Tag: It’s Not About the Rose!

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2011 Aesop Accolades

The Aesop Award Committee of the Children’s Folklore Section of the American Folklore Society have announced the 2011 Aesop Awards. It’s Not About the Apple, It’s Not About the Crumbs, It’s Not About the Hunter, It’s Not About the Pumpkin, and It’s Not About the Rose have received 2011 Aesop Accolades! Congratulations to Veronika Martenova Charles and David Parkins!

This is what the Award Committee had to say about the Easy-to-Read Wonder Tales:
By learning that the same stories have been told throughout history across many cultures, children can begin to feel a connection to the people of different nations. This is a message that rings true in this series of easy reader books that feature cross-cultural versions of folk and fairy tales familiar to all children. Each volume presents three different versions of a story told by three culturally diverse characters, Jake, Ben, and Lily. In It’s Not About the Rose!, Jake tells the European story of “Beauty and the Beast.” Ben is then reminded of the Indonesian version of this story he knows as “The Lizard.” Lily finally tells her story, based on the Norwegian folktale, “East of the Sun and West of the Moon.” In It’s Not About the Crumbs!, the three friends compare three different versions of Hansel and Gretel tales. It’s Not About the Pumpkin! features Cinderella stories from Europe, India, and China. The children compare versions of Little Red Riding Hood in It’s Not About the Hunter!, and Snow White stories from Greece, Armenia, and Italy are the subjects in It’s Not About the Apple!

These beginning-level books are presented in a format inviting to young readers, including the comic style illustrations of David Parkins. Each book cover shows the three main characters expressively sharing their stories, inviting the reader to join the group. The children compare the stories in familiar venues such as the park or at school, demonstrating how folklore can be part of a child’s everyday life.

Perhaps the best aspect of the series is that it includes folklore in the repertoire of first literature available to young readers. As children grow and mature they will find that folk and fairy tales form the base of much of the body of literature they will be reading. The committee would like to commend the publisher and author for this project that brings folklore into the realm of early reading literature and at the same time works in support of cultural consciousness.

For more information, please visit the American Folklore Society’s website. The Easy-to-Read Wonder Tales are also available as e-books.

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Tuesdays with Tundra 5

Tuesdays with Tundra is a monthly post on our new releases. The following books are available today in stores and online!

Avalanche Dance
By Ellen Schwartz
ISBN 978-0-88776-958-0
US $9.95 / CAN $11.99
Ages 10-12
Gwen lives for dancing. When she has the chance to take an intensive – and expensive – course far from home, she knows her parents will object. She raises the subject when skiing with her father, but the discussion turns into an angry confrontation that is cut short by a sudden dreadful avalanche that almost kills her dad. She is left wracked with guilt and injuries that may end her career as a dancer. Gwen must find a way to make peace with her family, and with her own conscience if she is ever again going to experience the freedom that dancing brought her.

Ghost Trackers: The Unreal World of Ghosts, Ghost-Hunting, and the Paranormal
By Chris Gudegon and CCI
ISBN 978-0-88776-950-4
US $14.95 / CAN $15.99
Ages 9+
“…By the creator of the youth-oriented television reality show Ghost Trackers, this book provides young fans of the fantastic all the information and tools they’ll need for their own ghost-hunting expedition.” – VIA Destinations

Easy-to-Read Wonder Tales
It’s Not About the Apple! ISBN 978-0-88776-955-9
It’s Not About the Crumbs! ISBN 978-0-88776-953-5
It’s Not About the Hunter! ISBN 978-0-88776-948-1
It’s Not About the Pumpkin! ISBN 978-0-88776-949-8
It’s Not About the Rose! ISBN 978-0-88776-9542
By Veronika Martenova Charles
Illustrated by David Parkins
US $5.95 each / CAN $7.99 each
Ages 5-8
Here are five first books for fledgling readers that offer the enjoyment of a good story along with the thrill of accomplishment that comes from independent reading. Written in short, easy phrases with carefully selected vocabulary and plentiful illustrations, each book helps youngsters achieve success as they have fun. The series follows three friends who love to share stories. In each book, one is reminded of a well-known story: Little Red Riding Hood in It’s Not About the Hunter!, Beauty and the Beast in It’s Not About the Rose!, Snow White in It’s Not About the Apple!, Cinderella in It’s Not About the Pumpkin!, and Hansel and Gretel in It’s Not About the Crumbs! As one friend starts, the others are reminded of versions they know so each volume has three stories within one framework. The stories come from around the world, and Veronika Martenova Charles provides a note at the end of each book to describe the origins.

The Nightwood
By Robin Muller
ISBN 978-1-77049-209-7
US $18.95 / CAN $20.99
Ages 6+
“Written in true fairytale style with a passionate and soulful text that could standalone as a short story without the illustrations. But, the illustrations bring this story to a different level. Muller’s paintings are exquisite and finely detailed. Filled with emotion, atmosphere and magic they make this a book to own….” – Back to Books

Rude Stories
By Jan Andrews
Illustrated by Francis Blake
ISBN 978-0-88776-921-4
US $19.95 / CAN $21.99
Ages 6-9
Meet Mr. Mosquito, drawn from a Gypsy story. He’s cantankerous and nasty enough to raise belly laughs along with the eyebrows of the polite. In a story inspired by Australian bush tales, we meet Ella and Bella, two hilarious (and flatulent) sisters. Angelina’s earthy wit is memorialized in a story from Swahili tradition. The eight stories in Rude Stories have roots from Japan to Canada, from Africa to Eastern Europe, but they all share a sense of irreverence, and, because they are the work of a true storyteller, they beg to be read aloud, told aloud and shared.

Vanishing Girl: The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His 3rd Case
By Shane Peacock
ISBN 978-1-77049-234-9
US $9.95 / CAN $11.99
Ages 11+
Now in paperback!
“… Fast paced and filled with clues readers can follow, this is a fun read.” – School Library Journal
“… The richly descriptive prose offers a vivid sense of both Victorian life and the diverse characters, especially complex, intriguing, and sympathetic Sherlock” – Booklist

Winter Shadows
By Margaret Buffie
ISBN 978-0-88776-968-9
US $19.95 / CAN $21.99
Ages 11+
“…Buffie’s characters and the conflicts they face are deeply engaging, more than compensating for the well-worn time-travel plot device. Of special interest is the rare portrait of a multiracial community when informal marriages among British and First Nations people were common.” – Kirkus Reviews

Yes You Can! Your Guide to Becoming an Activist
By Jane Drake and Ann Love
ISBN 978-0-88776-942-9
US $12.95 / CAN $14.99
Ages 11+
Every time our society takes steps forward, segregation becomes illegal, child labor is exposed, and companies that poison our air are called to account. Behind those steps are people who identified problems, worked together, and created change. Lifelong environmental activists, Jane Drake and Ann Love present the nine steps to social change and much more. From fascinating accounts about the founding of organizations such as Amnesty International, Pollution Probe, and Greenpeace to the nuts and bolts of how to run an effective meeting or write a petition, to words of inspiration.

Pub Date Giveaway: Which book would you love to get your hands on? Leave us a comment below and one lucky reader will receive a copy of their requested book (the Easy-to-Read Wonder Tales count as one request for all 5 books in the series), courtesy of Tundra! One request per person and please read our rules. This offer ends on Wednesday, October 13th, 2010!