 There’s
a Princess in the Palace
by Zoe Alley, R.W. Alley
Ages 4–8
The tongue-in-cheek retellings
of five fairy tales emphasize clever dialog over beauty
and romance. The characters in the tales are connected — Cinderella’s
daughter becomes Sleeping Beauty who is not quite ready
for marriage and runs off to live with the dwarves
as Snow White. Her daughter in turn falls for The Frog
Prince, and her granddaughter is the Princess who tries
to sleep on the uncomfortable pea buried under layers
of mattresses. Two mice provide running commentary
in this lavishly illustrated oversized graphic novel,
sure to become a bedtime favorite. |
|
 The
Mitten
by Jim Aylesworth, Barbara McClintock
Ages 3–8
In this retelling of a folk tale, a
young boy loses his red mitten while sledding. The mitten is
found by a delighted squirrel who enjoys its cosiness until
a first a rabbit, then a fox, and finally a bear beg to join
in the warmth. McClintock’s pen-and-ink illustrations illustrate
the silliness in a wonderfully naturalistic way. |
|
 The
Steel Pan Man of Harlem
by Colin Bootman
Ages 5–9
In this retelling of the Pied
Piper of Hamelin folk tale, a steel pan playing man
appears and offers to rid Harlem of a plague of rats.
Set during the Harlem Renaissance and featuring a mysterious
magician from the Caribbean, this spell-binding tale
is illustrated with beautifully detailed oil paintings. |
|
 Cinderella,
or the Little Glass Slipper
by Marcia Brown
Caldecott Medal
1955
Ages 4–8
This retelling of the classic tale by
Charles Perrault is a skillful version that is both simple and
romantic. The pen and watercolor illustrations complement the
story beautifully. |
|
 Once
a Mouse…
by Marcia Brown
Caldecott Medal
1962
Ages 4–8
The mighty tiger challenges anyone to
say he was once a mouse, but the hermit knows it to be true,
since he himself used magic to transform the mouse into a cat
and then a dog and finally a tiger. And unfortunately for the
too proud tiger, those changes can be reversed. Beautiful woodcuts
illustrate this Indian fable. |
|
 Me
and You
by Anthony Browne
Ages 4–8
Two parallel storylines tell
the story of a lost little girl and a contented bear
family. While the little blond girl becomes separated
from her mother on a busy city street, the small bear
and his parents visit a neighborhood park while waiting
for their porridge to cool. The lost girl enters their
cozy house, but flees when the bears return. Luckily
her mother is right outside, and both families end up
safe and sound and together. |
|
 Mouse & Lion
by Rand Burkert, Nancy Ekholm Burkert
All ages
This beautiful book is a retelling
of Aesop’s fable of the mouse who stumbles into a lion and
pleads for his freedom, promising to help the lion if he is
ever in need. Burkert’s illustrations celebrate the beauty
of the African savannah, often from a mouse point of view. |
|
 The
Runaway Wok: A Chinese New Year Tale
by Ying Chang Compestine, Sebastia
Serra
Ages 5–8
Long ago in Beijing, a poor
couple send their son Ming to trade some eggs for
rice so that they can make a Chinese New Year meal
for their neighbors. But Ming trades the eggs for
a singing wok who promises exciting things. Ming
chases the wok to a rich family’s kitchen, where
it is filled with delicious food soon delivered to
the Ming’s poor family’s table. The clever wok also
transports toys from the greedy rich child, and treasures
from the dishonest rich father. Based on a Danish
folktale, this jaunty tale will enchant young listeners. |
|
 Hans
My Hedgehog: A Tale from the Brothers Grimm
by Kate Coombs, John Nickle
Ages 5–8
Hans is not a normal boy. Born
a hedgehog from the waist up, Hans becomes an accomplished
fiddle player and loves riding his rooster through
the woods with his faithful hogs. After rescuing two
kings and visiting their castles, Hans finally meets
a princess who loves him as he is. This adaptation
is a much happier version of the original fairy tale. |
|
 Chanticleer
and the Fox
by Barbara Cooney
Caldecott Medal 1959
Ages 4–8
Chanticleer the rooster falls for the
flattery of the fox and is caught. Luckily Chanticleer is clever
enough to think himself out of danger in this retelling of the
“Nun’s Priest’s Tale” from Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury
Tales. Beautiful pen and ink drawings illustrate the fable. |
|
 Yummy:
Eight Favorite Fairy Tales
by Lucy Cousins
Ages 4–10
In the retelling of these fairy
tales, the villains are scary and eager to eat their
tasty prey. Bold and vibrant illustrations complement
the slyly humorous text. |
|
 The
Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm
edited by Noel Daniel
All ages
This collection includes new
translations of 27 of Grimm brothers’ fairy tales with
vintage illustrations from the 1920s to 1950s. Classic
tales like Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping
Beauty, and Hansel and Gretel, have a
more modern feel while brief introductions describe
the themes, symbolism, and contemporary relevance of
the stories. This beautiful book will appeal to readers
of all ages. |
|
 Entwined
by Heather Dixon
Ages 12–up
Azela, the heir to the throne, and
her 11 sisters live in the half-magical world of Eathesbury.
