Margaret Read MacDonald

The famous tale from the Brothers Grimm included in this book is only one of the stories from around the world about a very diminutive but resourceful character trying to earn his or her place in the world. This international collection of stories revolves around a surprisingly frequent theme: an extremely tiny child who starts out in life either unwanted or humorously accident prone. A quest begins, often initiated by one of these accidents or by a spectacular event that could only befall someone two inches tall. The character must use wit, heroics, and even trickery, to survive a series of adventures that are sometimes exciting--sometimes harrowing.

“Elephant! Elephant! Heavy! Heavy! Heavy! Elephant! Elephant! STOMP! STOMP! STOMP!” Elephant was shouting and stomping. But could he stomp a hole deep enough to reach water for the thirsty animals? Maybe…maybe not. All the animals tried until tiny Gecko takes a turn. He is small…but he is determined. And he’s not going to give up! Kids will love to chant and stomp along to this Ugandan folktale.

"Young readers count, review colors, and learn the names of animals and their young in this cumulative tale" -- The Horn Book Guide Join the fun on the farm with this cumulative song inspired by a Chilean folk tale. Packed with animals of all shapes and sizes, this playful singalong introduces little ones to animal names, their babies, and counting up to 16 in multiples of 2. Spanish Edition. Teaches counting in an engaging and memorable way Introduces children to animals and their young Includes online access to audio and video animation for a full singalong experience

There was once an old woman who hated chores. “Work! Work! Work! How I hate it! Hate it! Hate it!” One day some fairies show up. They…clankety-clankety-clankety—clean all the dishes. Swishety-swishety-swishety—sweep the house. Flumpety-flumpety-flumpety—shake out the bedclothes. Clickety-clickety-clickety—work on all the knitting. But then there is nothing left to do. So, they tear everything apart and start again! Clankety-clankety-clankety, swishety-swishety-swishety…The fairies are driving the old woman crazy! How will she get them to leave? Lively watercolor illustrations add to this retelling by master storyteller Margaret Read MacDonald. An author’s note is also included.

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.

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 our world a gentler, safer, and 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. These stories share a common theme of using thoughtful and sometimes generous acts of kindness to make the world better. In addition, these stories demonstrate how taking personal responsibility can help other people in unexpected ways.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 engaging for teenagers. 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 meditation for reflecting more deeply on the impact of quiet acts of kindness.This diverse collection of folktales from around the world is supplemented by generous reference notes, source information, and suggestions for further reading on the topic of kindness. 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 unique gift for telling these stories in her performances so they appeal to children and adults alike. Margaret is a prolific writer having published over 55 books.

Tough Tug is a brand-new boat. He likes to swirl and twirl—and run and race. He wants everyone to see what he can do. But when he sails to Alaska for the first time, he finds out what being a tug really means… Short rhythmic phrases on each page alternate with narration in Tug’s voice, leading readers through his experiences from splashing into the water for the first time to a daring rescue.

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.A unique compilation of stories, Folktales from the Arabian Peninsula includes tales from seven countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Coauthored by a renowned folklorist and a professor of education who recalls some of these poignant tales from her own childhood, the book opens with a discussion of the Arabian Peninsula that introduces each country and discusses its terrain, peoples, and current situation to provide important background information. The engaging stories that follow will serve elementary, junior high, and high school librarians as well as public librarians, professional storytellers, and folklorists. The tales themselves—many of which have never been published in English language children's collections—are appropriate for readers grades five and up.

Conejito might be small, but he definitely has the courage to outwit his bullies. When Conejito begins his school holiday, he goes to visit his T a M nica--or is it the cakes and cookies he knows she will feed him when he arrives? But Conejito runs into a few obstacles on the way to his auntie's, including Se or Zorro, Se or Tigre, and Se or Le n. Conejito may want to eat Auntie M nica's treats, but Mr. Fox, Mr. Tiger, and Mr. Lion want to eat him With his own quick thinking and a little assist from T a M nica, Conejito outwits the bigger animals and makes his way safely home. This Latin American folktale from Panama highlight Rabbit's courage and resourcefulness to outwit Fox, Tiger, and Lion. It is also accompanied with a song that young readers will love. This folktale from Panama is a great way to introduce Spanish into your children's vocabulary Award-winning author, Margaret Read MacDonald excels at producing a lyrical story that young readers are encouraged to participate in. In addition, Geraldo Val rio's vivid illustrations instill whimsy and fun with each turn of the page.

This invaluable resource book includes everything teachers and librarians need to know for using storytelling in their classrooms. It covers a range of topics known as the 7Cs including recommendations for using storytelling to enliven the curriculum, ways to develop literacy and language skills, models for building character, techniques for learning to tell stories, tips for teaching creativity and ways to build community. It even includes ready to tell tales with useful tips for "tellers" along with valuable references for teachers. It also correlates storytelling activities with the Common Core Standards.

“Elephant! Elephant! Heavy! Heavy! Heavy! Elephant! Elephant! STOMP! STOMP! STOMP!” Elephant was shouting and stomping. But could he stomp a hole deep enough to reach water for the thirsty animals? Maybe…maybe not. All the animals tried until tiny Gecko takes a turn. He is small…but he is determined. And he’s not going to give up! Kids will love to chant and stomp along to this Ugandan folktale.

