Tikki Tikki Tembo


Arlene Mosel - 1968
    Arlene Mosel and Blair Lent's classic re-creation of an ancient Chinese folktale has hooked legions of children, teachers, and parents, who return, generation after generation, to learn about the danger of having such an honorable name as Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo.

The Girl Who Spun Gold


Virginia Hamilton - 2000
    A tiny creature comes to save her under the condition that she has three chances to guess his name right.West Indian

Sleeping Ugly


Jane Yolen - 1981
    Plain Jane, on the other hand, has a face to match her name but a sweet and loving nature that earns her three wishes from a fairy. Miserella's horrible manners make the fairy so angry that her magic throws them all into a deep sleep. Will the handsome prince kiss the right girl?

The Real Mother Goose


Blanche Fisher Wright - 1916
    Heralded as the "standard" Mother Goose by parents, grandparents, teachers, and librarians, this wonderful book with Blanche Fisher Wright's lively, colorful pictures makes an enchanting introduction for the very young.Mother Goose rhymes are a vital part of childhood. And this collection of essential rhymes have been reproduced exactly as they have been repeated from generation to generation.

Henny Penny


Paul Galdone - 1950
    Convinced the sky is falling, Henny Penny and a band of gullible friends march off to tell the king, only to meet their end at the hands of a wily fox.

The Princess and the Pizza


Mary Jane Auch - 2002
    After her royal father decides to retire and become a wood carver, Princess Paulina has no idea what to do with herself. She can't survey the kingdom from her leaky cottage roof, and no one waves back when she proceeds through the town on her father's cart.When she hears that a neighboring queen is seeking a bride for her son, Prince Drupert, Paulina sees her chance to get back to princessing. But it will take all her wit and determination to pass the Queen's tests. . . . and in the end, maybe there are better fates than a royal marriage.Full of tongue-in-cheek references to stories like Rapunzel, Snow White, and the Princess and the Pea, this fractured fairy tale is an hilarious twist on traditional tales in which a young woman's practicality, good humor, and intelligence let her shape her own happy ending-- with extra cheese and all the toppings her heart desires.

It Could Always Be Worse: A Yiddish Folk Tale


Margot Zemach - 1976
    When the poor man was unable to stand it any longer, he ran to the Rabbi for help.As he follows the Rabbi's unlikely advice, the poor man's life goes from bad to worse, with increasingly uproarious results. In his little hut, silly calamity follows foolish catastrophe, all memorably depicted in full-color illustrations that are both funnier and lovelier than any this distinguished artist has done in the past.It Could Always Be Worse is a 1977 New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of the Year and Outstanding Book of the Year, and a 1978 Caldecott Honor Book.

My Lucky Day


Keiko Kasza - 2003
    Fox's door "accidentally," the fox can hardly believe his good luck. It's not every day that dinner just shows up on your doorstep. It must be his lucky day! Or is it?Before Mr. Fox can say grace, the piglet has manipulated him into giving him a fabulously tasty meal, the full spa treatment (with bath and massage), and . . . freedom.In a funny trickster tale of her own, Kasza keeps readers guessing until the surprise ending when they'll realize it was piglet's lucky day all along.

The Duchess of Whimsy


Randall de Sève - 2009
    The Duchess of Whimsy is fancy and fussy—and definitely not ordinary—surrounding herself with wild friends, fabulous foods, and fancy dress. The Earl of Norm (ho hum) is completely ordinary, but he adores the Duchess. She ignores him, until the chef gets sick, and her friends have to make a super supper—which includes tracking down truffles, spinning sugar stars, and looking for quail eggs.But the Earl is hungry! He sneaks off to an ordinary grilled cheese sandwich—and suddenly takes the Duchess’s eye. Maybe there’s something to simplicity after all. Maybe there’s something to the Earl after all . . .This deliciously told and illustrated love story by the remarkable de Sèves shows how utterly charming and extraordinary a picture book can be.

Dinorella: A Prehistoric Fairytale


Pamela Duncan Edwards - 1997
    In this story, loosely based on that of Cinderella but featuring dinosaurs, the duke falls in love with Dinorella when she rescues him from the dreaded deinonychus at the Dinosaur Dance.

Fables


Arnold Lobel - 1980
    . . . The droll illustrations, with tones blended to luminescent shading, are complete and humorous themselves.' -- Association of Library Service to Children, ALA.

Duck on a Bike


David Shannon - 2002
    "I bet I could ride a bike," he thought. He waddled over to where the boy parked his bike, climbed on and began to ride. At first he rode slowly and he wobbled a lot, but it was fun! Duck rode past Cow and waved to her. "Hello, Cow!" said Duck. "Moo," said Cow. But what she thought was, "A duck on a bike? That's the silliest thing I've ever seen!" And so Duck rides past sheep, horse, and all the other barnyard animals. Suddenly, a group of kids ride by on their bikes and run into the farmhouse, leaving the bikes outside. What will happen now?

How I Became a Pirate


Melinda Long - 2003
    I know about pirates, because one day, when I was at the beach building a sand castle and minding my own business, a pirate ship sailed into view.So proclaims Jeremy Jacob, a boy who joins Captain Braid Beard and his crew in this witty look at the finer points of pirate life by the Caldecott Honor–winning illustrator David Shannon and the storyteller Melinda Long. Jeremy learns how to say “scurvy dog,” sing sea chanteys, and throw food . . . but he also learns that there are no books or good night kisses on board: “Pirates don’t tuck.” A swashbuckling adventure with fantastically silly, richly textured illustrations that suit the story to a T.

Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale


Carmen Agra Deedy - 2007
    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

Uni the Unicorn


Amy Krouse Rosenthal - 2014
    Somewhere there must be a smart, strong, wonderful, magical little girl waiting to be best friends. In fact, far away (but not too far), a real little girl believes there is a unicorn waiting for her. This refreshing and sweet story of friendship reminds believers and nonbelievers alike that sometimes wishes really can come true.