Paperback Books by Margaret Read MacDonald

What could be more timely than a book about kindness in today''s divided and often hostile world? Kindness Tales is the long-awaited third book in a trilogy that includes Peace Tales and Earth Care from award-winning author and highly-respected folklorist, Margaret Read MacDonald. Margaret has curated a collection of her favorite stories that celebrate the timeless power of kindness to make the world a gentler, safer, and even more loving place. Kindness Tales contains more than forty folktales that illustrate the transformative power of kindness through leading, sharing and caring for one another through simple acts of kindness. These stories share a common theme of using thoughtful and sometimes generous acts of kindness to make the world better. These timeless tales from the world''s great oral traditions are a delight to tell, read aloud with a group, or simply enjoy as a quiet reading experience. This book can also be used as a personal touchstone for thinking about and reflecting more deeply on the consequences of quiet acts of kindness. Stories from around the world are supplemented by generous reference notes, source information, and suggestions for further reading on the topic of kindness. These stories also teach the important role that fairness and personal responsibility contribute to our world. Due to Margaret''s careful curation, these stories can be shared with groups of all ages. Some of these tales easily engage preschool and primary school-aged children, while other stories are more thought-provoking and more engaging for teenagers and adults. Margaret Read MacDonald is well known for her lively retellings of folktales. Drawing on her extensive background in folklore (Ph.D. Indiana University Folklore Institute) and her many travels throughout the world, MacDonald searches out unusual tales from the world''s folk literature and oral traditions. She has a gift for retelling these stories so they appeal to children and adults alike. Margaret is a prolific writer and performer, having published over 55 books.

Read Along or Enhanced eBook: A clever, singing rabbit eats his way through the pea patch until Little Girl snatches him up and he is soon singing a new tune as he plans his escape. With a nod to Brer Rabbit, Pickin Peas is adapted from two folktales collected in Alabama and Virginia. The lively storytelling voice of award-winning author Margaret Read MacDonald, combined with Pat Cummings'' bright, bold contemporary illustrations, makes this timeless battle-of-wits an instant classic.

Read Along or Enhanced eBook: Gecko may be small, but he has a giant-sized problem. Every night he is awakened by the fireflies outside his window. And when Gecko doesn''t get his rest, he gets a little grumpy. So he goes to Elephant, the head of the village, to complain. His request that the fireflies stop working at night sets off a comical chain of problems for everyone in the village and complicates everyone’s life. Through this cumulative tale from the Balinese tradition, Gecko learns that his well-being depends on that of the entire village and he finally goes to sleep, a little wiser.

Read Along or Enhanced eBook: In this timeless tale from Thailand, A girl cannot decide which of her many silken dresses and lavish jewels to wear to the dance, so she wears them all. Her foolish decision, teaches her a valuable lesson.

Tough Tug, a new boat, is excited to show the others what he can do, but on his first tow job to Alaska, he learns an important lesson.

Read Along or Enhanced eBook: In this action packed folktale from Panama, a clever little rabbit and his Tía Mónica find ways to outwit a fox, a tiger, and a lion, all of whom want to eat him for lunch.

Read Along or Enhanced eBook: When a rich man is rescued from thieves by a smelly, slobbery dog, the man offers the dog any treasure is his house as a reward. The treasure that the dog chooses is the rich man’s daughter. With great sadness, the daughter honors her father’s promise and goes to live with the dog. Over time, a friendship grows between the girl and the dog, but she still misses her father. In this tale from Great Britain, award winning author, Margaret Read MacDonald puts a new spin on the classic story, “Beauty and the Beast”, reminding us all that appearances can be deceiving and that compassion can be powerful.

Read Along or Enhanced eBook: Have you ever heard the saying, “Your eyes are bigger than your stomach”? Well, Cat''s stomach is bigger than a lot of things. He is always hungry, and living with culinary-inclined Mouse, who makes thirty-five pies in one day, just makes it worse. Fat Cat swallows everything in sight, including the washlady and her washtub, a troop of soldiers and their swords, even a king and his elephant! But when Cat swallows Mouse and her sewing basket, that''s the last straw. Tiny Mouse cuts to the heart of the situation, taking an upside-down world and turning it right-side-up again. Greedy Cat learns his lesson and turns “fat” into “fancy,” “fabulous,” and “fantastic.” Margaret Read MacDonald''s infectious energy combines with Julie Paschkis''s folk-inspired gouache paintings to create a new retelling of a favorite comic cumulative tale.

