And this is her folk tale. And pretty much everything you need to know about how good this is, is there on that absolutely gorgeously delightful cover above. By the end of it, you’ll have exactly the same smile as Hilda has.”— Forbidden PlanetHilda sits in her tent listening to the thunder passing overhead when she hears a bell. As she hurtles towards the vanishing tinkling sound, Hilda unwittingly embarks on an adventure into strange worlds ruled by magical forces. Luke Pearson tells this exciting tale for kids and adults alike.

    It has everything a classic epic tale should have: rags and riches, hags and heroism, magic and mystery, a curse and a quest, wicked trolls, a shape-shifting bear, and finally, a happy ending. Kate Greenaway Medalist P.J. Lynch has created a luminous backdrop worthy of this grand adventure, transporting readers to a world of fantasy and imagination.

    But all of these soft, cuddly, sweet-faced toys share a wonderful, magical secret... they're alive!Created by Mr. Isaac Bodkins, the old toy maker, the Oddkins are made only for very special children, those who must face something difficult in life and need a true friend. The Oddkins are given to these children to inspire them, help them, and love them as long as the children need them. Only now the toys themselves - Amos, the brave stuffed bear; Skippy, the rabbit who dreams of being a superstar; Butterscotch, the gently, floppy-eared pup; as well as Burl the elephant; Gibbons; and Patch the cat - are the ones in need of help.Mr. Bodkins has passed away before he can give his life-giving powers to Colleen Shannon, the toy maker he had chosen to replace him. Yet before he dies, the old man takes Amos aside, appoints him leader of the Oddkins, and gives him a dire warning: Watch out for an evil toy maker -- and something much, much worse!That 'something' is happening right now. Locked up in the dark subbasement, another group of toys is climbing out of boxes and crates and coming to life. These bad toys -- like Rex and Lizzie, the puppets with no strings; Gear, the vicious robot; and Stinger, the horrid buzzing bumblebee with his knife-sharp stinger -- were made to hurt children, not help them. Leering, laughing, and deadly, they are being loosed on the world by a terrible, terrifying force. Frightening as it may be, the Oddkins have only one choice: to go on a journey in search of Colleen Shannon's toy shop. The night is stormy and black; the way is filled with peril. And the Oddkins have to face a danger that threatens not only their existence...but the magic in us all.

    Illustrations are scattered throughout this short story to help keep your young ones engaged. A great lesson book on cooperation and problem-solving, and it is just fun to read! Perfect for bedtime or story time! Please note: The ebook version has color illustrations, while the printed version has black-and-white illustrations to keep the printing costs within reason.

    Aoife, their new stepmother is very kind to them. But in her heart she is jealous of the children and uses her secret magic powers to cast a spell on them, changing them from children into swans. They spend long years on lonely lakes and frozen seas, until one day the spell is broken and they are human again. Though everyone they loved is long gone, they know they are home at last.

    Having grown a pair of wings and felt the longing for the freedom of the skies, twelve-year-old Gwinna goes to the Mother of the Owls, who sends her on a quest to find the songs of the wind.

    When she wakes up to find that her legs have become bear legs, she sets off into the forest to discover who she is, on a journey that takes her from icy rivers to smouldering mountains, with an ever-growing group of misfits alongside her... Interwoven with traditional stories of bears, princesses and dragons, Yanka's journey is a gorgeously lyrical adventure from the best-selling author of The House With Chicken Legs.

    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)

    There are many stories that tell of his life, but the delightful version relayed in The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus is by far the most charming and original of all. Only L. Frank Baum, the man who created the wonderful land of Oz, could have told Santa's tale in such rich and imaginative detail.

    When Gargoy goes missing, Baby Zom enlists her siblings to help in the search. Follow along with Gothina, the critter loving goth zombie, Broheimer, the nerdy zombie, and Kamper, the messy zombie who enjoys camping. Who, or what, is Gargoy? Read on to find out!!

    "Hall-O-Ween!" is a spooky little rhyming book about all the sweet bites and fun frights on Halloween day and night.

    Fairy tales are just stories, or so Princess Martha believes. But when her sisters meet a talking frog, they're convinced that giving him the royal treatment will turn him into Prince Charming. After all, that's what happens in their story books. Martha isn't so sure. The more she sees of Prince Ribbit, the more suspicious she becomes. Armed with the facts, Martha sets out to expose Prince Ribbit and prove to her sisters that just because it's in a book doesn't mean it's true. But before The End, Princess Martha might just learn that lesson for herself!

    The young man's journey brings him to a mountain, a captive princess, and a terrifying troll. The illustrations are by turns fanciful and lovely as well as dark and terrifying, but a continuous thread of good humor and playfulness runs thorugh the whole story.Øyvind Torseter is a Norwegian artist, illustrator, comic book artist, and author. Torseter studied illustration at the Merkantilt Institutt in Oslo, the School for Graphic Design in Oslo, and the Kent Institute of Art and Design in England. In addition to his own books, Torseter has illustrated books by other authors, including My Father's Arms Are a Boat by Stein Erik Lunde.

    What happens when one little girl refuses to brush her long, beautiful hair? Well, one day a mouse comes to live in a particularly tangled lock. Soon after, more mice move in, and the girl's unruly mop is transformed into a marvelous mouse palace complete with secret passageways and a cheese cellar! She loves her new companions—they tell knock-knock jokes and are sweet to her doll, Baby—but as the girl comes to find out, living with more than a hundred mice atop your head isn't always easy. . . . Here's an fantastic tale that will have kids poring over the mice's elaborate world within the girl's wild, ever-changing hairdo.

    So when Miss Hunnicutt steps out in her new hat, the stuffy townsfolk are scandalized. The chicken has to go! But plucky Miss Hunnicut stands up for her right to wear what she likes. And when the Queen's arrival prompts a surprising turn of events, the townspeople learn to celebrate the silly eccentricities that make life interesting.