A captivating short story taken from the collection, BEYOND THE STARS, written and illustrated by two great Irish talents in children’s fiction today

One of NPR’s 50 Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of the Decade: A fifteenth-century palace mapmaker must hide his powers in the time of the Inquisition . . . Award-winning author G. Willow Wilson’s debut novel Alif the Unseen was an NPR and Washington Post Best Book of the Year and established her as a vital American Muslim literary voice. Now she delivers The Bird King, an epic journey set during the reign of the last sultan in the Iberian peninsula at the height of the Spanish Inquisition. Fatima is a concubine in the royal court of Granada, the last emirate of Muslim Spain. Her dearest friend, Hassan, the palace mapmaker and the one man who doesn’t leer at her with desire, has a secret—he can draw maps of places he’s never seen and bend the shape of reality. When representatives of the newly formed Spanish monarchy arrive to negotiate the sultan’s surrender, Fatima befriends one of the women, not realizing that she will see Hassan’s gift as sorcery and a threat to Christian Spanish rule. With their freedoms at stake, what will Fatima risk to save Hassan and escape the palace walls? As the two traverse Spain with the help of a clever jinn to find safety, The Bird King asks us to consider what love is and the price of freedom at a time when the West and the Muslim world were not yet separate. “Wilson has a deft hand with myth and with magic, and the kind of smart, honest writing mind that knits together and bridges cultures and people.” —Neil Gaiman, author of Norse Mythology “A triumph . . . one of the best fantasy writers working today.” —BookPage “A treasure-house of a novel, thrilling, tender, funny, and achingly gorgeous. I loved it.” —Lev Grossman, author of the Magicians trilogy

In this dazzling photo essay, Laman and Scholes present gorgeous full-color photographs of all 39 species of the Birds of Paradise that highlight their unique and extraordinary plumage and mating behavior.

An action-packed debut title for middle grade readers with an appetite for folklore and mythology, who are ready to move beyond storybook fairy tales. Debut author Alexander Utkin, retells the Slavic myths of his youth in a stunning new graphic novel, illustrated in a bold new style. When a merchant nurses the King of Birds back to health after he is injured in a great war, he is offered a great reward. Together they travel far across the land to the domains of the King's three sisters to claim the merchant's prize... but will they give up that which is most precious to them?

Henry Shackleford is a young slave living in the Kansas Territory in 1857, the region a battlefield between anti and pro slavery forces. When John Brown, the legendary abolitionist, arrives in the area, an arguement between Brown and Henry's master quickly turns violent. Henry is forced to leave town with Brown, who believes Henry is a girl. Over the next months, Henry conceals his true identity as he struggles to stay alive. He finds himeself with Brown at the historic raid on Harper's Ferry, one of the catalysts for the civil war.

Enter a world of magic and adventure in this stunning series based on traditional Russian folklore. Collected into a beautiful new paperback edition for the first time! Alexander Utkin's Gamayun Tales are fresh and modern adaptations of familiar Russian folktales, teamed with bold and beautiful illustrations that take inspiration from classical mid-century Disney animation. Jam-packed with stories of magical quests and talking animals, golden chests that turn into palaces and encounters with terrifying Water Spirits, there's no end to the adventure in these books! A great introduction to Slavic folklore for kids who have already read everything on Egyptian and Greek mythology.

This Collection, Probably The First Ever Of Its Kind, Of A Full Hundred Tales Culled From Sages Known And Unknown, Through Decades Of A Sustained Interest By Its Present Author, Should Prove As Revealing As They Have Proved For Centuries Past.

"The King of Heart" is an allegory of the Bible in fairytale/fantasy form. Although not intended for children, the form chosen for this work is used in the same manner as traditional folk tales were used to pass on eternal truths to others whilst remaining hidden from materialistic scrutiny. Clearly, this novel isn't so subtle as to its source, but may well enlighten the reader as to how the Bible develops and its overall message to mankind. As one journeys through the novel, the reader may become aware of how the level of consciousness gently rises through centuries and continues right into our immediate future. In its pages, the reader will enjoy mystery, drama, suspense, action and humor. The novel is in seven parts: 1. The Beezle Affair (The fall of Satan) 2. The Mountain Children (The fall of Man) 3. Alomonia (The establishment of Israel) 4. Jesse (The Christ story) 5. The Fishcart (The rise and decline of the Church) 6. Rocky (The last Pope or spiritual leader) 7. King Beezle (Reign of Anti-Christ, concluding with the second coming of Christ).

IMAGINATION DRIFT: THE CHALLENGE FOR FREEDOM is the second part of a trilogy. The satiric story continues with Zalador, in his quest to secure a place on the Supreme Council, must fulfil the requirements of a wish. The acceptance as a member of the Council means that the lion is given cosmic freedom; a release from the limits of his stay as an entity on the dry and dusty plains of his former Kingdom. In the first part of the trilogy, IMAGINATION DRIFT: A PRINCE FOR THREE DAYS Zalador’s attempt ends in the death of his wish-partner, Malcolm; but through an appeal he is given a second chance to complete the requirements to enter the Supreme Council. While Zalador has to select a new wish partner; he is given the additional task of assisting a young lion, the Major, in finding a wish-partner to achieve the requirements of the wish. The Major, a lion from the Urban Display Arena (the zoo), is arrogant and constantly reminds Zalador of his contacts on the Supreme Council; that he is sure to be selected; that he is chosen one. To Zalador dismay he has no contacts on the Supreme Council. The difficulty is that there are two lions competing for a single position on Council and the benefits from the galactic freedom. Both are aspiring to achieve a release from the earth-bound gravity and this creates the challenge. Zalador is suspicious of the Major’s intentions but is in the compromised position of assisting his competitor. This results in each picking on the weakness of the other to demoralize the competitor out of contention. The journey takes Zalador and the Major with the wish Partners, Princess and Sta, in and out of Paradise and the visit to a new Homeland. IMAGINATION DRIFT: A CHALLENGE FOR FREEDOM expresses human- people interactions and behaviors through animal perspectives.

A variation on the Shakespearian story of the daughters of King Lear. Three sisters; Gaela, Regan and Elia fight to gain control of their ailing father's crown.