Storytelling with Children

Nancy Mellon

$17.95

Nancy Mellon's newest book is pure joy. Here's a guide from the heart that will inspire you to create times of wonder for the children in your life. Step into the magical world of storytelling, light a candle, invite the children to draw near as you share old stories, new stories, family stories that will become beloved treasures for all life.

Nancy will show you how to create a listening space, use the day's events and rhythms to make stories, transform old stories and make-up new ones, bring family stories to life, learn stories by heart using pictures, inner theater, walk about and build your own rich storycupboard. Enjoy this adventuresome book - it will warm your heart and stir your soul.

The Way of the Storyteller

Ruth Sawyer

$15.00

"The art of storytelling lies within the storyteller, to be searched for, drawn out, made to grow." - Ruth Sawyer
This simple statement really sums up the author's approach throughout this classic book on the art of storytelling. First published in 1942, The Art of the Storyteller is unique in its blend of literary history, criticism, analysis, personal anecdote, and practical guidance. Ruth Sawyer examines storytelling as a folk art and a still-living art, tracing its evolution from the earliest narrative impulses through their transformation by the written word. Her instructions in storytelling and freeing the creative imagination by disciplining the mind will empower any novice storyteller and embolden those well-practiced in the art. Part of the treasure of this book is that it also includes an enchanting selection of international stories and a priceless reading list.

Once Upon a Fairy Tale
Volume 1

Norbert Glass

$14.95

This is a classic exploration of the meaning behind the story of well-loved fairy tales. It's a treat to be able to carry Glas's books at long last and to know that they are still being read. I think you'll find his warmth and insight to make for compelling and nurturing reading.

Volume one takes a close look at Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Snow-White and Rose-Red and Cinderella.

For adults to enjoy - please let your children just live in the stories. The meanings are something they can learn about when they grow up.

Once Upon a Fairy Tale
Volume 2

Norbert Glas

$13.95

Volume 2 continues of Glas's commentary on fairy tales. In it, the author explores Little Red Cap (aka Little Red Riding Hood), Mary's Child, Briar Rose and The Handless Maiden.

Wonderful reading - for adults, not children.

The Wisdom of Fairy Tales

Rudolf Meyer

Softbound

$19.95

Rudolf Meyer's now classic work introduces us to the archetypal imagery that is the life within all fairy tales and is why we all find them so interesting and soul-satisfying. Meyer rediscovers the meaning behind the images and lets us see how these stories can have a profoundly positive influence on the lives of children in our modern world. Fairy tales told to a child return to the world as the source of ideals and imaginative, creative thinking in the adult that child becomes.

The prince, the tailor, the miller, the princess and the evil queen are all images of different elements within our own nature. When we see these elements play out in fairy tales, we are strengthened by the discovery of the pathways through which what is good and true really does triumph in the end.

This is a fine book for any adult wanting to understand the magical resonance of fairy tales.

Fairy Tales

Margaret Peckham

Stapled booklet

$5.50

In this little booklet are six fairy tales, created by a master Waldorf teacher for her first graders. Each is a story that is "just right" and most worthy of warm regard with which this collection is held in Waldorf circles. A lovely way to guide a child toward new adventures in learning.

Contents:

• The Little Prince and the Sun (First Day Story)
• The Little Prince at School (Second Week)
• The Proud Prince
• The Secret and Magic Name of the King
• The Queen Who Lost Things
• The Little Boy and the Four Elements (Number Story)

The Tales of Tiptoes Lightly
"The Bee Who Lost His Buzz," "Pumpkin Crow," "Lucy Goose and the Half-Egg"

Reg Down

Softbound

$14.95

Whether you plan to read these sprightly stories to young children, use them as class stories for first grade, or offer them to an intermediate reader as a first chapter book, you and the children in your care are going to love these tales and the gentle characters who people them.

Tiptoes Lightly is a gentle and wise fairy who lives in an acorn high up in the branches of a Great Oak Tree. One morning she finds a note lying on her floor. It says: "Please help! Bee has lost his Buzz!" Thus begins the adventure that takes Tiptoes through the world of nature and into your heart.

The Tales of Tiptoes Lightly comprises three adventures: "The Bee Who Lost His Buzz," "Pumpkin Crow," and "Lucy Goose and the Half-Egg." Sweet and lively illustrations by the author are just one more thing to love about these charming stories.