When their mother dies after a long illness, their father the
King banishes the girls from his sight and goes off to war
without even saying good-bye. The sisters find a secret passageway
to an enchanted pavilion under the castle, where they dance
all night, breaking the rules of mourning. This magical tale
is based on “The Worn-Out Dancing Shoes" by the
Brothers Grimm. |
|
 The
Girl Who Wanted to Dance
by Amy Ehrlich
Ages 6–10
Clara, who longs to dance,
lives with her sad father and loving grandmother who
tells her that her absent mother also loved music and
dance. When a traveling dance troupe visits the village,
Clara’s father recognizes Clara’s mother, and forgives
her for leaving the family. This haunting fairy tale
compassionately addresses the irresistible artistic
urge and the pain of those left behind.
|
|
 The
Princess and the Pig
by Jonathan Emmett, Poly Bernatene
Ages 4–8
Because of a mix-up in the
royal nursery, Priscilla the princess has accidentally
switched places with Pigmella the piglet. The king
and queen are sure that their daughter’s appearance
and personality are the result of a bad witch, while
the farmer and his wife are convinced that a good witch
has given them the daughter they always wanted. Priscilla
grows up poor but happy on the farm, but things don’t
go quite so well for poor Pigmella. This hilarious
fractured fairy tale will delight young readers. |
|
 Clever
Jack Takes the Cake
by Candace Fleming, G. Brian Karas
Ages 4–8
Jack receives in invitation
to the Princess’s 10th birthday party by mistake. Too
poor to buy her a present, Jack cleverly decides to
bake her a cake, trading for the ingredients. But on
the way to the party the cake is slowly demolished
by a variety of creatures and disasters, so Jack arrives
at the party empty-handed. When Jack tells the bored
Princess the tale of the cake, she is enchanted and
exclaims that his adventure story is the finest gift
she ever received. Slyly humorous illustrations featuring
expressive faces highlight this modern fairy tale that
will appeal to both girls and boys. |
|
 A
Tale Dark and Grimm
by Adam Gidwitz
Ages 10–up
In this irreverent and retelling
of eight Grimm inspired fairy tales, Hansel and Gretel
take their fate into their own capable hands, and walk
out of their own story and into the other tales. Avoiding
the modern trend of softening the original tales, these
instead revel in bloodthirsty scariness, sure to delight
readers ready for some wickedly funny terror. |
|
 The
Grasshopper’s Song
An
Aesop’s Fable Revisited
by Nikki Giovanni
Ages 4–up
The grasshoppers sing while the
ants work in rhythm. When the ants refuse to share the
harvest, the grasshoppers take them to court. This amusing
retelling will appeal to all ages. |
|
 The
Dinosaur Tamer
by Carol Greathouse, John Shroades
Ages 4–8
This humorous tall tale is
set in the old West, when cowboys like young Rocky
tamed dinosaurs of all kinds. Narrated in classic tall
tale prose, the dinosaur names and characteristics
are authentic. Rocky’s battle to tame T. Rex is a classic
humorous epic that creates several American landmarks
along the way. |
|
 The
Ride: The Legend of Betsy Dowdy
by Kitty Griffin, Marjorie Priceman
Ages 4–8
It’s 1775 and teenaged Betsy
Dowdy secretly sets off on an all-night ride to tell
Colonial troops about the British advance on her North
Carolina island home. With her red cape swirling behind,
Betsy tears through the pages on her trusty black pony,
narrowly escaping dangers in order to save her home.