There was once a woman who had a little pot for a child. Tunjur! Tunjur! Tunjur! That was the sound the pot made as it rolled everywhere. Unfortunately the pot wasn’t old enough to know the difference between right and wrong. That naughty pot ran off with things that did not belong to her until she learned her lesson…the hard way! In this retelling of a Palestinian folktale, children will discover that there are consequences for taking things that don’t belong to them.

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

There was once an old woman who hated chores. “Work! Work! Work! How I hate it! Hate it! Hate it!” One day some fairies show up. They…clankety-clankety-clankety—clean all the dishes. Swishety-swishety-swishety—sweep the house. Flumpety-flumpety-flumpety—shake out the bedclothes. Clickety-clickety-clickety—work on all the knitting. But then there is nothing left to do. So, they tear everything apart and start again! Clankety-clankety-clankety, swishety-swishety-swishety…The fairies are driving the old woman crazy! How will she get them to leave? Lively watercolor illustrations add to this retelling by master storyteller Margaret Read MacDonald. An author’s note is also included.

A Folktale from the Marshall Islands. Surfs up Sandpiper finds her daily stroll on the beach interrupted by Whale, who boasts that he is ruler of the sea. Sandpiper responds with equal bravado, asserting her rights to the sand and seawater. Soon the rivals are calling in their cousins, and the beach and sea are filled with shorebirds and sea mammals of every stripe. The standoff grows ominous as Whale leads his cousins in an assault on the beach, eating the sand from under the birds. Sandpiper retaliates by ordering her cousins to drink up the ocean. Soon the landscape is filled with fish, crabs, and sea creatures gasping for survival. How will this end? The outcome of this timely yet timeless nature tale suggests that we are all connected in the ecological chain.These Pacific folktales will teach readers the importance of citizenship, respect and sharing. Award-winning author, Margaret Read MacDonald's trademark playful prose captures the misguided rivalry of the characters while Val rio's frame expands to portray the conflict on the rapidly eroding beach.

Until now, few tales from Malaysia, Brunei, and Singapore have made their way into print in English. Renowned folklorist Margaret Read MacDonald has worked with archival material as well as with local storytellers to collect traditional tales from these people, including 15 tales from the ethnic peoples of Borneo. Organized broadly by region, and then by specific groups and themes, this book offers more than 50 tales, including animal tales, stories of magic, trickster tales, humorous stories, place legends, and more. Like other titles in the World Folklore series, it also includes general information about the geography, peoples, and history of the Malay Peninsula and surrounding areas; as well as proverbs, songs and games, color photos, and notes on the stories. All levels.

This collection seeks to fill a gap in folktale literature by offering tales of the Lao. Organized by broad themes and types, it offers more than 50 tales, including creation myths, animal tales, Buddhist Jataka and moral stories, trickster tales, riddles, ghost stories, local legends and more from peoples on both sides of the Mekong River. In addition, the book includes general information about Lao geography, peoples, and history, as well as recipes, games crafts, color photos and line drawings.

Working with or without a native speaker, a storyteller can touch the minds and hearts of all listeners—even those with little or no English language skills. Here a group of expert storytellers share a variety of tips and techniques that help bridge the language gap; along with sample stories that librarians, teachers, and professional storytellers can easily incorporate into their repertoires. Four basic techniques for bilingual telling are explored: summarizing, line-by-line translation, tandem telling, and inserted phrases. In addition, contributors discuss such topics as the translator's role, using story in language instruction, presenting tellers of other languages, traveling and giving workshops abroad, and more.

In this unique collection of stories and personal interviews, folklorist Margaret Read MacDonald examines storytelling through the distinct voices of the tellers themselves. Ten Traditional Tellersoffers an intimate 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. Coming from places such as Ghana, Brazil, and Thailand, the tellers include colorful characters like Vi Hilbert--a member of the Upper Skagit tribe--who continues to work despite near blindness, and Rinjing Dorje, whose bawdy shepherds’ tales shock his audiences and validate his identity in a western culture that expects piousness from Tibetans. In addition to the interviews, the book also includes brief introductions for each teller and one or two of their representative stories.

Discussion-provoking stories for conflict resolution.Maybe it's the king who spills honey, and then says it is not his problem - until it causes a war. Or maybe it's some sandpipers and whales who get into a foolish fight that almost destroys their homes. Perhaps it's the man who thinks that a gun makes him strong or the monkeys who follow their leader into water that's too deep. Peace Tales contains more than three dozen folktales and proverbs that illustrate these choices. Always fun to read these stories also prompt us to think about the seemingly minor events that lead to war and the little events that can also lead to peace. Stories from across the globe are accompanied by generous story notes, source information, and suggestions for further reading on the topic of peace. These environmentally-aware stories will teach readers the importance of citizenship, fairness and responsibility. A Booklist review praises, "These inventive tales teach without preaching and offer practical solutions to inevitable conflicts."