This unique and diverse selection of traditional folktales from the countries of the Arabian Peninsula appeals to a broad audience, ranging from storytellers and educators to folklorists and scholars. • Offers a collective of interesting folktales that introduces the cultures of seven countries of the Arabian Peninsula • Presents unusual tales never before seen in English children''s collections • Includes tale notes that document the relationship of these tales to world folklore • Features color images that serve to bring the richness of folktales from the Arabian Peninsula to life

When you promise Croc a party, you better keep that promise and give him a party! Zuva knows you should never invite a crocodile to town—everyone knows that! But what if the crocodile does you a favor? And what if you promise to return the favor by inviting him to the village party? And what if this croc actually comes knocking on your front door? Because this crocodile is a PARTY CROC! This hilarious retelling of a Shona folktale from Zimbabwe is both a cautionary tale about keeping promises and a raucously fun read-aloud for party animals of any age.

n eye-popping circle story teaches sequencing and size relationships.There was a big big frog!And a little little mosquito ...So begins a buoyant visual tale in which one animal after another is bested by a larger one¿until the smallest of all proves that strength comes in many forms. Inspired by a dynamic cast of characters featuring mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects, kids will chant along with the refrain and delight in the circle of life.MacDonald and Fierst capture the spirited rhythms of playground boasts in infectiously simple text. Kitty Harvill¿s bold, primary acrylic and cut-paper illustrations reflect the dynamics of the story chain with humor and a surprise ending.

A bilingual collection of enchanting folk tales from the peoples of Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Uruguay, and Paraguay, accompanied by historical and geographical background as well as color photographs. • Provides ready-to-tell stories from Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Paraguay, and Uruguay that both entertain and promote multicultural awareness • An ideal resource for storytellers, folklorists, parents, librarians, Spanish instructors, and other educators who conduct storytime programs • Includes color inserts that help bring the rich folklore and culture of these South American nations to life • Stories are presented in both English and Spanish

Mabela may be the smallest mouse in the village, but her father has taught her to be clever. And this cleverness comes in handy when the cat comes, inviting everyone to join the secret Cat Society. The mice line up, with Mabela at the front and the Cat at the back. They march into the forest, singing the secret Cat song and shouting FO FENG! Only clever Mabela realizes the Cat is up to no good!

Teeny Weeny Bop has found a gold coin. Her luck is made; she’ll buy a pet pig! “To market, to market! To buy a fat PIG! Home again, home again! Jiggety-JIG!” But while Teeny sleeps, the pig destroys the garden! Teeny needs a better pet—she’s going to trade her pig for a CAT. “To market, to market! To buy a fat CAT Home again, home again! Jiggety-JAT!” The cat destroys the living room! What kind of pet can live with Teeny Weeny Bop? How about a HAMSTER? Maybe a SLUG?

Jouha is loading his donkeys with dates to sell at the market. How many donkeys are there? His son helps him count ten, but once the journey starts, things change. First there are ten donkeys, then there are nine! When Jouha stops to count again, the lost donkey is back. What''s going on? Silly Jouha doesn''t get it, but by the end of the story, wise readers will be counting correctly−and in Arabic!

A simplified retelling of the classic Aesop''s fable about a ball game between the birds and the animals, and Bat, who wants to play on the winning team.

One day, a poor flower seller drops his leftover flowers into the sea as a gift for the Dragon King. What does he get in return? A little snot-nosed boy—with the power to grant wishes! Soon the flower seller is rich, but when he forgets the meaning of “thank you,” he loses everything once again. “You just can’t help some humans,” say the snot-nosed little boy and the Dragon King.

A companion to Three Minute Tales compiles another delightful collection of entertaining stories from around the world to read or tell on any occasion. Simultaneous.

This invaluable resource includes everything teachers or librarians need to know for using storytelling in a classroom. It covers a range of topics including recommendations for using storytelling to enliven curriculum, ways to develop literacy and language skills, techniques for learning to tell stories, tips for teaching creativity, and ways to build community with other cultures. It even includes ready to tell tales for the classroom and correlates learning activities to the Common Core Standards.

THE SQUEAKY DOOR It''s time for bed! Granny tucks Little Boy in tight. She kisses him good night. She turns out the light. And he''s not scared! No, not him! But when Granny shuts that door... SQUEEEEAK! How can a granny keep that spooky, squeaky door from scaring her little boy awake at night? Acclaimed storyteller Margaret Read MacDonald spins a humorous bedtime story, perfect for reading aloud, with comical illustrations by Mary Newell DePalma.

Examining storytelling through the distinct voices of ten traditional tellers, this text offers a look at their lives and art as they discuss their reasons for telling, their uses of the stories, and the influence of their cultural heritage.

Quack, moo and neigh along to this riotous cumulative song that features animals of all shapes and sizes. Inspired by a folk tale from Chile, this classic Barefoot Books singalong story introduces children to animals and their babies, and teaches how to count up to 16 in multiples of 2. A QR code on the book provides access to video animation and audio.

Stories adapted from around the world with music and calm and soothing endings, for the end of the day at bedtime.

In this Appalachian version of "The Kind and the Unkind Girls," two sisters--Bess and Tess--are sent by their mother to draw water from the Well-at-the-End-of-the-World. Along the way they meet a bear, a mountain lion, a wild boar, and three little foxes. When Bess greets them with courtesy and respect, the foxes reward her kindness. Tess, greedy for her own bounty, can''t be bothered with manners; she bonks the animals with her bucket, kicks them with her boots, and slings the little foxes to the ground. In the end, both sisters get their just deserts.With a storyteller''s cadence, Margaret Read MacDonald captures the tale''s mountain rhythms, homespun wisdom, and timeless truth. Kitty Harvill''s vibrant illustrations, rendered in watercolor and cut-paper collage, capture the interplay and mountain terrain that has shaped this unique version of a universal tale.