Grandmother is old, kind, and she knows many stories. Between the pages of her psalter can be found a pressed withered rose that she often regards with a smile on her lips. Do you know why? Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) was a Danish author, poet and artist. Celebrated for children’s literature, his most cherished fairy tales include "The Emperor's New Clothes", "The Little Mermaid", "The Nightingale", "The Steadfast Tin Soldier", "The Snow Queen", "The Ugly Duckling" and "The Little Match Girl". His books have been translated into every living language, and today there is no child or adult that has not met Andersen's whimsical characters. His fairy tales have been adapted to stage and screen countless times, most notably by Disney with the animated films "The Little Mermaid" in 1989 and "Frozen", which is loosely based on "The Snow Queen", in 2013. Thanks to Andersen's contribution to children's literature, his birth date, April 2, is celebrated as International Children's Book Day.

In her sixties, George Sand delighted in spinning tales that entertained and educated her two adored granddaughters, Aurore and Gabrielle. Fortunately, she also published thirteen of them for the rest of us to enjoy.The Castle of Pictures presents four of these stories, three of which have never before been translated into English. Both girls and boys are depicted in these stories as empowered by curiosity, hard work, persistence, and honesty. They successfully protect themselves from danger by using their ingenuity and remaining faithful to their own consciences. In the title story a girl becomes an artist through the persistent nurturance of her own talent despite opposition from her father, himself a painter. "What Flowers Say" is a wickedly funny satire of class snobbery as played out among chrysanthemums, poppies, numerous varieties of roses, and other denizens of the garden. "The Bug-Eyed Fairy" investigates wonders of the insect world invisible to the normal human eye. In "The Talking Oak", an outcast orphan boy learns to relyon hard work and a strong sense of right and wrong to make his way first through the natural world, with the help of The Talking Oak who becomes his first friend, and then through the compexities of the world of grown-ups. Sand never talked down to her granddaughters. Her astonishingly deep knowledge of subjects ranging from botany and lepidopterology to art history, her subtle understanding of the human heart and the creative spirit, and her sense of wonder at the world's beauty and mystery are available here for children of all ages.

This multicultural children's book presents classic Korean fairy tales and other folk stories--providing a delightful look into a rich literary culture. The Korean people possess a folklore tradition as colorful and captivating as any in the world, but the stories themselves still are not as well-known to Western readers as those from The Brothers Grimm, Mother Goose, or Hans Christian Andersen. In her best-selling book for young readers, Frances Carpenter collects thirty-two classic Korean children's stories from the "Land of the Morning Calm": the woodcutter and the old men of the mountain; the puppy who saved his village from a tiger; the singing girl who danced the Japanese general into the deep river; Why the dog and cat are not friends; and even a more familiar tale of the clever rabbit who outsmarted the tortoise. The children of the Kim family sit at their beloved Grandmother's knee to listen to these and other traditional folk tales which are rooted in thousands of years of Korean culture.

When I was 13, my Grandma would babysit, even though I was just about the age I didn't need one. She knew I was gay, and we would watch movies, and order pizza. Then she would put me to bed with a fairy tale. Now, she changed them to be gay themed, for me. She was also crazy funny. And slightly off color. And was kinda like Aunt Clara from Bewitched. I never knew what to expect. To say I laughed like a lunatic would be an understatement. I have recreated as much as I could remember of her funny attempts in her wild way to make me feel that it was okay, to grow up and dream about finding a prince of my own. If I wanted to. I added my own spin to make them even funnier. Warning: These are gay comedy stories. With adult language and situations. Expect the unexpected, but laugh a lot I hope.

On her way to visit her daughter on the other side of the jungle, Grandma encounters a hungry fox, bear, and tiger, and although she convinces them to wait for her return trip, she still must find a way to outwit them all.

Publisher Description

Are you ready for the coziest book of the year, with the charm of a modern-day Beatrix Potter? Pull up your comfiest chair, snuggle under a warm blanket, and discover the peaceful, enchanting world of Ruby Red Shoes and her grandmother, where friends are always welcome. Ruby Red Shoes is a thoughtful bunny who lives in a colorful painted caravan with her beloved grandmother. She is gentle and kind and cares for all living things. She loves strawberry jam, peppermint tea, long baths, and her wonderful pet chickens! Children just learning to read on their own will treasure this beautiful story that they can read on their own or enjoy as a read-aloud. Teeming with whimsy, Ruby's mindful, tranquil world embraces the reader like a warm hug. And bedtimes will be gentle, sweet moments, as young readers see Ruby and her grandmother tucked in with a book and a favorite quilt, watching the magical stars twinkle in the velvety sky. Once you've made friends with Ruby Red Shoes, you'll have a friend for life. "As a student of pleasant companionship, mindful existence, and living one’s best life, Ruby Red Shoes excels, paws down."—Publishers Weekly "Everything about this book asks readers to go slowly, to put aside the expected, and to savor the simplicity of the moment."—Kirkus

A wicked genie, a foolish sultan, a hungry hyena, a runaway princess... Grandmother's Stories: Tales from Old Syria is a dazzling collection of traditional Eastern stories transcribed and translated for modern readers. With colourful characters, exotic settings, and plenty of twists and turns, these are fairy tales--but not as you know them.

As a young girl spends time at her grandmother's apartment, she is treated to traditional Jewish tales, including "Bavsi's Feast," "The Golden Shoes," "The Garden of Talking Flowers," and "A Phantom at the Wedding."