National Network for Equitable Library Service

This delightful collection of children's stories is perfect listening for the whole family. Featured are four beloved stories to entice your imagination, including A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, The Bell by Hans Christian Andersen, and Snow White by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. Each story is performed by a full cast of voice actors with sound effects and music.

Originally published in 1844 in one of C. A. Reitzel's New Fairy Tales collections, The Fir Tree is a moralistic tale that reveals the importance of appreciating what you have. In it, a young fir tree is so fixated on growing up that he does not value his life in the forest. But when Christmas comes, he discovers that what he thought he wanted wasn't what he expected it to be. This recording of The Fir Tree was recorded as part of Dreamscape's Classic Christmas Stories: A Collection of Timeless Holiday Tales.

An anthology of traditional American Black folktales retold by the African-American woman to win a Newbery Medal and the first children's book author to be awarded a MacArthur Genius Grant.

Robert James Challenger uses the form of parables to teach children important values. The observations of Grandmother and other family members interpret the actions of nature's creatures in a variety of circumstances. His simple, direct stories reflect a philosophy widely embraced—respect for our environment and understanding of all creeds, races and generations. Each of the 18 stories is illustrated by a graceful motif that reflects the strong influence of First Nations art on Challenger's work.

In this latest collection of beautifully illustrated, easy-to-read fables, Robert James Challenger continues to teach children practical, moral lessons about life in today's complicated world. Owl shows Grandson that a problem will only go away when each person involved becomes part of the solution. Little Mallard Duck finds out the hard way that things change over time, and that even when we think we are not ready, it may be time to move on.

Winner of the Aboriginal Children's Book of the Year Award, 2006 Anskohk Aboriginal Literature Festival and Book Awards Kayâs is a young Cree man who is blessed with a Gift that makes him a talented hunter. He knows the ways of the Beings he hunts and can even talk with them in their own languages. But when he becomes proud and takes his abilities for granted, he loses his gift, and the People grow hungry.

This is the story of how the first beaver came to be. It tells of a young girl, Reedee, who is born with hair the colour of Mother Earth, not the colour of Raven like the rest of her people. It isn't just her hair that sets Reedee apart: at night, when everyone else sleeps, Reedee disappears into the forest. Her parents are dismayed, but when they learn that Reedee has a path she must follow on her own, they support her and allow her to become her true self.

This is Robert James Challenger's fifth collection of beautifully illustrated, easy-to-read short stories that impart practical, moral lessons about life in today's world. As in Aesop's fables and First Nations legends, animals, birds and insects are the ones who do the teaching. Mother Eagle helps her daughter overcome her sibling rivalry. An encounter with Mosquito teaches a little girl that revenge doesn't make a person feel any better. Little Orca learns from his grandfather that being grown up has very little to do with how big you are.

This fourth collection of short stories written by Robert James (Jim) Challenger combines the timeless appeal of Aesop's fables with the oral storytelling traditions of First Nations and other cultures. Each story stimulates conversation about the moral woven within. Go along on Salmon's journey. Learn how Hermit Crab found a new home. Discover why Halibut always looks up. Find out why we should be kind to Snake. Eagle's Spirit shows us how our life's energy lives on forever.

This collection of west-coast fables combines the approach of Aesop with the oral tradition of First Nations storytellers. Woodpecker shows how to be a true friend. Beaver demonstrates how to achieve dreams through hard work. Rainbow Trout finds that all things in nature have a purpose. Parents, grandparents and teachers will embrace Robert James Challenger's stories, which, like all fables, promote cultural values and respect among generations.