My Village

Hansi

Hardbound, large format

$25.00

There is a little village deep in the countryside of Alsace in France.... To find it, get off the train at a small station decorated with flowers, and walk down a narrow road between some orchards. In the distance, you’ll see the church spire rising above the wheat fields ...

This is not a made-up village—it really exists. It was the village where Jean-Jacques Waltz, known through his books and drawings as “Hansi,” lived, and he loved the place more than any other on Earth. When he wrote My Village, Alsace was occupied by Germany following the Franco-Prussian War, and Hansi used his skills as an illustrator to poke gentle fun at the German authorities.

The beautiful, colorful, and meticulous pictures in this book show Alsatian adults and children in their traditional dress, going about their traditional lives in harmony with their surroundings. They are patriotic, kind, and always smiling, despite their difficult circumstances, and they honor the values handed down through the generations. In contrast, Hansi portrays the Germans as brash and self-indulgent, imposing petty laws on the villagers and trying to impose German culture. Hansi’s satire, however, is always humorous, and the book is a joy throughout. Sharp-eyed readers will enjoy spotting the subtle references in his illustrations. The text is suitable for children from about eight years old, but adults will appreciate it, as well.

Ages 8 to adult

A Bell for Ursli

Told by Selina Chönz

Illustrated by Alois Carigiet

Hardbound, large format

$17.95

A little boy named Ursli lives in the Swiss Alps, and he must find a big cowbell so that he can lead the spring procession through his village. He goes alone to his family’s chalet high up in the mountains and, there, he spends a lonely, scary night.

Generations of Swiss children have grown up with the delightful story of Ursli, and now, for the first time, his adventures have become available in English.

(Ages 5–8)

The Carpenter's Daughter

Written and Illustrated by
Daniel C Bryan

Softbound

$10.00

In the Land of the Rising Sun, the Emperor asks a master carpenter to build a teahouse in the Garden of Tranquillity. Permission is granted for the carpenter's daughter to accompany him to work, but only after she promises to show perfect behaviour in such a special place. This story deals with the importance of promises and the sense of belonging to family and community through one's work. Written in the style of a fairy tale, it offers a simple introduction to Japanese culture and is simply delightful.

The Man Who Lived Alone

Donald Hall

Illustrated by Mary Azarian

Softbound

$11.95

This is a story about a man who lives alone because he choose to. In his cabin in the New England woods, he live with his collection of old newspapers and carefully saved nails, his mule and his owl. His much-loved cousing, Nan, is just close enough for him to visit now and then. The man who lives alone leads a solitary life, quiet and content.

In simple, lyrical prose, Donald Hall creates a moving and believable portrait of this affectionate, eccentric man, from childhood to old age. We come to understand why he is the way he is, the names and pictures of his days, and finally, how those days will end. It's a story about self-sufficiency and about solitude, about the difference between loneliness and being alone, and about living and living fully.

Ages 7 and up.

Indian Why Stories

Frank B Linderman

Illustrated by Charles M Russell

Softbound

$5.95

I can hardly believe that I'm only now discovering this gem of a book! How is it that I've not known about it all these years? The stories, collected by a devotee of Native American lore and originally published in 1915 are warm, evocative, rich and deep, and, well, just plain wonderful. In the context of Waldorf (or any!) education, there are some which could be used alongside Aesop as another sort of fable. Others, will fit in more easily when it is time to discover our native history and geography in 4th grade. The entire book is so alive with wisdom and an intimate knowledge of nature and its ways that anyone who reads it (or has it read to them) will keep these stories in their heart.

Here's some of the stories you'll find inside:

• How the Ducks Got Their Fine Feathers
• How the Otter Skin Became Great Medicine
• Why the Kingfisher Always Wears a War-Bonnet
• How the Man found His Mate
• Why the Chipmunk's Back Is Striped
• The Moon and the Great Snake

And many, many more, each as inviting as the next. This book is a find!

Why the Crocodile Has a Wide Mouth
and Other Nature Myths

Florence Holbrook

Softbound

$5.95

These fifty-four stories, gathered from cultures around the world and told for children, offer up the myths of the creation of some of the most fascinating animals and phenomena of the world.

Learn why the rabbit is timid and the bear has a short tail. Find out how fire was brought to the Indians, and how summer came to the earth. Discover why the sea is salty and evergreen trees never lose their leaves. You can meet the children in the moon and the first grasshopper, too.

