That was a mistake.The weird frog-cat-cow thing? It made an excellent bush.And the inky smudges... they look as if they were always meant to be leaves floating gently across the sky.As one artist incorporates accidental splotches, spots, and misshapen things into her art, she transforms her piece in quirky and unexpected ways, taking readers on a journey through her process.

    Pencil-and-wash pictures bring the forest and Goldilocks' family frontier cabin to life, infusing the tale with a satisfying warmth, a sense of love and security, and just the right touch of humor.

    But when the baby gave her first cry, thewind shushed to a whisper and the stars began to sing.Brigid's Cloak retells an ancient tale about one of Ireland's most beloved saints. On the day she is born Brigid receives a brilliant blue cloak from a mysterious Druid. Years later, the young girl still wears the now tattered but beloved cloak while she tends her sheep. Is it her imagination that suddenly takes her to an unfamiliar land? Or is it something far greater that leads Brigid to a crowded inn in a town called Bethlehem?Bryce Milligan's eloquently told story about Brigid is a moving tale of compassion and wonder. Beautifully illustrated by Helen Cann, Brigid's Cloak sparkles with the timelessness of legend and the transcending power of faith.

    Priscilla the princess has accidentally switched places with Pigmella, the farmer's new piglet. The kindly farmer and his wife believe it's the work of a good witch, while the ill-tempered king and queen blame the bad witch-after all, this happens in fairy tales all the time! While Priscilla grows up on the farm, poor yet very happy, things don't turn out quite so well for Pigmella. Kissing a frog has done wonders before, but will it work for a pig?Sure to hog all the attention, this story's frequent nods to well-known fairy tales such as Sleeping Beauty, The Frog Princess, and Thumbelina-plus hilarious illustrations-will delight readers of any age.

    But when the Emperor is imprisoned in a high tower, only the Princess can save the day, flying her kite high up into the sky to rescue her father.

    But first, Bear had a story to tell...Bear found his friend Mouse, but Mouse was busy gathering seeds and didn't have time to listen to a story. Then Bear saw his friend Duck, but Duck was getting ready to fly south. What about his friend Toad? He was busy looking for a warm place to sleep. By the time Bear was through helping his friends get ready for winter, would anyone still be awake to hear his story?This endearing story of friendship and patience is a worthy companion to Philip and Erin Stead's last collaboration, A Sick Day for Amos McGee, winner of the 2011 Caldecott Medal.Bear Has a Story to Tell is a Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of 2012. This title has Common Core connections.

    Each one had a special talent. When baby Seventh Sister is snatched by a hungry dragon, her loving sisters race to save her.

    Beautifully illustrated . . . this handsome volume is an art object in itself."- Kirkus Reviews"Punchy writing and bold images make this a promising readaloud prospect. It’s a work of art, too" -Publishers WeeklyMeet the most wily jackal in the forest. Too lazy to hunt for food, he decides to trick his friend the crane, and soon gets carried away, gobbling up every animal he encounters. This lighthearted story, told in cumulative rhyme, is an adaptation of an oral trickster tale from Rajasthan, north India. It is illustrated with finger painting by the talented Sunita, a young woman artist who hails from the Meena tribe. In this handmade, silkscreen printed children's book, Sunita adapts a traditional Meena art form called Mandna, which is traditionally painted by women on the walls and floors of their village homes.This is the first time that Mandna--rarely seen outside the confines of Meena villages--has been used in a children’s book. Each book is made completely by hand, and numbered out of a limited edition.

    But the old fisherwoman was wilier than they knew. The waves had risen to take bites out of all the fishing shacks, and what she was hoping to catch was the person who controlled the tides - the man in the moon. A book that explores the unlikely friendship between a salty old woman and the sweetest man in the night sky, CATCHING THE MOON shows the unexpected pleasures to be found when people come together.

    In resourceful and humorous fashion, Elizabeth finds the dragon, outsmarts him, and rescues Ronald--who is less than pleased at her un-princess-like appearance. Full color.

    Step back into ancient India as Marcia Williams brings her inviting comic-book style to eight animal folktales that continue to enchant children today.Have you heard about the elephant and the dog who became not just unlikely companions, but the best of friends? Or the traveler whose greed for gold lures him straight into the scrawny tiger’s trap? How about the talkative tortoise who can’t keep his mouth closed to save his life? Drawing from three books of best-loved Indian folktales — Hitopadesha Tales, Jataka Tales, and Panchantra Tales — this graphic storybook collection, alive with kid-friendly illustrations, is infused with humor and warmth.

    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.

    Everyone in the village called her Grandma. One day, Grandma received a letter from her daughter, who lived on the other side of the jungle. "Please come and visit me," said the letter. "I haven't seen you in so long. I miss you."And so, Grandma begins a perilous journey to the far side of the jungle.  Can she use her keen wit to escape the jungle animals and make it safely home?Chitra Divakaruni's sharp, rhythmic retelling of this Bengali folktale is complimented perfectly by Susy Pilgrim Waters's brightly colored, captivating illustrations.

    He is sure that he will be a great ninja. Silence is the fi rst lesson and everyone is very very silent . . . except for Wink. Stealth is the second lesson and everyone is very very stealthy . . . except for Wink. Finally, Wink decides that he will be silent and stealthy. But no one notices! What's the point of being a great ninja if no one notices? Maybe Wink wasn?t meant to be a ninja? This daring debut is an adventure-lover's dream.

    A young immigrant girl joins her aunt and uncle in a new country that is unfamiliar to her. She struggles with loneliness, with a fierce longing for the culture and familiarity of home, until one day, her aunt takes her on a walk. As the duo strolls through their city park, the girl's aunt begins to tell her an old myth, and a story within the story begins.A long time ago, a group of refugees arrived on a foreign shore. The local king met them, determined to refuse their request for refuge. But there was a language barrier, so the king filled a glass with milk and pointed to it as a way of saying that the land was full and couldn't accommodate the strangers. Then, the leader of the refugees dissolved sugar in the glass of milk. His message was clear: Like sugar in milk, our presence in your country will sweeten your lives. The king embraced the refugee, welcoming him and his people.