Donna Jo Napoli

From powerful Ra, God of Radiance to the tender and protective Aset, Devoted Wife and Mother, the tales in this volume will take you from the creation of the earth and sky to lengthy battles between gods. As you journey through the pages of this book you'll find: stories of gods, goddesses, monsters, and mortals; artwork that brings the stories and characters to life; fact boxes that put the stories into historical and cultural context; a map of Egypt...

A collection of tales told by Scheherazade to amuse the cruel sultan and stop him from executing her as he had his other daily wives.

Elaborates on the tale of "Beauty and the Beast," told from the point of view of the beast and set in Persia.

When her father suddenly dies while on a business trip leaving her alone on an Italian highway, eleven-year-old Jackie worries what will happen when she is picked up by two men with unknown motives.

"Fish Girl, a young mermaid living in a boardwalk aquarium, has never interacted with anyone beyond the walls of her tank until a chance encounter with an ordinary girl, Livia. Their growing friendship inspires Fish Girl's longing for freedom, independence, and a life beyond the aquarium tank."--

When four siblings wish on a star, each gets only a fraction of what he or she wanted, but when they combine their wishes, they just might get a whole new pet.

When the rest of the ducks turn on her little duckling, Ugly, because he isn't like them, Mother Duck sadly leaves him behind in order to protect her other children. With the help of some new friends, Ugly makes his way alone, but he doesn't know where he's going or what he's looking for.

"When a young Japanese girl moves into her new house, she is happy to see a girl her age playing in the snow just outside her window. The only problem is the Japanese girl doesn't speak English and the American girl doesn't speak Japanese. But each girl's love of the snow teaches them that they don't need to speak the same language to have fun!"--

In Renaissance Italy, Elisabetta longs for romance, and when Leonardo da Vinci introduces her to Guiliano de Medici, whose family rules Florence but is about to be deposed, she has no inkling of the romance--and sorrow--that will ensue.

One day when Albert is at his window, two cardinals come to build a nest in his hand, an event that changes his life.