Your search returned 40 results in the Category: traditional single stories - the americas.
Celebrates the seasons of the year through poems from the legends of such Native American tribes as the Cherokee, Cree, and Sioux.
Theme: Indigenous
In this traditional Inuit story, a father must find and rescue his child from the lair of this ogress.
Theme: Indigenous
An expression of the universal myth of the hero-quest, this beautiful story also portrays the Indian reverence for the source of life: the Solar... [Read More]
An expression of the universal myth of the hero-quest, this beautiful story also portrays the Indian reverence for the source of life: the Solar Fire. Vibrant full-color illustrations capture the boldness and color of Pueblo art. A Caldecott Medal Book
Piujuq is a kind young woman who loves to take long walks on the tundra and dance by her favourite lake surrounded by butterflies. But one day, she... [Read More]
Piujuq is a kind young woman who loves to take long walks on the tundra and dance by her favourite lake surrounded by butterflies. But one day, she encounters a stranger on her walk. When this person asks a favour of Piujuq, she happily obliges, and that kindness leaves Piujuq stuck in the body of a caterpillar. Alone, and thinking that no one could ever love her because of how she looks, Piujuq does not return to her camp. Instead, she lives a lonely life on the tundra as a caterpillar. Until one day, when another stranger appears . . . Based on a traditional Inuit story, this tale of inner beauty, kindness, and magic is a perfect addition to any young reader's bookshelf.
Theme: Indigenous, Inuit, Diversity
Tells the ancient story of how a Gitxsan hunter who was carried into the clouds by swans and created the sacred headwaters of the largest... [Read More]
Tells the ancient story of how a Gitxsan hunter who was carried into the clouds by swans and created the sacred headwaters of the largest salmon-bearing rivers in British Columbia.
Theme: Indigenous
Kids 9 to 12 will laugh out loud while reading this adventurous graphic novel, which brings an African folk tale to life for a new audience. When... [Read More]
Kids 9 to 12 will laugh out loud while reading this adventurous graphic novel, which brings an African folk tale to life for a new audience. When Sarra's parents die, they leave her with an important warning: never let Dan Auta, her little brother, cry. But Dan Auta loves to make trouble. He hitches a ride on the back of a bird, pokes the eye of the king's son, and even pees on the king's head. Making sure he doesn't cry is much harder than Sarra thought! But Dan Auta's unbridled curiosity and determination may be exactly what everyone needs: a terrible monster called the Dodo is attacking the city... and Dan Auta is the only one with the courage to take him on. Dan Auta features: A delightful celebration of mischief and bravery A portrait of the extraordinary things kids are capable of when they follow their own paths Lively illustrations from renowned illustrator Piet Grobler Supplementary material that explains the folk tale's significance, including a note from an Eritrean translator
Theme: Diversity
On New Year’s eve, 1847, eleven-year-old Baptiste finds himself far from his friends and family and his home in La Beauce. He has come to the... [Read More]
On New Year’s eve, 1847, eleven-year-old Baptiste finds himself far from his friends and family and his home in La Beauce. He has come to the woods of the Ottawa Valley to live and work among “the finest lumberjacks in Canada.” As the New Year approaches, Baptiste and the lumberjacks grow more and more homesick. Resolved to see their families again before the stroke of midnight, the crew board a magical canoe that lifts them into the air, across villages, and closer to home. This beautiful retelling of the Quebecois folktale reunites Roch Carrier with illustrator Sheldon Cohen and translator Sheila Fischman. (The Hockey Sweater, The Basketball Player, The Longest Home Run), and brings this beloved story to life.
Meet Estrella. She can run so fast that she burns up the air, leaving trails of flames wherever she goes. Her pets -- a Kickle Snifter, a... [Read More]
Meet Estrella. She can run so fast that she burns up the air, leaving trails of flames wherever she goes. Her pets -- a Kickle Snifter, a Sidehill Wowser, and a Rubberado puppy -- are as untamed as California, and the pride and love of Estrella's heart. When the greedy ghosts of old gold miners steal her pets, Estrella will need every bit of her pluck and nimble-footedness to rescue them from the ghosts of Luckless Gulch. From the author of Swamp Angel and the artist who created The Replacements comes a tale as unpredictable as the California Gold Rush, as tall as a Redwood tree, and as surprising as a skunk selling perfume. Pull a chair up to the wood stove and get ready to laugh!
