The story may be familiar, but the cast of characters will surprise you. Snow White is a beautiful jazz baby, protected by seven hot jazzmen. Instead of a wicked stepmother, her arch-enemy is the Queen of the Underworld. And her Prince Charming is a crack reporter from the New York Mirror. The breezy and clever text complements the style and color of the art deco illustrations, making this a picture book of astonishing originality. This winner of The Kate Greenaway Medal is at last available in paperback.

    . . before."Jack was running like mad in the dark woods with a hen under his arm.Previously, he had stolen the hen and climbed down a beanstalk."But do you know what was Jack doing before he climbed down the beanstalk?Or what Jack and Jill were arguing about before they went up the hill? And what happened before that? Every story, every person, and every thing started somewhere, and now the inventive and whimsical Allan Ahlberg explores what all your favorite storybook characters were up to previously, aided by Bruce Ingman’s energetic illustrations.

    Three Little Superpigs

    Her new guardian, her uncle Sir Benjamin, is kind and funny; the Manor itself feels like home right away; and every person and animal she meets is like an old friend. But there is something incredibly sad beneath all of this beauty and comfort, that shadowing Moonacre Manor and the town around it. Maria is determined to learn about it, change it, and give her own life story a happy ending.The enchanted valley of Moonacre is shadowed by a tragedy that happened years ago, and the memory of the Moon Princess and the mysterious little white horse. Determined to restore peace and happiness to the whole of Moonacre Valley, Maria finds herself involved with an ancient feud, and she discovers it is her destiny to end it and right the wrongs of her ancestors. Maria usually gets her own way. But what can one solitary girl do?A new-fashioned fantasy story that is as wonderful as the best classic fairy tales.(The 1994 mini-series "Moonacre" and 2008 movie "The Secret of Moonacre" and the are both based on this book.)

    Her days are spent in lovely gowns, playing happily with her favorite golden ball. When her beloved ball is lost, she strikes a bargain for its return with a thick, green frog—a deal she doesn’t intend to keep! But the ugly frog, refusing to be left behind by the fleeing princess, insists she share her life with him as promised.This Brothers Grimm tale of a spoiled princess finding her handsome prince by breaking a witch’s spell has enchanted readers since it was written in the early 1800s. With enchantingly elegant illustrations, Anne Yvonne Gilbert brings Kathy-jo Wargin’s retelling of the classic to a new generation of readers.

    Rump discovers he has a gift for spinning straw into gold. His best friend, Red Riding Hood, warns him that magic is dangerous, and she’s right. With each thread he spins, he weaves himself deeper into a curse. To break the spell, Rump must go on a perilous quest, fighting off pixies, trolls, poison apples, and a wickedly foolish queen. The odds are against him, but with courage and friendship—and a cheeky sense of humor—he just might triumph in the end.

    Rather, it is the story of a young woman who must choose between the security of her sheltered tower and the uncertainty of independence. Full color.

    He spins just enough cloth for a warm scarf. But when the king sees the boy's magnificent cloth, he demands cloaks and gowns galore. "It would not be wise," the boy protests. "Your majesty does not need them!" But spin he must—and soon the world around him begins to change.From author Michael Catchpool and illustrator Alison Jay comes a magical tale about the beauty and fragility of our natural world, and the wisdom and courage needed to protect it.

    Combining remarkable artwork with lyrical storytelling, this tale brings together the major themes of three Northern European wonder tales, creating an unforgettable adventure. With CD

    It's time for the little red chicken's bedtime story—and a reminder from Papa to try not to interrupt. But the chicken can't help herself! Whether the tale is "Hansel and Gretel" or "Little Red Riding Hood" or even "Chicken Little," she jumps into the story to save its hapless characters from doing some dangerous or silly thing. Now it's the little red chicken's turn to tell a story, but will her yawning papa make it to the end without his own kind of interrupting? Energetically illustrated with glowing colors—and offering humorous story-within-a-story views—this all-too-familiar tale is sure to amuse (and hold the attention of) spirited little chicks.

    Three interior die-cut holes invite readers to huff, puff, and blow the pigs’ houses down! This fractured fairy tale ends sweetly when, rather than blowing down the third pig’s brick home, the wolf/reader blows out the candles on a cake baked by the pigs! A satisfying and engaging read for every young Three Little Pigs fan.Praise for Huff & Puff "Simple but wonderfully expressive, the illustrations are ink drawings with pale washes of tan, pink, yellow, and blue. A beautifully designed and wholly engaging picture book for young children."–Booklist"Sure to be a family favorite." –Shelf-Awareness “A good chance for youngsters to relish enacting the wicked role while still getting a friendly reconciliation at the end.”–Kirkus Reviews"Very young readers will get a kick out of taking the wolf’s part, and their parents will appreciate that the scariest bits of the original tale have been omitted."–School Library Journal"Like her repetitive text, Rueda’s illustrations are gently funny and elegantly simple."–Horn Book"The reader is encouraged to follow the pigs into the book."–Library Media Connection

    When she realizes she is lost, she begins to panic. A large grey wolf makes a sudden appearance between some distant trees. Using his sense of smell, he determines where she came from and decides to help her. Through a series of questions from the wolf, the little girl realizes she had the knowledge and skill to navigate herself--she just needed to remember that those abilities were there all along.

    She invites her brothers to help, but they just laugh and tell her she doesn't know how to build."Then I'll learn," she says.And she does!When she creates a dazzling fort that they all want to play in, it is Ruby who has the last laugh.With sprightly text and winsome pictures, this modern spin on the timeless favorite The Little Red Hen celebrates the pluck and ingenuity of young creators everywhere!

    So off he goes in search of a new fairy tale to be in! Wearing the ball gown in Cinderella didn't work because wolves don't wear dresses!, climbing up the beanstalk and seeing the giant's huge feet scared the wolf, and yuck getting kissed by the prince in Sleeping Beauty is not for the wolf at all! As the wolf runs from page to page the whole book of fairy tales becomes a great mixed-up mess! Children will enjoy spotting all of their favorite characters in this hilarious twisted-fairy tale adventure!

    Nibbles is a very naughty book monster - he's chomping, munching and nibbling his way through fairytales that don't belong to him! Can you help catch him and put him back in his own story? Lift the flaps, peek through the peep holes, and chase Nibbles through a fantastical world of fairy tales including Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk and Goldilocks and the Three Bears.