Books with author Heather Forest

An award-winning collection of ancient tales and adventure.Heather Forest's artful prose and keen curatorial selection brings an array of ancient tales of adventure, quests, and heroics to life for modern readers. This multicultural anthology presents pivotal episodes from epic tales such as Gilgamesh, Beowulf, the Odyssey, the Ramayana, and more.The collection illuminates large-scale narratives that were passed on and preserved through the oral tradition long before being captured in written form by early scribes. With the publication of Ancient and Epic Tales, Heather completes her long awaited trilogy of Tales From Around the World including Wonder Tales and Wisdom Tales.These epic narratives remain relevant today as they provide insights into the complexity of human relationships and the intimate, personal journey of anyone seeking to understand the meaning of life. This collection of timeless stories includes Norse legends, Greek myths, Japanese folktales, Persian stories, Irish Ballads and Chinese lore. Offering a global overview, this anthology of concise retellings also provides endnotes with cultural and historical background to inspire readers' further inquiry into these enduring tales.

Winner of PLA/ALLS Best New Books for New Adult Readers and the Storytelling World AwardThis collection of fifty folktales and parables was selected from diverse story traditions such as Sufi, Zen, Taoist, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, African, and Native American. Comprised of ancient plots both poignant and comical, this anthology contains simple truths, common sense, and the promise that we can benefit from past generations' wisdom and experience.By metaphorically suggesting constructive strategies for living, these ancient tales resonate with a universal appeal. "The characters in these stories may gain wisdom by observing a good example or by bumbling through their own folly," Heather Forest observes. "I hope these stories will provide discussion and offer insight into joys, sorrows, fears and farce of human experience." Wisdom tales offer useful insights into life's joys and sorrows that all of us experience.

Winner of Parents' Choice Award & Bank Street College: Best Children's Books of the Year Two hungry travelers arrive at a village expecting to find a household that will share a bit of food, as has been the custom along their journey. To their surprise, villager after villager refuses to share, each one closing the door with a bang. As they sit to rest beside a well, one of the travelers observes that if the townspeople have no food to share, they must be "in greater need than we are." With that, the travelers demonstrate their special recipe for a magical soup, using a stone as a starter. All they need is a carrot, which a young girl volunteers. Not to be outdone, another villager contributes a potato, and the soup grows as others bring corn, celery, and other vegetables and seasonings. In this cumulative retelling of an ancient and widely circulated legend, author Heather Forest shows us that when each person makes a small contribution, “the collective impact can be huge.” Susan Gaber's paintings portray the optimism and timelessness of a story that celebrates teamwork and generosity. This story about community teaches readers the importance of sharing, generosity and vegetables!August House Publishers offer an of Stone Soup as well as !

The folktales and parables in this collection were selected with a global perspective by professional storyteller Heather Forest from such diverse traditions as Sufi, Zen, Taoist, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, African, and Native American. Comprised of ancient plots both poignant and comical this anthology contains simple truths, common sense, and the promise that we can benefit from past generations' experience. By metaphorically suggesting constructive strategies for living, these ancient tales resonate with a universal appeal. They can be simply enjoyed for their drama or more deeply considered for their subtleties. "The characters in these stories may gain wisdom by observing a good example or by bumbling through their own folly," Heather Forest observes. "I hope these stories will provide discussion and offer insight into the joys, sorrows, fears and farce of human experience. " A two-time Parent's Choice Gold Award winner, Heather Forest is known nationally for her minstrel-style storytelling. She is a recording artist with two recordings in the August House Audio line, Wonder Tales from Around the World and lf Animals Could Talk, winner of the Parents' Choice Gold Award. Her book, Wonder Tales from Around the World, a companion to this volume, received the Storytelling World Anthology Award for 1996. Ms. Forest lives in Huntington, New York, with her husband and two children.