The author’s note at the end reminds readers that Betsy’s
ride is only a legend, but the story of this courageous
girl seems very real. |
|
 Rapunzel’s
Revenge
by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale, Nathan
Hale
Ages 9–up
In this graphic novel version
of the fairy tale, Rapunzel lives in a fabulous walled
garden Wild West. Defying orders, Rapunzel scales the
walls to see the rest of the world and is shocked to
find a wasteland of mines and factories. Banished to
a forest tree house, Rapunzel uses her long braids
to escape and fight against the villains. |
|
 A
Story, A Story
by Gail E. Haley
Caldecott Medal 1971
Ages 4–8
In the beginning there were no stories
for children to hear, so Ananse the Spider went to bargain with
Nyame, the Sky God, to bring the stories down to Earth. Wonderful
woodcut illustrations support the clever text in this retelling
of an African folktale. |
|
 Twenty
Heartbeats
by Dennis Haseley, Ed Young
Ages 5–9
Set in the Far East long ago,
a rich man hires an artist to paint his beloved horse.
After years of waiting, the artists paints the horse
in little more than 20 heartbeats. The rich man is furious
until he sees thousands of drawings of his horse in the
artist’s studio. Ed Young’s incredible illustrations
bring the story to life. |
|
 One
Fine Day
by Nonny Hogrogian
Caldecott Medal
1972
Ages 4–8
In this humorous retelling of an Armenian
folktale, a fox steals some milk from an old farm woman. She
cuts off his tail, and the fox spends the rest of the day bargaining
to get it back. The vividly beautiful illustrations bring this
tale to life. |
|
 Stagecoach
Sal
by Deborah Hopkinson, Carson Ellis
Ages 4–8
Sal can catch a fish with her
bare hands, ride a bronco, and drive a stagecoach.
When her Pa falls sick, it’s up to young Sal to drive
the stagecoach alone to deliver the mail. When Poetic
Pete, the most polite bandit in all of California,
boards the coach, Sal sings him to sleep. She continues
her all-night singing marathon until they arrive in
town where Sal delivers the bandit to jail. Delicate
watercolor illustrations provide the perfect counterpoint
for the rambunctious text. |
|
 The
Ogre of Oglefort
by Eva Ibbotson
Ages 8–12
When Princess Mirella is captured
by the dread Ogre of Oglefort, the young orphan boy
Ivo sets out to rescue her with the help of a hag,
a wizard, and a troll. But when they arrive at Oglefort
castle, they realize that it’s not the princess that
needs rescuing, but the poor ogre. To avoid being forced
to marry a nitwit of a prince, Mirella has been badgering
the ogre to turn her into a bird for so long that he
has sunk into a sickly depression. This hilarious book
has a great time poking fun at fairy tale stereotypes. |
|
 Dust
Devil
by Anne Isaacs, Paul Zelinsky
Ages 5–9
Angelica Longrider (introduced
in Swamp
Angel) was the greatest woodsman and wildest wildcat
in the state of Tennessee. Grown too large for her
home state, Angel moves to the great state of Montana,
and wrestles a tornado to the ground, earning herself
a giant horse named Dust Devil. The two are soon at
work battling a gang of cowboy outlaws riding giant
mosquitoes. The outrageous exaggerations of Angel’s
narration are perfectly matched by the stunning paintings
framed by the wood they are painted on. Both boys and
girls will identify with this courageous yet kind folk
hero. |
|
 Levi
Strauss Gets a Bright Idea: A Fairly Fabricated Story of
a Pair of Pants
by Tony Johnston, Stacy Innerst
Ages 4–8
The story of how Levi Strauss
came to invent the sturdy pants that bear his name
is told in tall tale fashion in this amusing picture
book. When Levi arrived in California in 1853, he noticed
that the hard-working miners wore through their pants
quickly, and created sturdy canvas jeans designed to
last longer. Illustrations painted with acrylics on
old jeans accompany this exaggerated tale of the Wild
West. |
|
 The
Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah
by Leslie Kimmelman, Paul Meisel
Ages 4–8
This Jewish Little Red Hen
asks her friends for help making the traditional Passover
matzah. Unfortunately her friends aren’t too eager
to help. Couldn’t they at least help schlep the wheat
to the mill? In this hilarious version of the traditional
tale, a hard-working hen finds the true meaning of
Passover. |
|
 Where
the Mountain Meets the Moon
by Grace Lin
Ages 8–12
Minli and her parents live on
the Jade River in the shadow of Fruitless Mountain, growing
barely enough rice to feed themselves. Her father tells
stories every night to brighten their impoverished existence.
