Cech, John

While being dragged around the Atlantic Ocean by a huge fish, an adventuresome cat, whose life bears an amazing resemblence to that of Ernest Hemingway, recalls the events of his previous eight existences.

A retelling of the tale in which a girl proves that she is a real princess by feeling a pea through twenty mattresses and twenty featherbeds. Includes historical notes about Hans Christian Anderson and the original fairy tale.

After the miller falsely boasted to the king that his daughter can spin straw into gold, the girl promises her first-born child to a strange little man who claims that he can help her.

The tale of twelve princesses who wear out new shoes each day, and the king's quest to solve the mystery of how this happens.

A grandmother tells the story of her eventful life in early twentieth-century Europe and her arrival in the United States after World War II.

Collects over thirty illustrated retellings of Aesop's classic fables; and includes a note on Aesop.

Introduces a major twentieth century artist through selected photographs that he took during his childhood.

In this retelling of a Floridian legend, a boy learns to fiddle and later uses his music to save the forest animals from the floods caused by a hurricane.

A poor shoemaker becomes successful with the help of two elves who finish his shoes during the night.

In this retelling of the original 1816 German story, Godfather Drosselmeier gives young Marie a nutcracker for Christmas, and she finds herself in a magical realm where she saves a boy from an evil curse.