Children's Literature

Retold from traditional sources and accompanied by David Wisniewski's unique cut-paper illustrations, Golem is a dramatic tale of supernatural forces invoked to save an oppressed people. It also offers a thought-provoking look at the consequences of unleashing power beyond human control. The afterword discusses the legend of the golem and its roots in the history of the Jews. A Caldecott Medal Book.

Frogs have been stolen, an earthquake rumbles, a village is in peril. To restore calm to her land, a girl must delve beneath the surface of a lake, deep into a spirit world. What she finds will thrill readers and introduce them to a classic hero's journey.

A boy vanishes and goes to live with the seals, becoming one of them.

2004 Alberta Children's Book of the Year In this lyrical coming-of-age story, Governor General's Award-winner Rudy Wiebe captures the anxiety of a boy who feels powerless to help his people, but who must speak his dreams if they are to survive. Steeped in aboriginal myth and lore, Hidden Buffalo is also the tale of how a whole tribe can turn its gaze from the horizon to see to the wisdom of a child. Original paintings by noted Cree artist Michael Lonechild capture the colorful palette of the prairie landscape in autumn and the rich detail of Cree life in the late nineteenth century.

Rich and sweeping illustrations buttress this origin tale unique to Inuit mythology nbsp; Based on an acclaimed National Film Board of Canada animated short, The Blind Boy & the Loon is a retelling of a traditional Inuit story that explains the origin of the narwhal, an arctic whale known for its distinctive spiral tusk, while cautioning listeners against the dangers of seeking revenge. In this story, a boy who has been blind for many years is approached by a loon who says she can help him regain his sight. Before restoring the boy’s sight, the loon tells the boy that it was his own mother who blinded him while she was grieving over the death of her husband. Filled with a desire of vengeance, the boy tricks his mother into harpooning a large whale and allows her to be dragged into the sea by the animal. As the mother is pulled to the bottom of the ocean, her hair twists into a tight tusk and she becomes the first narwhal. The boy’s need for revenge leaves him and his heartbroken sister alone on the land. Alethea Arnaquq-Baril’s mystical, brooding animation has been adapted to a picture book format in this timeless tale.

Cloudwalker, describing the creation of the rivers, is the second in a series of Northwest Coast legends by Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd. Astace, a young Gitxsan hunter, is intent on catching a group of swans with his bare hands. He is carried away by the birds' powerful wings and dropped in the clouds. With only a cedar box of water Astace wanders the clouds, growing weaker, stumbling and spilling the contents. When he finally returns to earth he discovers lakes, creeks, and rivers where there were none before. The Gitxsan rejoice at having him home, and name the new river they live alongside Ksien--"juice from the clouds."

Orca Chief is the third in a series of Northwest Coast legends by Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd. Their previous collaborations, Raven Brings the Light (2013) and Cloudwalker (2014), are award-winning national bestsellers. Thousands of years ago in the village of Kitkatla, four hunters leave home in the spring to harvest seaweed and sockeye. When they arrive at their fishing grounds, exhaustion makes them lazy and they throw their anchor overboard without care for the damage it might do to marine life or the sea floor. When Orca Chief discovers what the hunters have done, he sends his most powerful orca warriors to bring the men and their boat to his house. The men beg forgiveness for their ignorance and lack of respect, and Orca Chief compassionately sends them out with his pod to show them how to sustainably harvest the ocean's resources. Accompanied by almost exclusively new illustrations by Roy Henry Vickers, this next installment of the Northwest Coast Legends will captivate readers young and old with its vivid imagery and remarkable storytelling.

The children of the Tsimshian village of Kitkatla love to play at being hunters, eager for their turn to join the grown-ups. But when they capture and mistreat a crow, the Chief of the Heavens, angered at their disrespect, brings down a powerful storm. The rain floods the Earth and villagers have no choice but to abandon their homes and flee to their canoes. As the seas rise, the villagers tie themselves to the top of Anchor Mountain, where they pray for days on end and promise to teach their children to value all life. The storm stops and the waters recede. From that point on, the villagers appoint a chief to perform the Peace Dance at every potlatch and, with it, pass on the story of the flood and the importance of respect. With eighteen new illustrations from Roy Henry Vickers and exceptional narrative, Peace Dancer will delight readers of all ages and add to the collection of global flood stories.

In her most charming book yet, three-time New York Times Best Illustrator Barbara McClintock has created the Cinderella that every little girl will want to savor -- over and over again. Poor Cinderella, who is relegated to a dingy garret room by her duplicitous stepmother and beleaguered by her nasty stepsisters, never gives in to hostility or revenge. Instead, this sweet heroine remains steadfast in her kind, gentle ways, and her generosity flows like a mountain stream. This tale of virtue rewarded is as charming and rich as any prince. McClintock's warm, humorous, and lucious artwork that reflects the story's French roots, coupled with her disarming text will insure that this book will be loved and cherished -- happily ever after.