A beautifully illustrated tale that encourages gentleness and kindness. Walking along a winding road, a man finds himself swept into a magical world where a contest of strength between the sun and the wind takes place. The sun and the wind compete to see who can remove the man's coat. The howling wind boasts and bullies, but the shivering man tightly clutches his coat. With warmth and light and a bit of gentle persuasion, the sun encourages the man to remove his own coat! This timeless tale from the fables of Aesop offers a poignant portrait of the power of gentleness. With a storyteller's sense of the spoken word, Heather Forest's dynamic retelling captures the essence and cadence of boasts and wagers. Susan Gaber's dramatic illustrations imagine a dream-like universe filled with vivid moments of destruction, unexpected beauty, and transformation. This Aesop fable emphasizes the strength of gentleness and kindness. Readers will learn the importance of resourcefulness, respect, and courage.

Some folk stories endure generation after generation because, although they are not literal, they resound in truths on a human scale. Folktales remind us of wisdom so elemental it is often lost in the rush of everyday life, so that "sometimes common sense makes no sense at all." The six wonder tales on this audiobook are gems of the genre. They have a "long ago and far away" quality. The listener is invited to suspend the logic of ordinary reality and leap into an imaginative world where impossible events can occur. A two-time Parents' Choice Gold Award winner, Heather Forest is known nationally for her minstrel-style storytelling which interweaves prose, poetry, and original vocal and instrumental music. The stories she performs in this audio collection are selected from her book Wonder Tales from Around the World. For Ages Eight to Adult.

Working together makes working fun.A little Red Hen lived in a house, with a frisky dog, a cat, and a mouse. So begins this fresh look at a beloved old fable. The little Red Hen's frisky housemates―Dog, Cat, and Mouse―would rather play than settle down to daily chores such as planting, cutting, and grinding wheat. But when the wheat is used to make a delicious cake, the little creatures are more than happy to help eat it! The Little Red Hen tells them that they can only eat the cake if they promise to help her work. Heather Forest's rhythmic retelling captures the chaos of daily living and celebrates the spirit of teamwork inherent in the tale. Susan Gaber's whimsical illustrations transport the reader to a cozy cottage where the little Red Hen helps others learn how to help her even if it is more effort than doing the work herself. This animal story about teamwork will teach readers the importance of fairness, sharing and helping each other. August House Publishers offer free lesson plans for The Little Red Hen!

Two hungry travelers arrive at a village expecting to find a household that will share a bit of food, as has been the custom along their journey. To their surprise, villager after villager refuses to share, each one closing the door with a bang. As they sit to rest beside a well, one of the travelers observes that if the townspeople have no food to share, they must be in greater need than we are. Heather Forest shows that when each person makes a small contribution, “the collective impact can be huge.” Susan Gaber's acrylic paintings portray the optimism and timelessness of a story that celebrates teamwork and generosity. A recipe and activity section on making stone soup makes the book an especially useful classroom resource.

An award-winning collection of ancient tales and adventure.Heather Forest's artful prose and keen curatorial selection brings an array of ancient tales of adventure, quests, and heroics to life for modern readers. This multicultural anthology presents pivotal episodes from epic tales such as Gilgamesh, Beowulf, the Odyssey, the Ramayana, and more. The collection illuminates large-scale narratives that were passed on and preserved through the oral tradition long before being captured in written form by early scribes. With the publication of Ancient and Epic Tales, Heather completes her long awaited trilogy of Tales From Around the World including Wonder Tales and Wisdom Tales. These epic narratives remain relevant today as they provide insights into the complexity of human relationships and the intimate, personal journey of anyone seeking to understand the meaning of life. This collection of timeless stories includes Norse legends, Greek myths, Japanese folktales, Persian stories, Irish Ballads and Chinese lore. Offering a global overview, this anthology of concise retellings also provides endnotes with cultural and historical background to inspire readers' further inquiry into these enduring tales.

Aesop was a storyteller and slave who lived 2,500 years ago in ancient Greece. Because of his humble position in society, Aesop could not speak his thoughts openly. So he told fables, stories in which animals speak and act like people. Aesop could not speak out, but in his fables the animals could talk and comment on human society without rebuke. To this day, Aesop's fables are retold by storytellers the world over.

Wisdom and wonder, the themes of Heather Forestf_(tm)s third audio recording for August House, are things that our culture actively seeks. FX studios spend millions creating fantasies that many choose to sit still for again and again. Publishers take great delight in springing upon us little books that promise to teach us all of lifef_(tm)s really important lessons.