Books with author Pleasant Despain

When a story shares a universal message, it finds its way into that pantheon of tales that is shared with many diverse cultures.People just can't live together without telling stories. We tell stories that are funny, ironic, insightful, or just simply pleasing to the tongue and ear. Stories just seem to happen. When a story happens with the force of universality, it finds its way into that pantheon of tales that is the common denominator of cultural exchange. Here are thirty-three such tales, collected from Brazil, China, Korea, Russia, Tibet, Africa, from America's native peoples, and other lands, and chosen for the universality of their message. Each story is presented in concise "retellable" form, suitable for all ages.Kirkus Review wrote, "Presented in easy-to-learn versions enlivened with unforced humor and clear, fluent language; most would take ten minutes or less to tell. Their readers will bring away a stronger impression of human culture's unity than its diversity."

Bank Street College: Best Children's Books of the Year & Parent's Guide to Children's Media Young Adults' Choice AwardLatin America today presents a complex tapestry of native, Spanish, European, and African influences. For the past three decades, Pleasant DeSpain has explored Latin America – its landscapes, customs, cultures, and especially, its stories. Here he presents his finely-honed retellings of traditional folktales, myths, and legends from a broad array of Latin American cultures: Guatemala, Haiti, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Venezuela, Uruguay, and Chile. The fifteen tales presented here are full of compassionate souls, tricks and humor, explanations of nature and geography – and always, fine storytelling. Mario Lamo-Jiménez's Spanish translation reverberates with the rich, vibrant quality for which Latin tales are known. These animal stories are wild with llamas, jaguars and lessons for readers. Oh my! Messages of courage, fairness and resourcefulness run rampant in these folktales.

For the past three decades, Pleasant DeSpain has explored Latin America – its people, customs, cultures, and especially the myths and legends. The 15 tales in this collection are full of compassionate souls, tricks and humor, explanations of nature and geography – and as always, memorable characters and places. Mario Lamo-Jiménez's Spanish translation that accompanies the English version reverberates with the rich, vibrant quality that has become the bench mark for the best stories from Latin America.

In this new millennium, we are faced with a critical question: are we willing to work together to ensure the survival of the planet as well as each other? In his fifth collection of tellable folktales and his third collaboration with illustrator Joe Shlichta DeSpain provides eleven ancient stories that address natural elements such as the Sun, Moon, Stars, Ocean, Wind, Fire, Mammals, Reptiles, Birds, Insects, Rocks, Trees, and Humans.

In this new millennium, we are faced with a critical question: are we willing to work together to ensure the survival of the planet as well as each other? In his fifth collection of tellable folktales and his third collaboration with illustrator Joe Shlichta, DeSpain provides eleven ancient stories that address natural elements such as the Sun, Moon, Stars, Ocean, Wind, Fire, Mammals, Reptiles, Birds, Insects, Rocks, Trees, and Humans. Pleasant DeSpain travels the world collecting, writing and retelling traditional tales from many cultures. This collection of authentic nature folktales is a great resource for educators or anyone interested in studying or sharing unusual stories.

Nine timeless trickster tales from France, Persia, the United States, Sweden, India, Switzerland, Poland, as well as the Cherokee and Creek Peoples. These rollicking stories have a univeral appeal and can be cautionary, humorous, adventurous or embedded with moral values that date back to ancient civilizations. Pleasant DeSpain has an uncanny ear for collecting classic trickster tales that transcend time and place to appeal to anyone who loves a great story.

"What is your favorite story?" is the question children across the country often ask professional storyteller Pleasant DeSpain. As he attempts to answer, his list grows longer and longer, until he confesses he likes them all. An untiring researcher of oral traditions, DeSpain is known for his concise versions of world folktales specifically crafted for retelling. This new, digital recording of 10 stories is excerpted from DeSpain's 22 Splendid Tales to Tell from Around the World, Volume One. The accompanying music, original compositions for this recording by Jim Wolfe, reflects the styles of the featured cultures. For Ages 4 to Adult

A multicultural journey celebrating Earth's oldest legends and lore.Folktales are as old as mankind, yet as new as each sunrise. They were shaped in a time when our ancestors knew that their daily welfare depended on maintaining a balance in nature. Today the survival of the planet depends on that same balance, and Pleasant DeSpain believes "we can count on the tales of old to provide ecological explanations, lessons, warnings, and wonders." DeSpain provides eleven ancient stories that address the natural elements. The opening story, "All Things Are Connected," comes from Zaire and handily illustrates the balance of nature. The ending story, "Enough Is Enough," is a native Quinault tale explaining the formation of the Puget Sound. In between are folktales from Fiji, Central Asia, Australia, China, Portugal, and the Algonquin, Cherokee, and Tlingit native people, illustrated in scratchboard by Joe Shlichta. These ancient tales of ancestors teach readers the importance of citizenship, resourcefulness and respect. One reviewer praised Pleasant DeSpain's skill, saying that he "knows how to convert the oral versions to written versions which are suited for children as well as adults of all ages."

This collection of folktales and traditional stories about insects from many countries is cleverly retold by master storyteller Pleasant DeSpain. If you were ever curious about why clouds and spiders are both called kumo in Japan, where the Grasshopper's army lived or who won the wager between the Heron and the Butterfly, then this collection of clever stories is for you. These charming tales have withstood the test of time and appeal to young readers from all over the world.

"What is your favorite story?" is the question children across the country often ask professional storyteller Pleasant DeSpain. As he attempts to answer, his list grows longer and longer, until he confesses he likes them all. An untiring researcher of oral traditions, DeSpain is known for his concise versions of world folktales specifically crafted for retelling. This new, digital recording of 10 stories is excerpted from DeSpain's 22 Splendid Tales to Tell from Around the World, Volume Two. The accompanying music, original compositions for this recording by Jim Wolfe, reflects the styles of the featured cultures. For Ages Four to Adult.