He wore a huge, white turban and a worn-out coat made of patches upon patches. Riding about on his little gray donkey, he liked to help whomever he could. A friend to all, Nasrettin is a popular figure. But when he is suddenly ignored at a friend's banquet, he realizes it is his patchwork coat that is turning people away from him. He leaves the party and returns later, wearing a brand-new coat. Now Nasrettin is warmly welcomed. But instead of eating the delicious foods placed before him, he feeds them to his coat!How Nasrettin Hoca teaches his friends a lesson about appearances is the heart of this hilarious and clever story. With good humor and luminous illustrations inspired by traditional Turkish paintings, Demi brings to life Turkey's most famous folk hero and imparts a timeless tale with a moral that will resonate with readers everywhere.

    The beauty of the language is set off to perfection by Heller's arresting illustrations. A stunning combination of fluent prose and exquisitely wrought illustrations that makes] a winner for story hours, as well as a useful resource for the study of Cinderella through the ages." -- SLJ. Notable 1989 Children's Trade Books in Social Studies (NCSS/CBC)

    A hidden passage.A secret underground world beyond imagining.Night after night, the princesses mysteriously wear out their shoes. But how are they doing it? The baffled king promises a great reward to any man who can solve the mystery.From the colorful flurry of the princesses? dressing room to a captivating nighttime scene on an underground lake, Rachel Isadora has revitalized and reimagined this well-loved Brothers Grimm fairy tale by bringing the story of the twelve princesses to Africa. Her collage of blazing colors, rich textures and dramatic shapes evoke the patterns and palette of this beautiful continent. Returning to the lush setting of The Princess and the Pea, the unique presentation of this classic tale is sure to enchant readers with its vibrant imagery.

    "Elegance has become the Dillons' hallmark. . . . Matching the art is Aardema's uniquely onomatopoeic text . . . An impressive showpiece."-Booklist, starred review.Winner of Caldecott Medal in 1976 and the Brooklyn Art Books for Children Award in 1977.

    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

    "Absolutely splendid." -- Kirkuse Reviews. "An extraordinary and powerful book." -- Publisher's Weekly.

    It had fountains of cool, refreshing water to quench the thirst of the desert, and storytellers to bring the people together. But as the kingdom grew, the people forgot the dangers of the desert, and they forgot about the storytellers, too. All but one young boy, who came to the Great Square for a drink and found something that quenched his thirst even better: wonderful stories. As he listened to the last storyteller recount the Endless Drought, and the Glorious Blue Water Bird, he discovered the power of a tale well told. Acclaimed illustrator Evan Turk has created a stunning multidimensional story within a story that will captivate the imagination and inspire a new generation of young storytellers.

    He presents no match for the spunky heroine and her quick-thinking cat TeJean, though, as they use some strong Cajun hot sauce to teach Claude a lesson he will never forget!The combination of hilarious rhyme and exaggerated art creates a highly original retelling of the classic fairy tale. A pronunciation guide/glossary accompanies a tempting dialect that begs to be read aloud or acted out again and again. This is Little Red Riding Hood as she's never been seen before: Cajun and ducky.

    Haktak digs up a curious brass pot in his garden and decides to carry his coin purse in it. When Mrs. Haktak's hairpin slips into the pot, she reaches in and pulls out two coin purses and two hairpins--this is a magic pot!

    But Little Bush Deer is onto Anansi's scheme, and hatches a plan to beat him at his own game.Based on tales originating in West Africa and familiar in Caribbean culture, the five-book Anansi the Trickster series is full of slapstick humor and mischief. Eric A. Kimmel's imaginative energy combined with Janet Stevens' expressive illustrations create the perfect silly stories for fun-loving kids.

    He knows a dance, using a traditional Iroquois drum and song, to make it snow--even in springtime! The other animals of the forest don't want early snow, but Rabbit doesn't listen to them. Instead, he sings and dances until more and more snow falls. But how much snow is too much, and will Rabbit know when to stop?This stylish and oh-so-funny story is a modern take on a traditional Native American fable from master storytellers Joseph and James Bruchac.

    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

    Cinnamon had pearls for eyes. Cinnamon did not talk.Her father and mother offered many riches to anyone who could get Cinnamon to speak. One day a tiger came to the palace, armed with knowledge of the world, and everything changed.

    The tale of how a father with his magic wand and a boy with his music triumph over the giant Abiyoyo is based on a South African lullaby and folk story.

    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.