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People all around the world tell stories that teach us about wisdom and fairness. These tales help us remember that when people use good judgment and treat each other kindly, everyone can live together in peace. Wisdom tales show us how important it is to listen, think carefully, and do what’s right.

Tricksters are some of the most exciting characters in stories from all over the world. They’re clever, playful, and full of surprises. Sometimes they act a little foolish, sometimes they’re amazingly wise—and often they manage to be both at once. Their adventures remind us that using our wits can help us stand up to bullies, solve problems, and even have a little fun along the way.

Every culture on Earth has its own lovable fools—people who mean well but somehow manage to mix things up anyway. Even though they often choose the wrong thing to do, their hearts are usually in the right place. By listening to their stories, we learn how to make better choices ourselves… and how to laugh when we have a silly moment, too.

Insects have been part of our world since the very beginning. Sometimes they buzz in our ears or give us itchy bites, and sometimes they amaze us with their bright colors, clever tricks, and tiny superpowers. People everywhere have watched insects closely enough to imagine what their lives might be like, giving them stories, personalities, and even heroic moments.

What does it really take to be a hero? Do you need giant muscles, towering height, or endless power? Not at all. Sometimes being a hero starts with quick thinking, a brave heart, or the simple choice to help someone else. When we read about the bold characters in these stories, we can feel our own inner hero waking up, reminding us that we all have the power to do good.

This book is perfect for anyone who adores cats. All around the world, people see cats as special—sometimes magical, sometimes mysterious, always full of personality. The nine stories in this collection show cats at their very best. Some are sweet, some are sneaky, some are brave or stubborn, but every single one is clever.

Maybe it’s because his mother was a teacher. Or maybe it’s because he spent so much of his life in classrooms—first as a curious first grader, then as a hopeful college student, later as a seminarian, and now as a visiting writer who travels to schools all over the country. Whatever the reason, school has always been at the heart of Donald Davis’s stories, and this book gathers his very favorite school adventures.

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.

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.

Discover the transformative power of Kindness Tales: World Folktales to Talk About, a captivating collection of over 40 folktales from global oral traditions. Award-winning author Margaret Read MacDonald curates these stories to show how simple acts of sharing and caring can make the world a gentler, safer place.

When a surprise visit from a Spanish Viceroy sends a monastery kitchen into a panic, a young boy named Carlos accidentally helps create a culinary masterpiece.

Latin America is a place shaped by many influences—Indigenous traditions, Spanish and European cultures, and the heritage of Africa. For more than thirty years, Pleasant DeSpain has traveled through this vibrant region, exploring its landscapes, meeting its people, and collecting its stories. In this collection, he shares his carefully crafted retellings of folktales, myths, and legends from countries across Latin America, including Guatemala, Haiti, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Venezuela, Uruguay, and Chile.

The Dancing Turtle is a vibrant children's picture book that retells a classic indigenous Brazilian folktale about a music-loving turtle captured by a hunter. To escape becoming turtle stew, the clever protagonist must use her wit and the help of the hunter's children to find her way back to the rainforest.

Discover hilarious world folktales in Noodlehead Stories, a perfect book for children who love funny...

Through unhurried and wise animal characters, these adventure tales illustrate natural phenomena and timeless moral lessons for readers of all ages.

A very hungry, sleep-eating elephant has been caught invading the village cabbage field, threatening...

In Mexico, the poinsettia is called flor de la Nochebuenao flower of the Holy Night. At...

A Taino Indian legend about a young boy and his search for the healing caimoni tree.

The beautiful Martina Josefina Catalina Cucaracha doesn’t know coffee beans about love and marriage...