Books with author Margaret Read MacDonald

A new spin on the classic story of "Beauty and the Beast." Never judge a dog by its fur. When a great smelly, slobbery, small-tooth dog rescues a rich man from thieves, the man offers the dog any treasure in his house as a reward. But the dog is not interested in wealth; he wants companionship. So, he asks for the rich man's daughter as reward. With great sadness, the daughter honors her father's word and goes to live in the dog's extravagant palace. A friendship blossoms between the dog and the girl, but she continues to long for her father, sometimes forgetting the importance of being kind. In this tale from Great Britain, award winning author, Margaret Read MacDonald puts a new spin on the classic story, “Beauty and the Beast”, reminding us all that appearances can be deceiving and that compassion can be powerful. This British folktale will teach readers the importance of caring, citizenship and fairness.

One day, a poor flower sellers drops his leftover flowers into the sea as a gift for the Dragon King. What does he get in return? A little snot-nosed boy--with the power to grant wishes! Soon the flower seller is rich, but when he forgets the meaning of "thank you," he loses everything once again. "You just can't help some humans," say the snot-nosed little boy and the Dragon King.

Selected as Outstanding by the Parent Council Best Books for BedtimeAround the world each night, parents tell stories to children as they put them to bed. Margaret Read MacDonald―a folklorist, storyteller, and children's librarian―uses bedtime tales in the daytime to end her story hours on a calm note. Here she includes five of her favorite folktales from around the world.“Chin Chin Kobokama” tells the story of a young Japanese girl who overcomes her fear of the dark―and learns there are good reasons to clean up her room. “Snow Bunting's Lullaby,” a lovely Siberian tale, shows the lengths to which Papa and Mama Bunting must go to protect their children―and get them to sleep. A South American tale explains the movement of the sun and moon. And “Kanji-Jo, the Nestling,” a lively Liberian tale, shows, as so many folk stories do, that there's no place like home. In elegant, finely detailed watercolors, artist Yvonne Davis joins MacDonald in guiding the reader on a bedtime trip around the world.

Featuring Margaret MacDonald's storytelling accompanied by Richard Scholtz's autoharp and dulcimer, this recording is full of lively, playful fare. These selections are ideal for expanding into song, dance, and creative drama. Includes stories adapted from MacDonald's picture books, Fat Cat (Denmark) and Mabela the Clever (Limba, Sierra Leone), as well as several from her resource collection Shake-it-up Tales.