Horace Beck, a former professor of American Literature at Middlebury College, has been gathering the sea's folklore for 70 years in Europe, North America, and the West Indies. This collection of legends, songs, superstitions, and stories, both true and apocryphal includes spectral ships, mermaids and mermen, pirates, sea language, sea monsters, navigation and weather lore, names on sea and shore, and much more. Library Journal called Folklore and the Sea "a browser's delight as well as a researcher's gold mine."

Enthralling tales of the sea, rivers and lakes from around the globe. Folklore of the seas and rivers has a resonance in cultures all over the world. Watery hopes, fears and dreams are shared by all peoples where rivers flow and waves crash. This fascinating book covers English sailor superstitions and shape-shifting pink dolphins of the Amazon, Scylla and Charybdis, the many guises of Mami Wata, the tale of the Yoruba River spirit, the water horses of the Scottish lochs, the infamous mystery of the Bermuda Triangle, and much more. Accompanied by stunning woodcut illustrations, popular authors Dee Dee Chainey and Willow Winsham explore the deep history and enduring significance of water folklore the world over, from mermaids, selkies and sirens to ghostly ships and the fountains of youth. With this book, Folklore Thursday aims to encourage a sense of belonging across all cultures by showing how much we all have in common.

A compilation of more than 120 folk songs, tales, poems, and stories telling the history of America and reflecting its multicultural society. Illustrated by award-winning artists.

Let this collection of seafaring folktales sweep you away with gorgeous illustrations and captivating stories. A secret path leads across the water to a dragon's kingdom. A mermaid avenges the death of a human girl. A monstrous squid guards the most beautiful pearl in the world. This collection of traditional folktales captures the mysterious and magical power of the ocean. As you sail uncharted waters from Norway to New Zealand and Ghana to Korea, you'll encounter underwater palaces, brave seafarers, and monsters of the deep. Each story is paired with luminous contemporary art. With creamy paper, a ribbon marker, and a cover adorned with shimmering foil, this handsome hardcover is truly a book to treasure. POPULAR SERIES: The Tales series gives new life to traditional stories. Celebrating the richness of folklore around the world, and featuring the work of beloved contemporary illustrators, these books are beloved by adults and teens alike. GORGEOUS SPECIAL EDITION: A mesmerizing full-page illustration brings each story alive, while creamy paper, a ribbon marker, and a foil-stamped cover offer a deluxe reading experience. This keepsake edition is perfect for gifting and display. CELEBRATING DIVERSITY: Featuring stories from around the world, this collection honors the dazzling diversity of different folk traditions—as well as the common threads that weave them all together. PERFECT FOR OCEAN LOVERS: From whales to giant squids, and from selkies to mermaids, there's something here for anyone who feels the magic of the sea. Perfect for: • Fans of fairy tales and folklore • Ocean lovers • Swimmers, divers, fishers, and beach combers • Illustration and art lovers • Adults and teens • Collectors of illustrated classics • Fans of the illustrator Maggie Chiang

'An ode to the ocean, and the generations of women drawn to the waves or left waiting on the shore' Guardian In Salt On Your Tongue, Charlotte Runcie explores what the sea means to us, and particularly what it has meant to women through the ages. In mesmerising prose, she explores how the sea has inspired, fascinated and terrified us, and how she herself fell in love with the deep blue. This book is a walk on the beach with Turner, with Shakespeare, with the Romantic Poets and shanty-singers. It’s an ode to our oceans – to the sailors who brave their treacherous waters, to the women who lost their loved ones to the waves, to the creatures that dwell in their depths, to beachcombers, swimmers, seabirds and mermaids. Navigating through ancient Greek myths, poetry, shipwrecks and Scottish folktales, Salt On Your Tongue is about how the wild untameable waves can help us understand what it means to be human.

It all begins with a letter. Fall in love with Penguin Drop Caps, a new series of twenty-six collectible and hardcover editions, each with a type cover showcasing a gorgeously illustrated letter of the alphabet. In a design collaboration between Jessica Hische and Penguin Art Director Paul Buckley, the series features unique cover art by Hische, a superstar in the world of type design and illustration, whose work has appeared everywhere from Tiffany & Co. to Wes Anderson's recent film Moonrise Kingdom to Penguin's own bestsellers Committed and Rules of Civility. With exclusive designs that have never before appeared on Hische's hugely popular Daily Drop Cap blog, the Penguin Drop Caps series debuted with an 'A' for Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, a 'B' for Charlotte Brönte's Jane Eyre, and a 'C' for Willa Cather's My Ántonia. It continues with more perennial classics, perfect to give as elegant gifts or to showcase on your own shelves. R is for Rushdie. Set in an exotic Eastern landscape peopled by magicians and fantastic talking animals, Salman Rushdie’s classic children’s novel Haroun and the Sea of Stories inhabits the same imaginative space as Gulliver’s Travels, Alice in Wonderland, and The Wizard of Oz. Haroun, a 12-year-old boy sets out on an adventure to restore the poisoned source of the sea of stories. On the way, he encounters many foes, all intent on draining the sea of all its storytelling powers.

A collection of stories of pirates and mermaids, monsters and gods; rhymes, sayings, chanteys, and superstitions from all over the world.

“THIS is not a scholarly book in the pedantic sense nor is it intended to be one. Neither is it a complete collection of Maine folklore. Rather, it is a selection of tales, beliefs, superstitions, songs, and customs of people of English-speaking stock in Maine. It is a book that attempts to give illustrations of most of the major aspects of folklore that are, or have been within the last twenty years, extant in the state.”—Horace P. Beck, Introduction “There is no dearth of folklore in the little state of Maine. This book has placed some important examples of folklore into their historical contexts. A diversified sampling is given and we are surprised to learn how much of folklore is a disguise or an exaggeration of the real past.”—Kirkus Review

This book presents the first ever comprehensive focus on the folklore of eastern Cornwall, an ancient land steeped in legend and myth. It is populated by piskies, giants, and conjurors as well as the Devil's Dandy Dogs and the demonic specter of Tregeagle. Alex Langstone's ground-breaking study shares old tales of witches, charmers, supernatural encounters, and curious customs.

A thrilling treasury of vampire lore! Since the seventeenth century, people have been frightened, mesmerized, and fascinated by the terrifying tales of vampires. In this book, you'll uncover the history and mystery behind these bloodthirsty monsters with folklore, mythology, and poetry from every tradition in the world. From the Bosnian Lampir, whose disease-ridden corpse spread infection and death throughout villages, to Bram Stoker's charming Dracula, who helped define modern-day vampires, the wicked stories surrounding these nocturnal beings are sure to captivate anyone who has ever wondered about these shadow-loving creatures. Whether you're interested in exploring the culture of vampires or just want to learn more about their supernatural abilities, you'll discover dozens of compelling tales, historical accounts, and haunting legends that shed some light on these sinister beings. Complete with detailed illustrations, Vampires reveals the dark allure and gruesome power of these creatures of the night.