I read these stories to the children of my class every week for a whole year - they loved them! Their faces shone with obvious delight - I recommend them highly.

- M. Higashine, grades teacher

The Festival of Stones
Autumn and Winter Tales of Tiptoes Lightly

Reg Down

Softbound

$14.95

More adventures of Tiptoes Lightly -- this time with an eye to the festivals of autumn and winter. Tiptoes and her friends journey the realms of nature and spirit, encountering the heart and soul of the festivals along the way. These are just such dear stories -- I can't imagine any young child failing to love them as much as I do.

The festivals Tiptoes illuminates are:

• Michaelmas
• Martinmas
• The Festival of Stones
• The Festival of Plants
• The Festival of Animals
• The Festival of Light
• Christmas

Big-Stamp Two-Toes the Barefoot Giant
Spring Tales of Tiptoes Lightly

Reg Down

Softbound

$14.95

Reg Down weaves more Tiptoes magic, this time with a spring theme. In this third book filled with stories that are so lyrical and lovely they practically dance themselves off the page, we join Tiptoes and her friends in Farmer John's garden where bees and plants are awakening in gay abandon. As the book and the season progresses, babies of all sorts are born, kites are flown, more tales are told, sacrifices and rescues are made, and love is called into it all.

These stories are so wonderful for kindergartners and first graders (and their teachers and parents!). Thanks, Reg!

The Magic Knot and Other Tangles
A Comedy Starring Pine Cone and Pepper Pot

Reg Down

Softbound

$14.95

Tiptoes Lightly lives in a lovely little house with just one problem -- there is no furniture! But, that's about to change. Tiptoes will be having a birthday soon, and her dear friends Pine Cone and Pepper Pot the gnomes have determined to make her a table and three chairs, and to find a way to get them to the tippy top of the Great Oak Tree where Tiptoes makes her home. Along the way,they get help from a host of friends and adventures and misadventures abound. In the end, we join Tiptoes at her birthday party where she tells the story of how she came to live in the Great Oak Tree as a daughter of Father Sun and Mother Wind.

Wonderful! Thanks to Reg Down for adding another delightful window into the world of Tiptoes Lightly and her friends.

The Little Sower of the Night

Anke Weihs-Nederhoed

$19.95

Anke Weihs-Nederhoed was a founding member of the Camphill Schools. Her stories sprang to life in response to the needs of the children she cared for, who, as all children do, gained much nourishment from them. Anke had a rare gift for weaving the threads of fantasy so finely about her listeners that they could journey with her into realms filled with the truths all fairy tales touch upon. Many of her tales begin in quite ordinary, even modern, surroundings but then turn a corner into new and magical vistas which all children so love because they recognize their own world in them. For children of all ages, especially between 7 and 12.

A beautiful, very special collection of stories.

The Light Princess
and other fairy tales

George MacDonald

Softbound

$9.95

When our children were young, there were several collections of George MacDonald's fairy tales available. Now, it seems there is only this one remaining. It is our good fortune that between its covers are some of MacDonald's very best stories, still in print for young and old to enjoy and grow by.

Good and evil fairies abound in this rich collection of compelling tales by one of the foremost fantasy writers of the nineteenthy century. So do magical lands, sinister monsters, giants, ogres and other creatures from the realms of imagination.

In "The Light Princess," a young royal, bewitched at birth by her spiteful aunt, is cursed with uncontrollable bouts of lightness. (Gravity, it seems, doesn't affect her!) A little boy in "The Golden Key" is told he can find a magical key a the end of the rainbow. What the key will open, though, is part of its mystery. And in "The giant's Heart," the monster in question is truly heartless, for he's hidden his heart, and it's up to two determined children to find the awful thing and put an end to the colossal ogre.

These and five other beguiling tales are here, ready for another generation.

Ages 9 and up as read-to-me; ages 12 and up for reading to themselves

Bedtime Stories

Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Ph.D.

CD, 1 hour

$15.95

How wonderful! Bedtime stories for grown-ups! Just the thing for those of us who love stories but no longer have anyone who tells them to us.

This is a beautiful CD - an exquisite introduction to how the world of sleep and the world of stories intertwine to help us stay healthy, happy, sane and sound. If you have never heard Clarissa Pinkola Estés tell a story before, you are in for such a joyous discovery. I would call her a 'master storyteller,' except that she is so much more than that. I actually can't find the words to tell you how much warmth, depth and love she brings to each story she tells - and how magical even well-known tales become as she weaves them again for us.