In my opinion, this is a delightful accompaniment to fables and good, happy reading any time.

Isabella's Journey to the Centre

Francis Mougel

Illustrated by Lailan Morris

Hardbound, large format

$19.95

click image for larger view

An exquisite book, from the heart of Australia, speaking to the heart in all of us -- Isabella's Journey to the Centre begins as Isabella journeys to the center of Australia and meets an Old Person who has been waiting for her to arrive. The Old Person speaks to her, encircles her, then sends her on her way through the mountains to a kangaroo who listens with great interest as Isabella tells him all about the Old Person. The kangaroo leads Isabella on to her next destination, yet stays behind, watching -- and as we follow Isabella we are led with her deeper and deeper into the dream which is true and revealing, both within us and all around us. Love simple pours out of the rocks and streams from the heavens on this journey whose images reflect our most human knowing.

This story is so lush with beauty and wisdom, so unique as a gift for children that it deserves a special place on the bookshelf and a quiet time to share it with the children you love. I think it is ideal for children ages 7 to 9, restoring for adults.

The Clown of God

Tomie dePaola

$7.00

Softbound

Tomie de Paola's retelling of the French legend of the clown whose final gift to God is a selfless outpouring of his talents is gloriously sensitive, graceful and ultimately deeply moving and inspiring. His luminous watercolor illustrations are bright, alive and graceful - juxtaposiing the stucco, tile and stone buildings of medieval Europe as a backdrop to the bright costumes of The Clown of God. The result is one that delights the eye as it assures the heart that all shall truly be well. The story culminates on a Christmas Eve of long ago, yet alive in our hearts to this day. The Clown of God remains a family favorite--our teenagers (and their parents) still pull it off the shelf to remind themselves of the truer things in life. Illustrated with Tomie de Paola's characteristic humor, good taste and beautiful use of color. A gift for children ages 6 and older.

Folktales from India
A Selection of Oral Tales from Twenty-Two Languages

Edited and with an Introduction by
A.K. Ramanujan

Softbound

$18.00

I know of no other collection of folktales from India that is like this one - stories taken truly from the oral traditions of many groups and retold with an integrity that conveys so much life that I repeatedly find myself hearing the voice of the storyteller as I read them. For me, this collection is an exciting "find" - something I didn't know I wanted but now can't imagine never having had.

These are the types of fairy tales and folktales that explain the world around us - they reveal the types of people in the world, the way the spiritual world intermingles with daily life, the difference between what is wise and what only looks wise, and much, much more.

I would love to see more and more children hearing these stories - to me, they are a nectar of life. I would enthusiastically recommend various of these tales for children at several ages - during the "fairy tale years (ca. kindergarten and grade 1), "the fable years" (ca. grade 2), and then again as an enlivening addition to the myths of India (grade 5) as a way of uniting the heaven of the gods with the life of the earth. These tales are good, solid soul food - the kind that uplifts without carrying one off the ground. You'll love them!

Twenty Jataka Tales

Retold by Noor Inayat Khan

Illustrated by H. Willebeek La Mair

Softbound

$12.95

These twenty tales have been drawn from famous legends concerning the former lives of the Buddha. Beloved by children and adults, they tell of people and animals moved to acts of sacrifice by the noble example of their fellow creatures. There is a wonderful interweaving of a sentient creation throughout these stories. The flavor of these stories will remind you of Aesop, as will the lessons they contain which are so beautifully conveyed. These stories are ideal for reading or telling to children - their highly dramatic adventures that resolve in non-violence and compassion are often just exactly what today's children are hungry for. You'll love the exquisite illustrations, also - there is a light delicacy to them that at the same time conveys enormous strength - just right for these tales.

The Wisdom of the Crows and Other Buddhist Tales

Retold by Sherab Chödzin & Alexandra Kohn

Illustrated by Marie Cameron

Elegantly softbound, large format, color illustrations

$17.95

If you love a good story, you'll really enjoy this lovely collection of Buddhist tales in storybook form. The story "The Wisdom of the Crows" is very short, but I still haven't stopped thinking about its profound commentary about the uncertain nature of life. I'm sure you'll find it equally absorbing and poignant. "Goodheart and the Goddess of the Forest" is a beautiful fairy tale that combines many of the elements of European fairy tales with its own unique conclusion. And, I'm still chuckling about "Where Are You Going?" - an amusing battle of wits between two monks. There are many more stories - each one a gem.

