Traditional stories Books

What if the heroes, legends, and monsters of Greek mythology attended the same elementary school? Before the demigods became heroes and the monsters became feared, they had to navigate the ups and downs of childhood, together. Medusa's excited for her...

Once upon a time, there is a fisherman who lives alone with his son Qiqi. One day, strange things suddenly happen in the village where they live. The children in the village keep disappearing mysteriously. As a result, the children stay at home every day...

Age range 5 to 7A long time ago, in a village nestled beneath a mountain, there lived a beautiful girl with long shiny black hair whom the villagers called 'Long Hair.' One year, there was a severe drought in the mountain. All lives...

Age range 9 to 13Athena, Greek Goddess of Wisdom, steps fully formed from her father's head into the already established world of the Olympians. A motherless newcomer, she has to find her own place and purpose. Her adventures bring her down to Earth,...

Age range 5+A princess rescues her eleven brothers from a spell cast by an evil queen that has forced them to live as humans at night and swans during the day. This picture book version beautifully evokes the story with warm watercolours.Big and Small's...

Reynard - a subversive, dashing, anarchic, aristocratic, witty fox from the watery lowlands of medieval East Flanders - is in trouble. He has been summoned to the court of King Noble the Lion, charged with all manner of crimes and misdemeanours. How will...

Age range 5 + From singing turtles and flying farmers to a weeping dragon and rice bags that replenish themselves, readers of all ages will find engaging characters and moments of magic in these beloved Japanese folk tales.Stories include:The...

A delightful collection of well-loved Japanese nursery rhymes, Japanese and English Nursery Rhymes is the perfect introduction to Japanese language and culture for young readers.This beautifully illustrated bilingual children's book features songs and...

Age range 3 to 6Adventure into the epic and magical world of Greek myths with this brightly-illustrated introduction to the clever adventurer Odysseus for young readers. Colourful and easy to read, this retelling of the war hero and epic adventurer...

Age range 14+Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient, god-decreed rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: train to fight and fight to survive. Until the day she sees the...

Age range 10 - 18Part fantasy, part travelogue, Onibi: Diary Of A Yokai Ghost Hunter follows the adventures of two foreign visitors as they tour Japan. When they buy an antique camera along the way, they discover they can capture images of Japan's...

Age range 5 to 11A poor girl, adopted by a rich woman after the death of her mother, grows up to be vain and spoilt. She buys a pair of red shoes and wears them everywhere, even when she is asked not to. Because of her disobedience, the shoes become...

Age range 3 to 6The story of Santa is re-imagined in a contemporary and hilarious way that will charm both children and adults.Little Santa loves, loves, loves the North Pole. The rest of his family? Not so much. So, when they decide to move to Florida,...

Age range 6+A children's picture book which takes down the concept of 'princess'. A sassy child narrator chooses six well-known fairy tales involving princesses. With simple rhyme and lively pictures she takes the stories apart with incredulous humour...

Age range 6 to 11A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection'Genuinely lovely. A gorgeous palette of colors and emotions with illustrations that leap off the page.' - Matthew Forsythe, creator of MINA, and Pokko and the DrumA...

From the international best-selling author of Sidewalk Flowers and a world-renowned illustrator, this picture book is about the power of song, inspired by the story of the Tower of Babel.This unusual, thought-provoking story begins with an old woman...

After his parents are brutally murdered, Ahiahia is raised by his grandmother in a camp surrounded by enemies. His grandmother knows that eventually the camp will turn on Ahiahia, just as it did his parents, so she chants a protection chant over the...

Akagaq, the youngest brother of three, is confident but forgetful. When he gets caught in a blizzard he makes a tent, but it is no match for the powerful winds. Trapped in the cold, Akagaq is helped by his brother Tiriaq. Tiriaq digs into a snowdrift for...

Written by an Indigenous icon: Cree singer-songwriterBuffy Sainte-Marie has been writing and performing her music for decades. She was the first Indigenous person to win an Academy Award (for an original song), the first person to breastfeed on TV (on...

The book is beautifully illustrated and will interest young readers who love stories about creatures of the sea.

Beatrice the Frugal Fairy is a fun-loving book about twin boys that are mischievous and always getting into situations that need a little extra care and guidance. Beatrice is a spunky fairy who helps the McDugal twins see better ways through each...

"Saving The Night" takes place in the land of The Quetico"There is a king, a queen and a prince. The prince ends up trying to save his dog and falls down a well for 2 days. After that he becomes afraid of the dark.Years go by and prince Quentin turns 16...

Join a very special boy on a stargazing adventure in this award-winning picture book that's sure to spark your child's imagination.Andrew Moore is not like other children. He doesn't talk or run or jump. But he loves to smile and laugh-and go on the most...

From renowned Japanese children's author Sachiko Kashiwaba, Temple Alley Summer is a fantastical and mysterious adventure filled with the living dead, a magical pearl, and a suspiciously nosy black cat named Kiriko featuring beautiful illustrations from...