As a child growing up in a family of storytellers, Dr. Estés learned firsthand how a story told at bedtime can soothe away the troubles of the day, and prepare the way for the night's dreams to follow. "Adulthood is only a disguise we wear during the daytime," she teaches. At night, we are all children.

In addition to learning how stories can open an "aperture" into the world of dreams and the meaning of such archetypal figures as Mother Night and the Sandman, you will also be treated to amazing retellings of:

• Sleeping Beauty (this is one that we all can learn from and then use what we learn to share with the children in our lives)
• The Mouse and the Lion
• The Jumping Mouse
• Winken, Blinken and Nod
• and more

You'll love this CD - even if you never have trouble sleeping! And once you hear these stories told so beautifully, I predict that you'll be rounding up the children in your life and treating them to stories yourself. Sweet dreams!!

Magic Wool
Creative Activites with Natural Sheep's Wool

Dagmar Schmidt and Freya Jaffke

$15.95

Magic Wool unveils the secrets of captivating children with feltboard pictures "painted" with colored unspun fleece. There is nothing more magical to a child than to see a story spring to life as a parent or teacher "draws" it in wool during the telling. Because of the texture and nature of the fleece, these pictures invite the young child to enter the activity of the scene - it springs to life in their imagination. You'll love it, too!

Also include are instructions for making figures from fleece to grace your nature table or for your young ones to play with.

Plays for Puppets and Marionettes

Collected, created, adapted & translated by Bronja Zahlingen

$9.95

Don't let the cover fool you - this little gem is filled with life, love and everything you need to prepare and present simple puppet plays for the young children in your care. In addition to twelve plays that include both traditional fairy tales and delightful original stories, Zahlingen also introduces and clearly describes the simple art of puppetry as practiced in Waldorf kindergartens - plus there are patterns and instructions for simple marionettes to make yourself. A treasure that will carry you far beyond its covers.

Liputto
Stories of Gnomes and Trolls

Jakob Streit

Illustrated by Susanne A. Mitchell

Softbound

$16.00

From the northern realms of the Old World come these delightful stories of gnomes and trolls, told in Jakob Steit's characteristically heartwarming way. Children and adults will be captivated by the wee folk in all these tales - and by their courage and goodness. Especially wonderful in first grade - but cherished by all ages.

Best-Loved Folktales of the World

Selected and with an Introduction by
Joanna Cole

Softbound

$17.00

I am so happy to be able to offer this collection to you. It was one of our family's favorite treasures, containing story after story that we loved and worlds we explored. It has also been one of those books that over the years goes in and out of print. Happily, we again arrive at a time when it is available for families and teachers and, most importantly, our children.

Best-Loved Folktales of the World is a collection of over 200 folk and fairy tales from all over the world. It is also the only such collection of which I am aware that covers all areas of our planet and represents all major cultures with beauty and integrity. The stories are arranged geographically and include the familiar (to us) classics such as "Snow White" and "Sleeping Beauty" as well as their counterparts for around the world - and much more besides!

These stories are delightful, enriching, satisfying. They also offer a loved-filled feast prepared by the heart of our world. May you enjoy them for years, as we did!

Myths of the World

Collected and Retold by Padraic Colum

Softbound

$19.99

A treasure house of stories from ancient myth and legend, told by one of Ireland’s greatest storytellers.

“The interest of this book lies in its scope and in the engaging way in which the myths are recounted. Suitable for bedtime reading either to yourself or your children.”

— Scientific and Medical Network

Here is a comprehensive collection of tales that have carried deeply human meaning through the centuries. You will find all the legendary heroes and tragic characters of ancient times—Iris, Osiris, Gilgamesh, Hercules, Pandora, and many more.

Padraic Colum shows the close relationships between past cultures by including stories from ancient Egypt, Babylon, Greece, Rome, Ireland, Iceland, China, Japan, New Zealand, Mexico, and Peru. A feast for the soul!

This classic collection will entertain and enlighten children of all ages.