One day Minli spends her only two coins on a talking
goldfish, sure that it can bring her family good fortune.
With help from her fish, Minli sets out to find the Old
Man of the Moon, who she hopes will provide the secret
to good fortune. Along the way she befriends the unfortunate
and uses her wits to escape traps in this beautifully
illustrated adventure that draws upon the rich history
of Chinese folktales. (2010 Newbery Honor Book) |
|
 Fables
by Arnold Lobel
Caldecott Medal 1981
Ages 6–10
These short original fables have unexpected
morals. The humorous illustrations add to the fun. |
|
 The
Hinky-Pink
by Megan McDonald, Brian Floca
Ages 4–8
In this retelling of a story from 1940,
the humble seamstress Anabel is about to realize her dream
of sewing a ball gown for a princess when a Hinky-Pink appears
to rob her of sleep so that she is too tired to sew. Floca’s
active and detailed watercolors bring long-ago Florence to
life. |
|
 The
Funny Little Woman
text by Arlene Mosel, illustrations
by Blair Lent
Caldecott Medal 1973
Ages 3–8
Long ago in old Japan a funny little
woman with a silly little laugh chases a runaway dumpling and
soon finds herself cooking dumplings for a band of demons. Her
infectious laugh helps her charm the demons into releasing her. |
|
 Mama
Miti
by Donna Jo Napoli, Kadir Nelson
Ages 4–8
This story of Wangari Maathai’s
mission to plant trees in Kenya is told more as a folk
tale than a biography. Wangari Wangari becomes known
as Mama Miti (Mother of Trees) because she knows her
trees, and recommends the perfect one to plant to meet
the needs of those she meets. Some trees produce edible
berries, some make good firewood, some have roots that
purify the water. Beautiful and colorful illustrations
bring Mama Miti and her community to life. |
|
 The
Wager
by Donna Jo Napoli
Ages 12–up
Set in 1169, this novel tells
the story of Don Giovanni, a wealthy 19-year-old orphan
who suddenly loses his riches and his castle in a tidal
wave and is reduced to begging for food to survive.
The devil appears to offer a wager—if Don Giovanni
agrees not to bathe or change his clothes for three
years, three months, and three days, he will receive
a purse that magically refills. Giovanni’s descent
into foul decay and eventual redemption is colorfully
portrayed in this retelling of a traditional Italian
fairy tale. |
|
 The
Flint Heart
by Katherine Paterson, John Paterson,
John Rocco
Ages 7–12
This retelling of Eden Phillpotts’s
1910 fairy tale is both true to the original and adapted
for the modern reader. In the Stone Age, an ambitious
man demands a talisman that will harden his heart and
give him total power over his tribe. The Flint Heart
does exactly that, giving the bearer a lust for power
and a tolerance for cruelty. After being buried for thousands
of years, the Flint Heart is unearthed by a kind-hearted
farmer, and wreaks havoc upon the lives of humans, fairy
creatures, and animals. This humorous fairy tale is perfectly
designed to be shared as a family, one chapter each night. |
|
 The
Lion & the Mouse
by Jerry Pinkney
Caldecott Medal
2002
Ages 3–6
This adaptation of Aesop’s
fable is nearly wordless, but Pinkney’s gorgeous illustrations
tell the tale in stunning detail. |
|
 I
Am So Strong
by Mario Ramos
Ages 4–8
This self-centered wolf strolls
through the woods, demanding reassurance from the fairy
tale characters he meets that he is indeed the strongest
creature in the woods. A small “toad of some
sort” finally breaks the pattern by declaring
that its mother the dragon is far stronger. Expressive
illustrations enhance this satisfying tale. |
|
 Seven
Fathers
by Ashley Ramsden, Ed Young
Ages 4–8
In this retelling of a Scandinavian
folktale, a traveler in a blizzard seeks shelter from
the storm. When the traveler stumbles upon a house,
he asks for the head of the household to request a
night’s lodging. But the old man at the door says he
is not the father of the house, and sends the traveler
on a search for his father. Each old man is smaller
and more wizened than the one before, until finally
the traveler’s request to the seventh father breaks
the spell and the traveler is fed a feast and given
a luxurious bed. The strange collage illustrations
complement the suspenseful humor of the prose. |
|
 The
Fool of the World and the Flying Ship
text by Arthur Ransome, illustrations
by Uri Shulevitz
Caldecott Medal
1969
Ages 4–8
In this retelling of a Russian folktale,
the simple third son is helped by those with magical powers to
perform the impossible tasks set by the Czar and wins the princess.
