The first chaang, the first elephant, once had big eyes, Which the animals thought looked beautiful and wise. Then, along came a bird, a wagtail, and… Told in verse, this folktale from the Tai Phake people of India’s northeast is gentle and funny. It is one among their many animal stories about why and how something came to be – why the sun comes out when...
Drip, drip, drip! It's raining… What happens when seven animals have to share one small umbrella? Cheery pictures liven up this old folktale about sharing, retold with a twist.
When a herd of elephants creates trouble in the jungle, do the little rabbits run away in fear? No! From Aztec to Chinese, there are many versions of the story about the rabbit in the moon. The illustrations for this bilingual retelling are based on the pithora folk style of central India, which derives from cave art.
A farmer shouts at the sun because it is too hot to work in the field. The sun gets upset, goes away and refuses to return. Finally, a rooster tricks the sun to shine again – every day from then on. This engaging tale is based on a folktale of the Ao tribe in Nagaland. The artist-animator's illustrations are luminous and dynamic, based on his animation...
“Help! Help!” calls the big black ant when the little black ant falls into the water. But the only answers it gets are “crokk”, “isspiss”, “aaaanh”, “cheek”, “miyawwwwn” and ‘”woaw”. Who will save the baby? Unusual sounds add excitement to a familiar pattern in this folktale based story. The sometimes onomatopoeic, sometimes alliterative, sometimes...
Fifteen-year-old Aiyappan lives in Kanchipuram. In school, he learns Maths, Science, Languages, Computers… and Kuttu. His teacher has written a play especially for the students – about an encounter between children and aliens. The script is presented in this book, and includes stage directions so that the reader can perform it. The narrative offers...
This timely collection retells stories from mythology and folklore to focus on the need to protect, conserve and value water. Together with interesting facts and a timeline from earliest times, it makes a creative plea to readers of all ages to treat water, and, by extension, all life, with respect. Well-known writers draw upon the oral traditions of the...
Mara, the boy with unique powers, rescues the special Chanva bird, and is set on the trail of the holder of a thousand spells, the elusive Chief Magician. He journeys to the sky kingdom of the North with his cheeky talking cows and his fearless new friend Shiroi, and everything is put to the test – from his fear of flying to his cooking skills! Magic...
A unique collection of stories from Kashmir that invites readers into the everyday lives of people. Their homes nestle amid jagged rocks and flowering valleys that inspire fear, love, and closeness with and respect for nature. It is a world filled with giving spirits, powerful snakes, enchanted saarangs… drawn from mythology, folklore and lived...
