People have been telling “fool stories” for as long as anyone can remember. After all, everyone has a noodlehead day now and then—a day when your brain seems to take a little vacation. As you’ll see in this collection, silly characters come in every shape and size. They might make ridiculous mistakes, mix things up, or leap before they look, but that’s what makes their adventures so much fun.

What’s the Monster Stick? It’s Paul’s gigantic fishing pole—nine feet long and packed with miles of super‑strong fishing line and shiny, custom‑made sinkers that slide like magic. From the moment Paul gets the Monster Stick, his adventures grow wilder than anything Paul Bunyan ever dreamed up. At one point, he even manages to hook a DC‑10 airplane flown by sneaky smugglers. How he does that… well, that’s part of the fun.

In many parts of Latin America—with its mix of Indigenous, Spanish, Catholic, and African traditions—magic is part of everyday life. Momentos mágicos, or “magic moments,” can appear in all kinds of ways. For storyteller Olga Loya, the magic happens each time an old tale is passed from one person to another. The sixteen stories in this collection are filled with those special moments.

This book presents medieval tales that answers many questions in a highly entertaining format. The author offers solid historical background for each story so that young readers have a framework to enhance the significance of each story. As readers explore these action packed stories, young readers will be able to imagine themselves pulling Excalibur from the lake, untying the Gordian Knot, or fighting with Roland and the Frankish army. These adventurous stories will teach readers the importance of courage, resourcefulness and respect.

The hills and small towns of western North Carolina in the 1950s come to life in this collection of stories by master storyteller Donald Davis. He’s shared his tales everywhere—from the World’s Fair to the Smithsonian to the National Storytelling Festival—and now he invites readers into the adventures of his own childhood. His stories follow him from his earliest school days all the way to the moment he begins to understand the big changes happening in the world, including the loss of friends during the Vietnam War.

The Well of Truth is a funny Egyptian folktale about three friends—Goat, Rooster, and Donkey—who decide to start a farm together. When their clover field is suddenly destroyed, Donkey tries to hide a greedy secret.

In A Tale of Two Frogs (Story Cove), two frog sisters with very different personalities fall into a pail of milk and must find a way to escape.

Discover the charming Peruvian folktale The Stolen Smell, where a greedy baker tries to charge his neighbor a fee just for enjoying the scent of fresh bread.

Explore the vibrant world of Spicy Hot Colors: Colores Picantes, an award-winning picture book that introduces children to colors in both English and Spanish.

In Sitting Down to Eat, a young boy's snack time turns into a wild adventure when a parade of large animals, from an elephant to a blue whale, asks to join him.

In Scared Witless: Thirteen Eerie Tales to Tell, authors Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss share a spooky and funny collection of stories perfect for kids who love a good thrill.

Rooster's Night Out is a humorous Cuban folktale about a vain rooster who gets tomato juice on his feathers right before a big party.

Have you ever stopped to really look at a spider’s web? If it’s only meant to catch flies, why does it shimmer with such delicate, beautiful patterns? Have you ever wondered what makes thunder rumble, why the ocean tastes salty, or how tigers came to wear their bold stripes? This collection gathers delightful “why” stories from many cultures and time periods—tales that imagine how animals, plants, and natural wonders came to look or behave the way they do.

Enjoy a classic battle of wits in this rhythmic retelling of two Southern folktales about a pesky, singing rabbit and a determined little girl. As the rabbit merrily eats his way through a prize pea patch, he must eventually use his cleverness to escape after being caught.

In this humorous retelling of a classic British fairy tale, a grumpy old woman learns a big lesson about gratitude after a kind fairy grants her wishes for a grander home.

In this engaging Swedish folktale, a hardworking farmer and his wife must use their wits to save their land from a greedy, mean-spirited ogre.

Experience the legendary American folktale of John Henry, a powerful steel-driving man who became a symbol of courage and strength.

In this charming Chinese folktale, a hardworking woodcutter discovers a magical pot that duplicates everything placed inside it. While he and his wife are initially overjoyed by their sudden wealth, they soon realize that doubling their possessions can also double their troubles.