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  • Tags: folktale
The terrible troll-bird
D'Aulaire, Ingri//D'Aulaire, Edgar
Four brothers and sisters are sent to the woods to get firewood and encounter a troll-bird. This causes a lot of trouble and they have to kill it which brings even more trouble!

The legend of the veery bird
Hague, Kathleen
A shy boy with a stuttering problem loses his father. After he runs to the forest to get away, the keeper of the Forest helps him by giving the world a bird with a beautiful voice.

Don't count your chicks
D'Aulaire, Ingri//D'Aulaire, Edgar
A little old woman walks into town with a basket of eggs her hen has laid. As she walks she thinks about her future and about how rich she'll be because of these eggs. When she drops all of the eggs, she realizes she became too proud.

Rip van winkle: Adapted from washington irving
Locker, Thomas
Rip Van Winkle drinks the brew of Henry Hudson and sleeps for twenty years. When he awakens, his own daughter does not recognize him.

Hush little baby: A folk song with pictures
Frazee, Marla
The baby will not hush and the family can't take it any longer. A peddler, who has a wagon filled with toys and animals, tries to aid the family. Nothing works, until exhaustion takes over and the loving family has the sweetest baby in town.

Cold feet
DeFelice, Cynthia
Playing the bagpipes is Willie McPhee's favorite form of entertainment, but because his audience is unable to pay for his entertainment, Willie is forced to leave. On his journey to find money, he becomes tired and his clothes wear out. Across the forest he sees a dead man and since his shoes are torn, he takes the dead man's boots. As he approaches a house to find hospitality, see how the dead man comes back to haunt him.

The hare and the tortoise: A fable from aesop
Ward, Helen
Just like Aesop's original folktale, the hare and the tortoise are going to race. The quick but lazy hare takes his speed for granted when he challenges the tortoise. However, when the hare becomes too confident, the tortoise creeps past him to win the race.

Hot hippo
Hadithi, Mwenye
The Hippo asks Ngai, the omniscent, if he can live in the water. Ngai allows Hippo to do this if he only eats plants and not the fish. In the end, they are both happy.

The rain door
Hoban, Russell
Harry goes through the rain door and meets a man and his horse, Lightening. They are chased by a thundering lion and the man sprays water on it to keep it away. They create a rain storm

How the rabbit stole the moon
Moeri, Louise
All of the animals in the forest were sad because at night they could not see. All of the animals tried to get the sun to give them a little bit of light for the night. The rabbit stole some sun and created the moon and stars.

Paper john
Small, David
Paper John is a man who everyone loves. He also has a great talent for making things out of paper. He runs into a devil who appears in town as a thief. Paper John captures the devil before it destroys the town.

This land is your land
Guthrie, Woody
The traditional lyrics of the popular song, This Land Is Your Land, are combined with painted illustrations that represent the words and meaning of the song. America and her countryside are portrayed in a positive light through the text and illustrations.

The teeny tiny teacher
Calmenson, Stephanie
The teeny tiny teacher and her teeny tiny students have a school day full of teeny tiny things. However, they are frightened by a voice coming from the closet asking for the bone the teacher found on their teeny tiny walk. Find out who the voice belongs to.

Rip van winkle
Moses, Will
Could you sleep 20 years of your life away?Well, Rip Van Winkle didn't think he could. One day he was walking around his old familiar town, talking with his old familiar friends, and hunting with his old familar dog. The next day (or so Rip thinks) his old familiar town, friends, and dog are no longer famliar. Come find out what happens when Rip sleeps for 20 years.

A drop of honey
Bider, Djemma
Anayida falls asleep and dreams of baking baklava. When she buys the honey, she drops some of it on the sidewalk. A bee lands on the honey and a cat chases the bee. A dog chases the cat and they all run through the town. The whole town is turned upside down because of one drop of honey.

Jack, skinny bones, and the golden pancakes
Helldorfer, M.C.
An orphan boy befriends Skinny Bones, the dog of a hot-tempered old lady named Granny Trick. Together the boy and the dog must not only out smart Granny, but even the devil himself!

Bearskin
Pyle, Howard
Bearskin, an infant son of a miller, is sent down the river by the king only to be found by a she-bear who raises him. As Bearskin gets older he goes out into the world to be with other people. He learns about a three-headed dragon who takes the princess. If anyone can kill the dragon, then they get to marry the princess. Will Bearskin be able to kill the dragon and win her heart?

The tale of Willie Monroe
Schroeder, Alan
Willie isn't a smart man, but he sure is strong. He decides to enter a contest to prove it. However, Delilah and her granny have to get him in shape first. Now Willie's reputation and Delilah's love depend on his winning the contest. Do you think he can do it?

Johnny appleseed
Lindbergh, Reeve
On his way to the western frontier, Johnny Appleseed stops to eat and chat with Hannah Goodwin and her family. His adventures bring many encounters with pioneers, Indians, and nature. When he is old, he returns to visit Hannah Goodwin who continues to tell children about Johnny Appleseed.