The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales
Pantheon Edition

Introduction by Padraic Colum

Commentary by Joseph Campbell

Softbound

$18.00

This is the classic Pantheon edition of the Haus Marchen ("house stories") collected by the Brothers Grimm. This collection has nurtured children's imaginations in English-speaking Waldorf kindergartens and first grades throughout the world. The richness of imagery and the ultimate truth of the tales is a gift to every child fortunate enough to hear them told by a loved adult. It is also a gift to the adults who are able to share them with the children in their care. One of the few books that genuinely belongs on every home and schools "must have" list.

Favourite Tales from Hans Christian Anderson

Illustrated by Anastasiya Archipova

Hardbound, Bound Ribbon Bookmark, Large Format

$30.00

Anastasiya Archipova's incomparable illustrations bring to life the wonder and mystery of these well-known and well-loved stories from Hans Christian Anderson. The stories chosen for this collection are also some of my personal favourites from my own childhood - stories that I think every child who hears them will carry in their hearts for life. I can't recommend this beautiful book highly enough.

Included are:

• The Swineherd
• The Princess and the Pea
• The Snow Queen
• The Emperor's New Suit
• The Brave Tin Soldier
• The Little Match-Seller
• The Little Mermaid
• The Fir Tree

English Fairy Tales

Collected by Joseph Jacobs

Illustrated by John D Batten

Softbound

$10.95

At the end of the 19th Century, one of England's greatest folklorist (and a mighty storyteller!) brought to life so very many of the folk tales succeeding generations have loved as their own. The kings and queens, the wicked giants, clever youngests sons, talking animals and trees, magic cloaks - all are the ingredients of wonderful stories that stir the imagination and delight the heart.

In this volume you'll find many tales you already know and many that will be new to you. "Jack and the Beanstalk," "The Story of the Three Bears," "Henny Penny," and 40 more await you and your children.

Folklore of the Holy Land
Moslem, Christian and Jewish

J.E. Hanauer

Softbound

$14.95

A lifelong resident cleric of the Holy Land, Canon J.E. Hanauer lovingly gathered these folk tales from an area that is home to three great religions - Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Originally published in 1907, these stories not only touch upon mythical events surrounding the lives of revered religious figures, but also reveal the past histories of places, tribes, people and languages, and describe the daily lives and activities of the regions inhabitants.

Hanauer gives us stories in all three traditions describing the Creation; the lives of saints and sinners; the cause of earthquakes and eclipses; the deaths of Aaron and Moses; and the lives of David, Solomon, and Simon the Just. There are legends and anecdotes of the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem, detective stories and bits of unwritten history, and the Saragossan Purim. Nursery tales are included as are stories and lore about the Angel of Death, animals, plants, magic cures and other subjects.

Hanauer retells these stories with a gentle charm that is sure to captivate any listener or reader. There is really something for every age and interest here -- as there is in the land these stories come from.

Stories of Rebbe Nachman
Hasidism's Legendary Storyteller

Told by Rabbi David Zeller

2 audio cassettes

3 hours of great stories

$18.95

The time I spent listening to these stories is time I think I'll always treasure. I often listen to tapes or CDs as I drive from errand to errand and while I have been fortunate in that thus far all my listening material has been outstanding, this particular collection of stories stands out in my mind and heart. There is such warmth, such truth, and such generosity in them.

Rebbe Nachman of Breslav was the great-grandson of the Baal Shem Tov (the founder of Hasidism) - these stories are the jewels in crown of his life's work, inspired teaching fables that vividly communicate how to live with the presence of God in daily life. All of these tales are heart opening, love-filled and deeply wise in the ways of God and human beings. Told with enthusiasm and love, most of these stories are just right for pre-adolescents to adults. A few of these gems would be very fine for young children, for instance, "The Lost Princess."

Russian Fairy Tales

Illustrated by
Aleksander Nickolaivicher Afanasyev

Softbound

$18.00

This is the largest collection of these beautiful, rich stories that I know of. Beautifully retold, charmingly illustrated in Russian folk-art style, this is a treasure that will serve you and your children for years and years. Nearly 200 characteristic and colorful traditional folk and fairy tales are brought together in the only comprehensive edition available in English.

I especially love the Russian tales because they are so richly woven - there is a glorious "fullness" to them, with a wonderful sense of detail that never mires, but always results in the most engaging, most multi-layered folk tales I have encountered. Our children heard and read hundreds of fairy tales - these are the ones they most often mention as still living in their adult hearts.

