Equipped with a needle and a rice bowl, Issun Bãoshi, an inch-tall boy, leaves home for the city and finds work as the companion to a nobleman's daughter, whom he uses his wits to save from a gigantic ogre.

Children will love the ancient tale of Issun Boshi, a one-inch-tall boy who falls in love with a princess, slays a monster, and, through the power of a magical hammer, returns to normal size.

One evening Marie Elaine and her neighbor Norman go with Malcolm the cat to a secret place, where they dance and party with the Queen of the Cats.

Relates how a one-inch tall young man proves himself as a warrior and wins the hand of a princess.

Simple text and captivating illustrations help tell the classic tale of "Aladdin and the Magic Lamp." Find out what happens when a magical Genie appears after Aladdin rubs an old lamp. What will Aladdin wish for and what will he do when his lamp is stolen by his evil uncle? A happy ending adds interest to this fairy tale and encourages a lifelong love for reading.

When Mrs. Ping wishes for a little child, that's exactly what she gets. But there's something very unusual about this particular boy. A delightful Japanese folktale retold in simple, flowing text designed to build the confidence of beginner readers. This book includes audio and links to downloadable worksheets and teacher's notes. "Crack reading and make confident and enthusiastic readers with this fantastic reading programme." - Julia Eccleshare

The Kamishibai man used to ride his bicycle into town where he would tell stories to the children and sell them candy, but gradually, fewer and fewer children came running at the sound of his clappers. They were all watching their new televisions instead. Finally, only one boy remained, and he had no money for candy. Years later, the Kamishibai man and his wife made another batch of candy, and he pedaled into town to tell one more story—his own. When he comes out of the reverie of his memories, he looks around to see he is surrounded by familiar faces—the children he used to entertain have returned, all grown up and more eager than ever to listen to his delightful tales. Using two very different yet remarkable styles of art, Allen Say tells a tale within a tale, transporting readers seamlessly to the Japan of his memories.

A Brahmin deceived by a hungry tiger is saved by a lowly jackal and encounters a lesson he has never found in his holy books.

No ordinary collection of tales, this anthology was the result of extensive research that led Shah to conclude that there is a certain basic fund of human fictions which recur again and again throughout the world and never seem to lose their compelling attraction. This special paperback version of World Tales concentrates on the essentials, the text of the stories, and omits the illustrations which were part of a previous edition.