The classic nursery rhymes we know and love--upside-down, backward, in gibberish, and fresh out of bounds--as only Jon Scieszka could stage them Mother knows best, but sometimes a little nonsense wins the day. Inspired by Dadaism's rejection of reason and rational thinking, and in cahoots with Blanche Fisher Wright's The Real Mother Goose, this anthology of absurdity unravels the fabric of classic nursery rhymes and stitches them back together (or not quite together) in every clever way possible. One by one, cherished nursery rhymes--from "Humpty Dumpty" to "Hickory Dickory Dock," "Jack Be Nimble" to "Mother Hubbard"--fall prey to sly subversion as master of fracture Jon Scieszka and acclaimed illustrator Julia Rothman refashion them into comics strips, errant book reports, anagrams, and manic mash-ups. Playfully reconstructed, the thirty-six old-new rhymes invite further baloney, bringing kids in on the joke and inviting them to revel in reimagining. Featuring robust back matter, this irreverent take on the rhymes of childhood is a great gift for child readers and a rich classroom resource across grade levels, and a is a love song to a living language.

Retells the folktale about three billy goats who trick a troll that lives under the bridge. Includes factual sidebars, discussion of fairy tale traits, and glossary.

Rebuffed by the princess after retrieving her golden ball, a noble frog sets out to find a more suitable mate. Includes factual sidebars, discussion of fairy tale traits, and glossary.

A little girl walking in the woods finds the house of three bears and helps herself to their belongings. Includes factual sidebars, discussion of fairy tale traits, and glossary.

A boy climbs to the top of a giant beanstalk where he uses his quick wits to outsmart a giant and make his and his mother's fortune. Includes factual sidebars, discussion of fairy tale traits, and glossary.

A little girl on her way to visit her grandmother meets a hungry wolf in the forest. Includes factual sidebars, discussion of fairy tale traits, and glossary.

Young Eliza and her eleven brothers' lives are transformed when a plague ravages the Kingdom of the North and kills their mother, the Queen. When their father remarries, their brilliant and "unusual" new stepmother becomes obsessed with finding a cure for the plague and protecting her new family - so obsessed that she decides to turn the boys into swans so they can fly away from the plague, and to send Eliza to a far-away village the plague hasn't touched. Years later, the Queen discovers a cure for the plague just before she dies from it herself. With the kingdom in chaos, it's up to teenaged Eliza to find her brothers, break the Queen's spell on them, return home to cure the plague - and claim her rightful place in the kingdom! AGES: 6 to 10 AUTHOR: Xanthe Gresham Knight used to save her bus fare for school by walking through the park, memorizing beautiful things. She is now an acclaimed writer and storyteller who performs across Europe and North America. Xanthe lives in East Sussex, England. She has written Thumbelina and The Princess and the Pea for Barefoot Books. SELLING POINTS: * A bold, empowered, feminist retelling of the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale of the lengths a brave young girl will go to for her family. Protagonist Eliza uses her bravery, loyalty, persistence and skill in weaving to solve a problem and save the day. * Eliza's relationships with her brothers, stepmother, foster family and the King of the South are all positively depicted, overturning the common fairy tales tropes of the evil stepmother and heroine rewarded with marriage. * Illustrated with great detail by French artist Charlotte Gastaut. Both the interior and cover includes a special effect: accents of a shimmery metallic gold ink. Charming text by renowned English storyteller Xanthe Gresham Knight is full of quirky dialogue and poetic flourishes to delight young readers.