To continue our monthly series of book lists for youth, the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library would like to recommend the following titles.
February, 2008 -- Multicultural Folk and Fairy Tales
The First Strawberries: A Cherokee Story by Joseph Bruchac. A husband is happy with his wife until one day he comes home expecting dinner only to find her picking flowers. She's hurt by his harsh words and leaves, and even though the man repents his actions, he can't catch his wife until the Sun assists him. Grades P-2. Large Print font in Print/Braille book BR 9943.
Moon Rope: A Peruvian Folktale/Un Lazo a la Luna: Una Leyenda Peruana by Lois Ehlert. Fox asks Mole to accompany him to the moon by climbing a grass rope. Mole is horribly embarrassed when he lets go and falls back to earth, and has since lived in a tunnel appearing only at night. Bilingual folktale. Grades P-2. Cassette book RC 40759.
Nine-In-One Grr! Grr! A Folktale from the Hmong People of Laos by Blia Xiong. The First Tiger extracts a promise from the great god, Shao, that she and her mate will have nine cubs each year, but Bird hatches a clever plan to prevent the world from being overrun by tigers. Grades P-2. Braille book BRW 479. Cassette book RC 33740.
Anansi the Spider by Gerald McDermott. Anansi the spider is saved from big trouble by each of his six sons in different ways. Anansi can't decide which son to reward with a ball of light, so it is carried into the sky and becomes the moon. Ashanti folktale from Ghana. Grades K-3. Braille book BRW 711. Print/Braille book BR 15041 (1/4”font is suitable for Large Print readers). Cassette book CBA 6726.
Cuckoo: A Mexican Folktale/Cucu: Un Cuento Folklorico Mexicano by Lois Ehlert. In this bilingual story from Mexico, Cuckoo is conceited about her looks and beautiful song. She also doesn't help the other birds find seeds so they are very annoyed with her - but Cuckoo redeems herself when she saves the seeds during a fire, even though it ruins her looks and voice. Grades K-3. Font is 1/4”. Print/Braille book BR 12006. Large Print book LP 16353.
The Warrior Maiden: A Hopi Legend by Ellen Schecter. During a time when the men and boys of the tribe are away from the pueblo planting corn, the women and children are endangered by approaching Apache raiders. A clever young girl devises a plan to trick the raiders while she runs to alert their tribe's warriors. Grades K-3. Large Print book LP 14992.
Firebird by Rachel Isadora. A young Russian man is searching for a legendary magic tree with golden fruit when he captures, and then releases, a beautiful firebird. In gratitude, the bird helps him defeat an evil sorcerer and his hoard of monsters who have imprisoned a whole group of princesses. In the illustrations, the firebird is presented as a dancer, just as she is in the ballet of the same name. Grades 2-4. Print/Braille book BR 10009. A version by Robert San Souci is available as Cassette book RC 38710.
Momotaro, Peach Boy by Linda Shute. In this Japanese folktale, an old couple is granted their wish for a son. He arrives inside a huge peach, and when he gets older, a dog, a monkey, and an eagle help him defeat the oni monsters to make his village safe. Grades 2-4. Cassette book RC 26941. A Ready-to-Read version by William H. Hooks is available as Large Print book LP 14988.
One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale by Demi. A village girl in India outwits a greedy raja by specifying that her reward should be one grain of rice and double the amount each day for thirty days. The raja is very surprised when he sees how much rice that really is! Grades 2-4 and older readers. Cassette book RC 46954.
Beautiful Warrior: The Legend of the Nun's Kung Fu by Emily Arnold McCully. A young Chinese girl, unusual in her education and knowledge of kung fu, finds her place in the Shaolin monastery among Buddhist monks also proficient in the martial art. When she is older, she helps a young girl avoid an unwanted marriage with a plan that involves a crash course in kung fu. Grades 3-6. Print/Braille book BR 12009.
Favorite Tales Told Around the World by Virginia Haviland. A selection of tales from the author's previous books that features several tales from each of sixteen countries. Grades 3-6 and older readers. Cassette book RC 24260.
The Khan's Daughter: A Mongolian Folktale by Laurence Yep. The son of a Mongolian commoner thinks he's destined to marry the Khan's daughter. The Khan, his wife, and the daughter each assign him an impossible task. With the first two he succeeds only by luck. Then he fails the daughter's challenge, but perhaps the result she wants is not the expected one. Grades 3-6. Print/Braille book BR 12002.
The Spring of Butterflies and Other Folktales of China's Minority by Neil Philip. A collection of 14 folktales of mystery and adventure reflecting the traditions of some of the non-Chinese subcultures in this very large country. Grades 3-6. Cassette book RC 26054.
The Cow-Tail Switch and Other West African Stories by Harold Courlander. A classic collection of 17 tales from West Africa that include stories about people, good and bad, clever and stupid, and other tales that explain how things and animals got to be the way they are. Grades 4-7. Cassette book RC 27932.
Egyptian Myths by Jacqueline Morley. Eleven retellings of ancient Egyptians' myths about gods and goddesses. The first tale, "Ra the Shining One," describes the creation of the sun and the formation of the Earth and Sky. Grades 4-7. Cassette book RC 50441.
The Lion's Whiskers and Other Ethiopian Tales by Brent Ashabranner. Sixteen folktales from Ethiopia featuring the animals of Africa. Some feature explicit morals, while in others the reader determines the conclusion. The author explains the origin and context of each tale. Grades 4-7. Cassette book RC 46393.
The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales by Virginia Hamilton. Animals, fantasy, the supernatural, and a desire for freedom shape this anthology of African American folktales, born of slaves' sorrow but passed on in hope. Grades 4-7. Braille book BR 6518. Print/Braille book BR 15831. Cassette book CBA 6758.
Shen of the Sea: Chinese Stories for Children by Arthur Bowie Chrisman. Sixteen humorous stories capturing the spirit of Chinese culture and wisdom. In the title piece, a child learns of an ancient king who tried to save his city from flood by outsmarting the water demons. Newbery Award. Grades 5-8 and older readers. Braille book BR 15509. Cassette book RC 58412.
Tales from the Arabian Nights retold by N. J. Dawood. A collection of 30 traditional Arabic tales about genies, magicians, mythical beasts, and ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary situations. Grades 5-8. Braille book BR 4219. Cassette book RC 14535. A similar book by Andrew Lang is available as Large Print book LP 853.
Tales from the Rain Forest: Myths and Legends from the Amazonian Indians of Brazil by Mercedes Dorson. Ten folktales reveal the Amazon Indians' desire to live in harmony with nature. Many are origin myths that feature jungle animals and birds, humans with animal ancestors, and even humans transformed into plants. Includes explanatory comments. Grades 5-8 and older readers. Cassette book RC 48122.
To order these books and others like these, use the link to the "On-line Catalog (OPAC)" at www.wtbbl.org. Order these books or use keyword search or subject search to find more like these. You can limit your search by reading level and/or material format.
Link to previous Recommended Reads.