As Eudora Welty wrote when the original edition was published in 1945, "These tales are gorgeous."

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!!

Celtic Wonder Tales

Retold by
Ella Young

Illustrated by Maud Gonne

Softbound

New, lower priced unabridged edition - produced in USA

$7.95

Celtic Wonder Tales embodies the Celtic Myth of Creation, and brings alive some of the most splendid material a storyteller could wish for. Ella Young created this book for children (but I will assure you that adults also love it) - anyone who hungers for a lost inheritance, for a touch of the world of the faeries and their music. This is a journey through the land of the Fortunate Islands, accompanied by heroes and heroines, with the possibility of ghosts and wailing banshees always just around the next bend.

An outstanding retelling of some of the world's most vibrant stories.

American Indian Myths and Legends

Selected and Edited by Richard Erdoes and Alfonso Ortiz

Softbound

$18.95

Here is an exciting collection of over 160 stories that range from fairy tales to religious myths to just-so stories - and represent 80 tribal groups.

If, like me, most of what you have encountered as Native American tales has been the coyote or trickster stories, you are in for a panoramic adventure. Coyote is, naturally, still present and well-represented in these tales, but there is are also fairy tales of beauty, depth and truth, fables of all kinds, creation myths and stories of the realms of the gods, and delightful little tales that explain with humor and simplicity how things came to be as they are.

The stories are told in authentic and engaging language; they are filled to the brim with life and goodness and mystery. And they portray the depth and diversity of these cultures better than anything else I've read.

These are stories you and your children will love and think about and go back to for years. Enjoy!!

African American Folktales
Stories from Black Traditions in the New World

Selected and Edited by
Roger D. Abrahams

Softbound

$16.00

These rich and warm stories come from all over the northern New World - from the antebellum South of the United States, to the villages of Caribbean islands and the streets of modern inner cities. They range in subject matter from the comedic stories of tricksters to stories of the creation of the world and how it got to be the way it is. Included also are morality tales of encounters between masters and slaves. Roger Abrahams has followed in the footsteps of the Brothers Grimm - travelling throughout the American South and Caribbean, tape recorder poised at every moment (something the Grimm brothers would have envied, I'm sure), saving these delicious, often poignant stories for all of us to enjoy and profit from. The age-appropriateness of these stories ranges from preschool to adult, most of them being appropriate to mid-grades levels. This is a great collection of tales - I had a wonderful adventure reading them.

Latin American Folktales
Stories from Hispanic and Indian Traditions

Edited and with an Introduction by
John Bierhorst

Softbound

$17.00

Latin America's storytelling traditions are among the richest in world - and of broader orgins than most. Here the lore of medieval Europe combines with that of the ancient Near East and Pre-Columbian America to offer the eager listener a truly cosmopolitan and universal picture of the world's secrets, mysteries and everyday truths. This collection - representing the folkloric wealth of 20 countries - is unprecedented in size and scope. Most of the tales have never appeared in English before. Together they become the first panoramic anthology of Hispano-American folk narratives in any language - and will delight you and the children who listen to you tell them for many a year.

Nordic Gods and Heroes

Padraic Colum

Softbound

$10.95

One of the world's greatest storytellers has given us what I believe is the most elegant and engaging versions of the core of Norse mythology. Padraic Colum's retellings of these timeless stories of the rather raucous pantheon of Norse Gods, giants and heroes will draw you and your students or children into the story, hold you there through to the end and when it is over, leave you hoping for more stories to come. This is a reprint of Colum's book that was originally published in 1920 -- and what a wonderful thing it is to have it available here and now!

Among the many stories in Nordic Gods and Heroes are:

• Iduna and Her Apples - How Loki Put the Gods in Danger
• How Freya Gained Her Necklace and How Her Loved One Was Lost to Her
• How Frey Won Gerda, the Giant Maiden, and How He Lost His Magic Sword
• The All-Father's Forebodings: How He Leaves Asgard
• Odin Goes to Mimir's Well - His Sacrifice for Wisdom
• How Thor and Loki Befooled Thrym the Giant
• Ægir's Feast: How Thor Triumphed
• Loki the Betrayer
• Baldur's Doom
• Sigurd at the House of the Nibelungs
• The Twilight of the Gods

And many, many more!

