Children's Picture Books: Folklore Category

Anansi and the Tug O’ War

2007

by Bobby Norfolk, Sherry Norfolk and Baird Hoffmire

"A timeless trickster tale from Africa about silly spider, Anansì. Anansí the trickster spider is back to his old tricks once again in this classic African folktale. Anansí must use his brainpower to teach Elephant and Whale to respect smaller creatures. He challenges both Elephant and Whale to a tug o' war, but they don’t realize that they are actually pulling against each other and not Anansí. In the end, both stubborn animals are so tired that they give up when Anansí asks them who is the strongest animal and he declares himself the winner of the tug o' war. In this battle of wits, brains definitely outdo brawn. This trickster tale from Africa will teach readers the importance of courage, resourcefulness and respect. While author, Bobby Norfolk was visiting the town of Kumasi in Ghana in the summer of 1993, a woman told him, "At four-thirty every afternoon, we try to gather together and have Anansi time." Norfolk attended the afternoon break and heard elders tell stories of Anansi, the tireless trickster of Ghanian tradition. Anansi appears in these stories in his most playful and creative guises. The Norfolks' adaptations brim with action, energy, and humor." -- publisher

Anansi and Turtle Go to Dinner

2007

by Bobby Norfolk, Sherry Norfolk and Baird Hoffmire

"In this trickster tale from Africa, Anansí learns the value of being a good host. He also learns the truth of the old saying, 'What goes around, comes around.' A timeless trickster tale from Africa about silly spider, Anansì. This story provides another classic African folktale about the trickster spider Anansí. First off, it is a custom that whenever a guest arrives at mealtime that the host share his or her food with the guest, whether the visitor is invited or shows up uninvited. In this folktale, Anansí learns that Turtle is coming over and that he must share his dinner with Turtle. Being the trickster that he is, Anansí figures out a way to trick Turtle so that he can keep all of the food for himself. Of course, when Turtle realizes what Anansí has done, he is determined to teach Anansí a lesson." -- publisher

Growing Gold

2007

by T. V. Padma and Tom Wrenn

"In this story from India, a farmer’s three lazy sons don’t want to work – they just want a lot of gold. When their mother tells them about the gold buried in the field, they discover the value of a good day’s work." -- publisher

Holy molé!

2007

by Caroline McAlister and Stefan Czernecki

A retelling of the traditional Mexican tale explaining the origins of molé, the savory sauce containing chocolate that is served over turkey or chicken

Indian Tales

2007

by Shenaaz. Nanji and Christopher Corr

Presents an anthology of traditional tales from different regions of India

Little Red Riding Hood

2007

by Jerry Pinkney

"This spectacular reimagining of one of Grimm's most beloved cautionary tales is brought to life by Caldecott Medal-winning artist Jerry Pinkney. In this inspired rendering of the classic Grimm Brothers folktale, Caldecott Medal-winning artist Jerry Pinkney introduces two favorite children's characters to a new generation: the sly, scary wolf and the sweet little girl in her famous red hood. Readers will squeal with delight all over again during that most memorable scene when Little Red Riding Hood declares, "Oh, Grandmamma, what great teeth you have!" Pinkney's charming, masterfully-wrought illustrations--as warm and cozy as Little Red's cloak and as captivating as the clever wolf himself--are sure to lure you into the heart of this treasured tale." -- publisher

The Archer and The Sun

2007

by Rob Cleveland and Baird Hoffmire

"In this classic story from China, we learn why the sun comes up in the morning and goes down at night. We also discover why a certain farm animal is there every morning to greet the sun. Why does the sun go up in the morning and down at night? The Archer and the Sun is an ancient story from China. It tells the legend of a time when there were many suns in the sky and it was miserably hot. The people got together to come up with a solution to make their living conditions more hospitable. They decided to call upon the best archer in the land to come and shoot down all of the suns except for one. As a result, the remaining sun naturally became afraid of the archer and hid behind a mountain, leaving the world cold and dark. Then the people had to devise a plan to get the sun to come back from hiding and after several failed attempts, they found a solution. This Chinese folktale will teach readers about the importance of citizenship, resourcefulness and sharing. This story ends with a section of facts about the Archer and the Sun, exploring Chinese traditions and myths such as why roosters crow in the morning and what the year of the rooster means as well as general "did you know" facts.Rob Cleveland is storyteller-in-residence at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Atlanta, Georgia. He is also an actor and comedian who can be seen in the films Drumline and That Darn Cat." -- publisher

The frog prince

2007

by Jess Stockham

A selfish princess has no friends until she meets a frog and reluctantly keeps her promise to invite him to the palace and be his friend, in a book with pictures hidden beneath the flaps.

The magic pot

2007

by Pleasant DeSpain and Tom Wrenn

When a woodcutter finds a pot that magically duplicates anything that is placed inside it, he and his wife are delighted until the wife accidentally falls in

The Outfoxed Fox

2007

by Tim Myers

'Hundreds of years ago in the mountains of Japan, there lived a hunter who trapped many foxes. People warned him that foxes were cunning creatures that possessed great magic, but he ignored them. One day, the bossy old fox leader declared they must stop the hunter and that he had the perfect plan. But a young fox with crooked whiskers knew that a simple plan is often best. To prove it, he showed both the hunter and the leader just how cunning a fox can be! Whimsical illustrations rendered in pencil, water-color, oil paint, and colored pencil by Ariel Ya-Wen Pang add to the charm of this Japanese tale based on a traditional kyogen. An author’s note is included.' -- publisher