Everyone agrees that the emperor is charming, clever, and works very hard . . . at shopping! Showing off his expensive clothes is all he cares about. So one day, a pair of swindlers decides to profit from the emperor's vanity. They offer to make him a splendid suit cut from a magical cloth that cannot be seen by anyone who is lazy or stupid. Who will be brave enough to tell the emperor that he's really wearing nothing at all?Illustrations as zany and entertaining as the emperor himself enhance this ageless tale, "re-cut, pinned and stitched" by illustrator John A. Rowe. Rowe's eccentric and vivid interpretation of the Hans Christian Andersen story puts new "garb" on an old favorite.

Exquisite paintings and a lush retelling bring a treasured classic to new life. A beautiful daughter dreams of meeting a handsome prince, but in order to save her father's life, she leaves home to live with a terrible, frightening beast. Though her patron is hideous, his disarming generosity slowly leads to a surprising connection. Accessibly and with great compassion, Max Eilenberg sheds fresh light on one of our most beloved fairy tales. Angela Barrett's enchanting illustrations illuminate both the sumptuous palace and the horrifying beast himself. The resulting tour de force reminds us that ultimately love conquers all.

A poor shoemaker's shop is blessed with a nightly miracle: scraps of leather left on the worktable mysteriously become beautiful shoes that sell immediately the next day! When the shoemaker and his wife discover who has been bringing them good fortune, they show their gratitude by leaving a special Christmas gift.

Luck and happiness come to a neglected, motherless girl.

The Three Little Pigs with a twist! In the tradition of her bestseller The Three Snow Bears, Jan Brett finds inspiration for her version of a familiar story in Namibia, where red rock mountains and vivid blue skies are home to appealing little dassies and hungry eagles. Mimbi, Pimbi and Timbi hope to find "a place cooler, a place less crowded, a place safe from eagles!" to build their new homes. The handsomely dressed Agama Man watches from the borders as the eagle flies down to flap and clap until he blows a house down. But in a deliciously funny twist, that pesky eagle gets a fine comeuppance! Bold African patterns and prints fill the stunning borders, but it is the dassies in their bright, colorful dresses and hats that steal the show in this irresistible tale, perfect for reading aloud.

Beautiful Mee-An wants to get married but can’t seem to find a man who is as perfect as she is. One day, however, her sister Assa finds Mee-An the perfect mate. Mee-An is determined to marry him, even after a series of bad omens occur. Off the sisters go to live with the perfect man, only to discover he is not at all what he seems to be. Will Assa be able to save her sister from a terrible fate? Baba Wagu#65533; Diakit#65533;'s proves himself a wonderful storyteller, and his brilliant art brings village life alive.

A timeless tale about a beloved animal One of the world’s most beloved and reclusive animals, the panda is almost as mysterious today as it was thousands of years ago. The original Chinese folk tale of how the panda came to have its distinctive black-and-white coat is a story of love, bravery and the sacrifice of a young shepherdess. Illustrator Song Nan Zhang has drawn upon his experiences touring the silk road region of Tibet to create the gloriously colourful illustrations that depict the ancient Wolong Valley in Sichuan province. As retold by master historian Linda Granfield,The Legend of the Pandais augmented with fascinating information about panda bears and the efforts to save them. A book as beautiful as it is informative.

The inventive little red hen outsmarts a fox who tries to catch her and eat her for dinner in thisAbbeville Classic Fairy Tales book featuring full color illustrations throughout. The stories in theAbbeville Classic Fairy Tales series have been adapted for the children of today while respecting the richness and flavor of the original versions. This charming series retells classic fairy tales with bright illustrations and a clever tone. Children will love the game page at the end of each book, and they will want to read all the books in the series.

This humorous traditional tale from the Igbo people of Nigeria features the trickster tortoise, Mbeku, and shows how the tortoise got his rough, checkered shell as a result of Mbeku's greediness and cunning.

Joseph had a little overcoat, but it was full of holes--just like this book! When Joseph's coat got too old and shabby, he made it into a jacket. But what did he make it into after that? And after that? As children turn the pages of this book, they can use the die-cut holes to guess what Joseph will be making next from his amazing overcoat, while they laugh at the bold, cheerful artwork and learn that you can always make something, even out of nothing.

Here are the time-honored fables of Aesop as never seen before. Santore's animals leap off the page in explosions of color, giving messages to ponder and physical beauty to savor. School Library Journal called this interpretation of the classic morality tales " a delight to the eye and ear."