The Norse Myths

Introduced and Retold by
Kevin Crossley-Holland

Softbound

$17.00

I have been looking for a good collection of Norse Myths for some time - and have been wanting to offer this one for even longer. Every time I asked, however, I was told that it was unavailable. I kept asking, though, and at last heard that once again there were copies on the publisher's shelves!

If you are unfamiliar with Norse Mythology (as I also once was), the introduction is priceless. In it the author outlines the Norse Pantheon, the relationships of the gods and the progression of the myths from The Creation to the Ragnorak.

Crossley-Holland has selected 32 myths that capture in vivid story the tales of these boisterous, courageous, cruel and passionate gods. You'll find Thor, Odin, Baldur, and Loki and a host of other fascinating gods and giants, and watch as the world of the Vikings moves from hopeful beginnings to abundant (and often clashing) life to the final battle that brings a close to that world.

This is a collection that is worthy of both child and adult. Recommended without hesitation!

Norwegian Folktales

Selected from the Collection of
Peter Christien Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe

Softbound

$14.00

Jacob Grimm once said that the Norwegian folk tales "surpass nearly all others". This collection, long held as a treasure in Norway, justifies that opinion. Within these captivating tales we meet witches, trolls, and ogres; sly foxes and great, mysterious bears; beautiful princesses and country-lads-turned-heroes. Collected here in a sparkling contemporary translation by Pat Shaw Iversen and Carl Norman, these tales brim with the matchless vitality and power of their original telling. Included also are the rich original illustrations of Erik Werenskiold and Theodor Kittelsen.

These tales are a delight to read and delicious to retell!

Tales and Traditions of the Eskimo

Collected and recorded by
Hinrich Rink

Softbound

$12.95

Out of a world of ice and snow come the folktales and traditions of the native peoples of Greenland and Labrador. Collected and originally published in 1875 by a Danish explorer who lived for 20 years among the people of the North, this classic of folklore, myths and legends preserves the authentic voice of these indigenous peoples.

Tales and Traditions of the Eskimo has preserved 150 tales and traditions, including "The Blind Man Who Recovered His Sight," "The Faithless Wife," "The Old Bachelor," The Sons Who Avenged their Mother," The Child-Monster," "A Visit to the Giants," and many more. Rink has also provided an extensive introduction describing the way of life of the Far North.

I have looked long and hard for a collection of stories from the traditions of the Far North -- and am delighted to be able to make this book available. These are tales unique for the unusual combination of both drama and spare simplicity -- reflecting, in my opinion, the same qualities as the dramatic and spare lands they come from. The tales are approrpriate for a wide range of ages, depending upon the specific tale. Most of them would fascinate children 9 years old or older -- a few are adult stories.

Ancient Mythologies
India - Persia - Babylon - Egypt

Charles Kovacs

Softbound

$19.95

Yet another gift to teachers, parents and students from Charles Kovacs!

Stories of gods and demons, noble heroes and epic adventures from the world's great myths and legends, retold for children. Through colourful characters such as Buddha, Krishna, Zarathustra, Gilgamesh, Isis and Osiris, mankind's development from hunters of wild animals to builders of magnificent cities and the great pyramids springs to life. Beyond the historical narrative the stories reveal an ancient wisdom: the timeless source and substance out of which all myths and legends are woven.

Charles Kovacs told these stories to his Grade 5 students when he taught at the Edinburgh Rudolf Steiner School. Although he intended them as source material for teachers and parents of Waldorf School Children, the stories have a universal appeal for children and adults, beginning at about age 9.

Folktales from India
A Selection of Oral Tales from Twenty-Two Languages

Edited and with an Introduction by
A.K. Ramanujan

Softbound

$17.00

I know of no other collection of folktales from India that is like this one - stories taken truly from the oral traditions of many groups and retold with an integrity that conveys so much life that I repeatedly find myself hearing the voice of the storyteller as I read them. For me, this collection is an exciting "find" - something I didn't know I wanted but now can't imagine never having had.

These are the types of fairy tales and folktales that explain the world around us - they reveal the types of people in the world, the way the spiritual world intermingles with daily life, the difference between what is wise and what only looks wise, and much, much more.

I would love to see more and more children hearing these stories - to me, they are a nectar of life. I would enthusiastically recommend various of these tales for children at several ages - during the "fairy tale years (ca. kindergarten and grade 1), "the fable years" (ca. grade 2), and then again as an enlivening addition to the myths of India (grade 5) as a way of uniting the heaven of the gods with the life of the earth. These tales are good, solid soul food - the kind that uplifts without carrying one off the ground. You'll love them!