Theme: Ghosts
O. Henry's classic tale of the wisest gifts of Christmas, brought to life by P.J. Lynch's extraordinary art, is itself a gift to share and... [Read More]
O. Henry's classic tale of the wisest gifts of Christmas, brought to life by P.J. Lynch's extraordinary art, is itself a gift to share and treasure. In a shabby New York flat, Della sobs as she counts the few coins she has saved to buy a Christmas present for her husband, Jim. A gift worthy of her devotion will require a great sacrifice: selling her long, beautiful hair. Jim, meanwhile, has made a sacrifice for Della that is no less difficult. As they exchange gifts on Christmas Eve, the discovery of what each has done fills them with despair, until they realize that the true gifts of Christmas can be found more readily in their humble apartment than in any fine store. O. Henry paints a masterly portrait of unfaltering love, a haven from the harsh world outside. The poignancy of his story is captured in P.J. Lynch's eloquent art, wherein every glance, every gesture, tells a subtle truth.
Collects Native American folktales from across North America, including "How the Raven Brought Back the Sun", "The Bear Man", and "The Coming of... [Read More]
Collects Native American folktales from across North America, including "How the Raven Brought Back the Sun", "The Bear Man", and "The Coming of Corn".
Theme: Indigenous
"A story of an Indian girl who feels such a kinship with the wild horses grazing near her village that she eventually becomes one of them.... [Read More]
"A story of an Indian girl who feels such a kinship with the wild horses grazing near her village that she eventually becomes one of them. Elaborate double-page spreads burst with life, revealing details of flowers, insects, animals and birds. Both storytelling and art express the harmony with and the love of nature which characterize Native American culture".--The Horn Book. Full color. A Caldecott Medal Book
This beautiful compendium of tales shares eight classic Inuit creation stories from the Baffin region. From the origins of day and night, thunder and... [Read More]
This beautiful compendium of tales shares eight classic Inuit creation stories from the Baffin region. From the origins of day and night, thunder and lightning, and the sun and the moon to the creation of the first caribou and source of all the Arctic’s fearful storms, this book recounts traditional Inuit legends in the poetic and engaging style of authors Rachel and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley.
Theme: Inuit, Indigenous
The sea animals have disappeared, and people are starving. An old couple, once great shamans, are asked to journey to the Mother of the Sea to find... [Read More]
The sea animals have disappeared, and people are starving. An old couple, once great shamans, are asked to journey to the Mother of the Sea to find out what happened to the animals. But the journey is dangerous and the old woman does not know if she will be able to please the Mother of the Sea and convince her to free the animals the people of her community so desperately need. The Mother of the Sea is an important character in Inuit traditional stories shared across the circumpolar region. Known by many names across various regions of the Arctic, the Mother of the Sea is a powerful woman who can withhold the animals humans need to survive if she is displeased by human behaviour. Only a shaman is able to appease the Mother of the Sea and convince her to release the animals that the hunters so desperately need. This tale shares the specific traditional story of the Mother of the Sea told and retold in Greenland for generations.
Theme: Inuit, Indigenous
Are all the lights on? Is there a parent in the house? Are the windows shut and locked? Double-check! They HAVE to be if you are going to... [Read More]
Are all the lights on? Is there a parent in the house? Are the windows shut and locked? Double-check! They HAVE to be if you are going to read this book, which is undoubtedly the scariest rendition of one of the greatest ghost stories ever told: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. While you may have heard of Ichabod Crane, Katrina Van Tassel, and the Headless Horseman, you've never SEEN them quite like this -- through the macabre imagination of the inimitable Gris Grimly. So, take a deep breath and take a long look. And you may want to bring a flashlight to bed with you tonight....
The lady slipper grows in the northern woods to mark the courage and strength of a small girl who lived there long ago - a girl who saved her people... [Read More]
The lady slipper grows in the northern woods to mark the courage and strength of a small girl who lived there long ago - a girl who saved her people from a terrible disease by listening carefully to the whispering snow, the rumbling ice, and the dancing northern lights. Illustrated with paintings as graceful and delicate as the lady slipper itself, this unforgettable retelling shows how a child's lost slippers became one of nature's most lovely spring flowers.