The colorful illustrations have a wonderful Russian folk-art
look. |
|
 The
Boy in the Garden
by Allen Say
Ages 5–8
When Jiro’s father visits his
wealthy friend Mr. Ozu, Jiro wanders through the vast
garden. Near the teahouse he meets a beautiful woman
who offers to weave something for him, just like the
sad crane woman in the fairy tale his mother reads
to him. Moving back and forth between the dream fairytale
world and the real garden, Jiro wonders what is real
and what is a dream. |
|
 The
Goat-Faced Girl
by Leah Marinsky Sharpe, Jane
Marinsky
Ages 6–up
A lizard who is really a witch
trips over an abandoned baby and adopts her. Raised
by her lizard-mother, Isabella grows up beautiful but
lazy. When she becomes engaged to Prince Rupert, her
mother gives her the head of a goat in order to spur
her into action. Rupert is repulsed by her goat head,
and gives her three impossible tasks to complete before
he will marry her. Beautifully detailed paintings illustrate
the retelling of this classic Italian folktale. |
|
 Mirror
Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse
by Marilyn Singer, Josee Massee
Ages 7–up
This clever book of poems that
can be read forward and backwards, shows that there
can be more than one point of view in a fairy tale. “Mirror
Mirror” is narrated by Snow White in one direction,
and by the wicked queen in the other. “In the
Hood” features the wolf anticipating his next
meal one way, and Little Red Riding Hood reminding
herself not to dawdle on the way to Grandma’s. The
rich illustrations reflect the dual images of the poems.
Singer explains how to create a “reverso” poem
in an afterward that encourages readers to try their
own. |
|
 Breadcrumbs
by Anne Ursu, Erin Mcguire
Ages 8–12
Hazel, an imaginative 5th grader adopted
from India, has just switched schools and can’t seem to fit
in. Her parents have just gotten divorced, and her best friend
Jack refuses to speak to her. When he disappears with an eerie
woman on a sled pulled by wolves, Hazel sets out into the snowy
and enchanted Minnesota woods to rescue him. What Hazel doesn’t
know is that a shard of magical mirror is stuck in Jack’s heart,
causing the drastic change in his personality. Using elements
of Hans Christian Anderson’s
“The Snow Queen,” this magical fantasy explores
the power of friendship. |
|
 Golem
by David Wisniewski
Caldecott Medal 1997
Ages 6–10
Elaborate cut-paper collage illustrations
provide dramatic visuals for this retelling of the Jewish legend
of Rabbi Loew who used his powers to create a gigantic Golem
from clay to protect his people from persecution in the ghettos
of 16th-century Prague. |
|
 Lon
Po Po:
A
Red-Riding Hood Story from China
by Ed Young
Caldecott Medal 1990
Ages 4–8
Three daughters left at home while their
mother goes to visit Grandmother are almost fooled by Lon Po
Po, the wolf pretending to be their Grandmother. Incredible illustrations
that are both realistic and abstract add to the power of this
retelling of the classic tale. |
|
 Rapunzel
by Paul O. Zelinsky
Caldecott Medal 1998
Ages 4–10
The beautiful Italian Renaissance-styled
illustrations with warm golden tones bring the classic Brothers
Grimm fairy tale to life. |
|
 Duffy
and the Devil
illustrated by Margot Zemach, text
by Harve Zemach
Caldecott Medal 1974
Ages 4–8
This comic version of the Rumpelstiltskin
story is based on a 19th century play from Cornwall, England.
The pen and wash illustrations are rich in detail and humorous
interpretation of the characters. |
|
|