Gilgamesh - Man's First Story

Bernarda Bryson

Softbound - elegantly illustrated

$19.95

This is a powerful - and powerfully beautiful - retelling of one of the oldest stories known to humanity. Bernarda Bryson tells this story with simplicity and grace - retaining as she does the uniquely Sumerian view of the world, some of the poetic responses, and above all, the heart and soul of this story that combines in equal measure the elements of both transcendent victory and deep tragedy. This retelling was written for children, but I can't think of any adult who wouldn't enjoy it as well. Ms. Bryson is rightly remembered as an author whose sensitivity was matched by her literary skill - and who used the fullness of her capacities in the making of this book.

The story of Gilgamesh was first written down about 3000 BC in Sumeria. It tells of a great flood and of one man, befriended by the gods, who survived by building an ark. In the feats of Gilgamesh and his companion, Enkidu, a monster who turns into a gentle man who loves and respects the King, are found the sources of great mythological heroes: Hercules, Jason and Theseus.

In addition to its vital importance in the history of literature, Gilgamesh is an exciting and often amusing tale - setting jealous god against jealous god, god against man, and man against man in remarkable battles of wit and strength.

A must for fifth graders - wonderful for the rest of us!

Egyptian Tales

Collected, translated, and with commentary by
Sir Flinders Petrie

Softbound

$6.95

This small book, jam-packed with delicious and exotic stories, would be better titled Ancient Egyptian Folktales, for that is what it contains. Sir Flinders Petrie (1853-1942), one of the greatest Egyptologists of his generation, collected and translated from ancient papyrii these archetypal stories that were told and recorded from the 4th through the 19th Dynasties. These are not the tales of gods and goddesses, thought sometimes these great spiritual beings are present within the tales. These are stories of human beings, of their quests and trials and encounters with other realms, similar in content to the later European fairy tales and Haus Märchen collected by the brothers Grimm and others.

Within these tales, the Ancient Egyptians themselves spring to life, and we are offered not only wisdom and insight as is the provence of any folktale, but we also have before us picture after picture of daily life, expectations, society and much much more. Anyone who wishes to bring Ancient Egyptian society in its many facets alive for their students or children will want to read this book, then tell or read the stories. (note: It is important that you read them first because not all of them are finished due to the fact that parts of the papyrus were torn away over the ages. Most, however, are intact.)

A bonus is that Sir Flinders has added his own commentary at the end of each -- his knowledge and understanding of the significance of the stories is remarkable and will add greatly to your own understanding, and thereby, to that of any children you share these tales with.

Japanese Fairy Tales, Volume 2

Stories by Keisuke Nishimoto

Illustrations by Yoko Imoto

Hardbound, dustjacketed, large format

$14.95

The second in this serires of beautifully illustrated fairy tales continues with more of Japan's most cherished tales. While their origins go so far back in time that even their birth place is unknown, their value as stories for human beings couldn't be clearer. Whose imagination would not be captivated by shape-shifting animals, a one-inch-tall warrior, a band of singing mice, and other stories of the fantiastic? But the stories in Japanese Fairy Tales are more than just entertaining. They also address some of life's enduring themes: how to live a good, kind life; how to achieve happiness; and the price to be paid for cruelty, greediness and cowardice.

Included also is a short and quite interesting article by the author, "Capturing a Child's Imagination."

The stories in volume 2 are:

• The Straw Millionaire
• The Contest
• The Bouncing Rice Ball
• The Monkey's Statue
• Little One Inch Boy
• Tail Fishing

The Hungry Tigress
Buddhist Myths, Legends & Jataka Tales

As Told by Rafe Martin

Foreword by Roshi Philip Kapleau

Softbound

$16.95

This definitive edition, completely updated and rewritten with expanded commentaries and two new sections on the meaning and relevance of these ancient tales, brings together a fascinating array of stories from the Buddhist tradition. Combining themes of wisdom, nonviolence, environmental awareness, and compassion for all living things, these couldn't be more relevant to today's needs. The telling of the tales is lively, warm and masterful. This is a treasure chest of stories you and your children will want to hear again and again - stories that delight the heart, uplift the spirits and restore meaning to daily life. Outstanding!