One of the world's oldest and best-loved tales, now retold and illustrated in thrilling detail for readers of all ages.Rama pulled the splendid arrow out of his quiver. It had been given to him long ago by the sage Agastya who had told him that he could...

Meet the Greek gods as you have never seen them--in LEGO form! Enjoy these fascinating myths, reimagined through elaborate scenes and colorful LEGO bricks in one thousand color photographs! This book shares a unique retelling of some of the most widely...

A long time ago in India, a boy was born. He didn't look like any ordinary baby as he had bright blue skin and a birthmark near his shoulder that looked just like a flower. He was beautiful. His parents named himKrishna.In this modern retelling of a...

Grandpa lives on a farm and likes to tell his grandson tall tales. There is no end to Grandpa's hilarious invention -- or to James Flora's comic illustrations. Here are just a few of Grandpa's whoppers! Grandpa is almost as tall as the trees. So tall,...

Age range 14+ The Borderlands aren't like anywhere else. Don't try to smuggle a phone or any other piece of technology over the wall that marks the Border - unless you enjoy a fireworks display in your backpack. (Ballpoint pens are okay.) There...

In print for the first time in thirty years is Anna Elizabeth's Bennett classic tale of a little witch who dreams of becoming normal girl. This whimsical 1953 classic consistently tops annual lists of the "most in demand&#

Age range 4 to 8This beautifully illustrated multicultural children's book tells the story of a young boy and his magical rooster in both English and Chinese. Long long ago, there lived a boy named Tang Yun. He studied very hard and was ready to take the...

Age range 4 to 8In the West, legendary explorers like Christopher Columbus, Ernest Shackleton and Sir Edmund Hillary are a recognized part of our history. But in China, that legend belongs to the great explorer Zheng He (13711433), who...

Age range 3 - 9A touching story of finding beauty and joy in unexpected places. Xiao Mo is celebrating her birthday with friends and family when she opens the gift her parents gave her. Little Xiao Mo is immediately disappointed when she opens...

Age range 5+Learn how the clever Little Rat earned his place as one of the Chinese Zodiac Animals. This adorable Chinese-English bilingual children's book tells the story of the Little Rat and the Grandpa - unlikely allies who embark on an...

Age range 5 to 10Once upon a time there was a little prince. After his father and mother died, his uncle took his place and inherited the throne. When he learned that he was about to be sent to the frontier by the emperor uncle, he became very angry that...

"Traditional papercuts are perfectly suited to the kite images . . . With its folkloric tone, this stands on its own as a story about creativity."-Kirkus ReviewsThe Kang brothers imagine making wings to fly and drive the birds from their rice fields!...

"Like the hues in a stained glass window, [the illustrations] look brilliant...this well-designed book will please children in the primary grades."-ALA Booklist This series,recounting how the creative Kang brothers discovered four of China's famed...

"Exciting storytelling and Chinese culinary traditions create a delicious book for young readers."-San Francisco Chronicle This hilarious tale is redesigned, featuring revised illustrations and a new bilingual simplified Chinese translation. Long ago in...

Telling the whimsical story of an absent-minded tailor and his trusty mouse companion, this narrative highlights a fantastic children's folk song that has been enjoyed throughout the ages.

Reviving a timeless American folk song, this children's book relates the hilarious story of a husband and his impossibly lazy wife.

Age range 3 to 6A parable for children about allyship, solidarity, and liberation, inspired by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.Archbishop Desmond Tutu said, 'If an elephant has its foot on the tail of mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse...

This inspiring children's book is based on a South American indigenous story about a courageous hummingbird who defies fear and expectations in her attempt to save the forest from fire. The illustrated story is supplemented by a natural and cultural...

Age range 6+A fully revitalized editionof the 1926 classic, featuring full-colour versions ofthe original illustrations by E.H. Shepherd.Winnie the Poohhas enchanted readers of all ages for nearly one hundred years with its relatable, heart-warming...

Age range 3 to 6Yara loves being the only mermaid in the lagoon where she plays with her friends all day. That is, until another mermaid arrives - and she wants to play, too. Can Yara adjust to no longer being the only mermaid?Dive into a world full of...

Age range 3 to 6There's an age-old tale that magic unicorns exist...wandering where orchids grow within the mountain mist.Legend has it that the only way to find a unicorn is to know where to look and how to craft a beautiful gift that shows her you are...

Age range 14+Celebrated author Sangu Mandanna promises a gripping conclusion to the Celestial Trilogy inA War of Swallowed Stars.A prince without his kingdom.A kingdom without its princess.The destruction of the stars themselves.War is destroying the...

Dorothy and her little dog Toto are swept away from their home in Kansas by a powerful tornado and dropped into an enchanting new land called Oz. To get home, the Witch of the North tells her she must follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City and...

Toddlers love friendly dragons, too--and now their time has come, with a beautiful board-book version of Puff, the Magic Dragon! This sturdy new volume features Eric Puybaret's stunning art from the phenomenally successful and critically praised picture...