African Folktales
Traditional Stories of the Black World

Selected and Retold by
Roger D. Abrahams

Softbound

$18.95

This is a funny, earthy, wise and riotous collection of stories from a variety of African cultures. Some of these stories are simple, humorous tales, just right for very young children. Others have themes that involve the complexity of human relationships and of the relationship of humans to the divine. These will interest older children, even teenagers, and can be the source of much after-thought and discussion. Overall, this is a gem of a book - one to use not only as a source of great stories to share, but also to return to again and again to partake of its wonder and beauty. The rhythms of tribal song and dance reverberate through the graceful voice of the storyteller on every page. Abrahams shows great heart in the retelling of these stories.

Grandma Fina and Her Wonderful Umbrellas
La Abuelita Fina y sus sombrillas maravillosas

Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Illustrated by Geronimo Garcia

Softbound

$7.95

Grandma Fina is one of those people blessed with eyes that see only what is wonderful - including the torn and tattered yellow umbrella she uses to shade herself from the sun. As she walks down the street, she greets her children and grandchildren and neighbors, who always love to stop and chat with her. But everyone of them secretly thinks that Grandma Fina's yellow umbrella is not wonderful and needs to be replaced. On her birthday, she receives a new umbrella from each of them - what will she do with so many umbrellas? The answer is a warm and joyous delight, sure to be loved in your child's mother-tongue by anyone over 4. As an early reader in Spanish as a second language, it is suitable for the second or third year. As an early reader in English as a second language, it is appropriate for the third year. A great story whenever it is read!

The Woman Who Outshone the Sun
La mujer que brillaba aún más que el sol

A duel language book
From a poem by Alejandro Cruz Martinez

$7.95

Softbound

The Woman Who Outshone the Sun is a Mexican legend of Lucia Zenteno, a beautiful woman who arrives in a mountain village with an iguana at her side and hair so glorious it outshines the sun. How the villagers react to her extraordinary presence - and how she responds to them - form this story, beautifully retold in both English and Spanish. For reading to children in their mother tongue, ages 4-5 and up. For children to practice English or Spanish as a second language, at the end of the first year of instruction to the middle of the second year.

The Story of Colors
La Historia de los Colores
a folktale in both English and Spanish from the jungles of Chiapas

Subcomandante Marcos

Illustrated by
Comitila Domínguiz

$8.95

Softbound

Once upon a time, of course, the world was black and white with gray in between. Black and white and gray? This understandably bored and angered the gods, so they went looking for other colors to brighten the world for the people. How the gods found all the colors in the world is told in melodic Spanish and warm English, accompanied by gloriously vivid paintings. This story is a great find and will be loved by children ages 3 and up. The Spanish is complex enough to engage upper grades English speakers in a translation journey of epic proportions - some will love the challenge. For Spanish speakers, the English is at a mid-grades reading level.
A note here: I thought for a long time before including this wonderful folktale in our book shop. Not because of the folktale - it well deserves any honors we can think to heap upon it - but because it is told by the leader of the Zapatista revolutionary movement and published by the movement's supporters who make it clear on the dust jacket that they consider this civil war to be a manifestation of great goodness. I am not of the opinion that any violent revolution has ever moved the world forward very far. You may or may not think differently. Should you share my view, I would suggest simply removing the dust jacket and delighting in a very well-told version of one of the worlds best folktales.

American Indian Myths and Legends

Selected and Edited by Richard Erdoes and Alfonso Ortiz

Softbound

$18.95

Here is an exciting collection of over 160 stories that range from fairy tales to religious myths to just-so stories - and represent 80 tribal groups.

If, like me, most of what you have encountered as Native American tales has been the coyote or trickster stories, you are in for a panoramic adventure. Coyote is, naturally, still present and well-represented in these tales, but there is are also fairy tales of beauty, depth and truth, fables of all kinds, creation myths and stories of the realms of the gods, and delightful little tales that explain with humor and simplicity how things came to be as they are.

The stories are told in authentic and engaging language; they are filled to the brim with life and goodness and mystery. And they portray the depth and diversity of these cultures better than anything else I've read.

These are stories you and your children will love and think about and go back to for years. Enjoy!!