch turned her into a bird, and locked her in a cage inside the castle. But true love triumphs over evil enchantment in this story of one young couple, the beautiful Jorinda and Jorindel, the shepherd boy who loves her.

My Mother is the Most Beautiful Woman in the World


Becky Reyher - 1945
    She cannot find her mother. What does her mother look like? Her answer is, “My mother is the most beautiful woman in the world.” When her mother is finally found, she proves to be the most beautiful woman in the world—if only, perhaps, in the eyes of her small daughter.

Rumpelstiltskin


Edith H. Tarcov - 1989
    A strange little man helps the miller's daughter spin straw into gold for the king on the condition that she will give him her first-born child.

Finn McCool and the Great Fish


Eve Bunting - 2009
    He’s a fierce warrior, even beating the giant Culcullan and saving Ireland from the Scots. Helpful and kind, he helps the farmers bring in the hay. And everyone in the village of Drumnahoon admires him. “He’s the best-hearted man that ever walked on Ireland’s green grass.” But for all his strength, courage, and goodness, there’s one thing that Finn lacks. He’s just not smart. And he knows it. When a wise man living in a nearby village tells Finn about a magical red salmon with the wisdom of the world, Finn sets out to catch the fish. And he learns a thing or two about himself in the process.

The Bearskinner: A Tale of the Brothers Grimm


Laura Amy Schlitz - 2006
    Enter that sly opportunist, the devil, who wraps the soldier in the armor of a dead bear’s skin, fills its pockets with gold, and makes a dangerous and horrible wager. An unforgettable retelling of a classic Grimm tale, THE BEARSKINNER is a story about the struggle between the two sides of our selves, and the heroic strength it takes to claim a victory.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs


Wanda Gág - 1938
    She always gets the answer she wants, until Snow White turns seven, and the mirror must truthfully answer, "Snow White." At the news, the Queen turns yellow and green with envy and commands the huntsman to kill Snow White and bring her "lung and liver as a token." Thus begins another enchanting fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm! Kirkus Reviews called this collaboration between Randall and Nancy Eckholm Burkert "a sort of legend even before its time of publication." Jarrell also wrote The Bat-Poet and The Animal Family, a Newbery Honor Book. Jarrell retained the Grimm (and grim) ending to the tale, as the stepmother is forced to dance to her death. Burkert's illustrations are magical, light-filled creations that more than earn the book its Caldecott Honor Book status. This delightful book's extra-large format showcases the fabulously detailed illustrations, alternating two facing pages of art with two pages of straight text. This is an unforgettable interpretation of a well-loved story. (Ages 6 to 9)

The Star Child


Jacob Grimm - 1985
    But even these few things meant much to others less fortunate than herself, and in selfless love, the girl gave the little she had away. In this beautiful Grimm tale, her virtue is rewarded a thousand times over.

The Three Billy Goats Gruff


Peter Christen Asbjørnsen - 1841
    Marcia Brown’s stylized illustrations capture the personalities of the clever goats and the horrible troll, making this book a feast for the eyes as well as the ears.

The Wise Old Woman


Yoshiko Uchida - 1994
    The overlord threatens to destroy the farmer's village unless the young lord can perform three seemingly impossible tasks. How the elderly mother accomplishes the tasks and saves the village is a satisfying story brought to life with remarkable full-color paintings.

The Mightiest Heart


Lynn Cullen - 1998
    Laurel Long joins the ranks of today