Twenty Jataka Tales

Retold by Noor Inayat Khan

Illustrated by H. Willebeek La Mair

Softbound

$12.95

These twenty tales have been drawn from famous legends concerning the former lives of the Buddha. Beloved by children and adults, they tell of people and animals moved to acts of sacrifice by the noble example of their fellow creatures. There is a wonderful interweaving of a sentient creation throughout these stories. The flavor of these stories will remind you of Aesop, as will the lessons they contain which are so beautifully conveyed. These stories are ideal for reading or telling to children - their highly dramatic adventures that resolve in non-violence and compassion are often just exactly what today's children are hungry for. You'll love the exquisite illustrations, also - there is a light delicacy to them that at the same time conveys enormous strength - just right for these tales.

The Wisdom of the Crows and Other Buddhist Tales

Retold by Sherab Chödzin & Alexandra Kohn

Illustrated by Marie Cameron

Elegantly softbound, large format, color illustrations

$17.95

If you love a good story, you'll really enjoy this lovely collection of Buddhist tales in storybook form. The story "The Wisdom of the Crows" is very short, but I still haven't stopped thinking about its profound commentary about the uncertain nature of life. I'm sure you'll find it equally absorbing and poignant. "Goodheart and the Goddess of the Forest" is a beautiful fairy tale that combines many of the elements of European fairy tales with its own unique conclusion. And, I'm still chuckling about "Where Are You Going?" - an amusing battle of wits between two monks. There are many more stories - each one a gem.

Myths and Legends of Japan

F. Hadland Davis

Softbound

$12.95

Wow. What an amazing collections of stories and delicious cultural/historical tidbits - and retold so very well! Here are the most popular Japanese myths of gods, heroes and warriors; legends of Buddha, and of the goddess Benten and the god Daikoku. There are tales of the sea and of Mount Fuji; accounts of superstitions and supernatural beings; observations on the spiritual properties of fans, flowers, mirrors, dolls and butterflies.

The collection begins with the early myths of the gods, which are followed by legends celebrating early heroes and warriors, and includes the earliest example of Japanese romance, "The Bamboo-Cutter and the Moon-Maiden." Many of the legends that follow reflect an exquisite, poetic beauty, though there are some which also exhibit a rather crude realism -- you'll want to pick and choose where children are to be listening.

The author has included a terrific set of appendices, for those of use not very familiar with Japanese culture: there are notes on Japanese poetry, a listing of gods and goddesses, a geneology of The Age of the Gods and an index of poetical quotations. This is another book that has been brought back from the past - originally published in 1913, it is just as alive and amazing today.

Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales

Collected & Retold by Nelson Mandela

Illustrated by specially commissioned paintings by African artists.

Hardbound, dust jacketed
Oversize Format

$24.95

It is my wish that the voice of the storyteller may never die in Africa, that all the children of the world may experience the wonder of books.

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela's Favorite Folktales is a cause for celebration, a landmark work that gathers in one volume many of Africa's most cherished folktales. Mandela has selected these 32 tales with the specific hope that Africa's oldest stories, as well as a few new ones, be perpetuated by future generations and be appreciated by children thoughout the world.

In these beloved tales, rich with the essence of Africa, we meet, among others, a Kenyan lion named Simba, a snake with seven heads, and a trickster from Zulu folklore; we hear voices of the scheming hyena and learn from a Khoi fable how animals acquired their tails and horns. There are several creations myths that take us to the beginnings of all things and people.

As good as the tales are the lavish and beautiful illustrations - they offer a rich backdrop to this treasure chest of stories.

This is a wonderful addition to the world of folklore and a gift to families and children. Enjoy, enjoy!

African Folktales
Traditional Stories of the Black World

Selected and Retold by
Roger D. Abrahams

Softbound

$18.00

This is a funny, earthy, wise and riotous collection of stories from a variety of African cultures. Some of these stories are simple, humorous tales, just right for very young children. Others have themes that involve the complexity of human relationships and of the relationship of humans to the divine. These will interest older children, even teenagers, and can be the source of much after-thought and discussion. Overall, this is a gem of a book - one to use not only as a source of great stories to share, but also to return to again and again to partake of its wonder and beauty. The rhythms of tribal song and dance reverberate through the graceful voice of the storyteller on every page. Abrahams shows great heart in the retelling of these stories.