Books in Tall tales series series

Masha's mother sells eggs at market, and Masha loves to paint their smooth shells. One day, deep in the forest, Masha meets the magical Firebird, guardian of the eggs of the four elements: earth, water, air, and fire. The Firebird asks Masha to paint its eggs so that they blend with the elements, hiding them from the vicious witch, Baba Yaga. At first, the plan works well, but Baba Yaga finally gets her hands on the last egg, and Masha sets off on an amazing journey to find it. This original folktale blends elements of the Firebird legend and traditional European folktales in a bilingual English and Russian text, along with suggestions to inspire children to paint their own eggs.

Bendy Tales are brightly illustrated board books that humorously describe different animals for the delight of toddlers. Each book is shaped like its title animal--and each brightly colored animal shape has a real tail made of bendable material that's covered with soft cloth. The tail can bend into a hook, so that the book can be hung from a crib rail, or high-chair edge, or any other firm platform. The pages--all color illustrated from edge to edge--are constructed of extra heavy cardboard that withstands rough treatment from tiny hands. The text is presented on a level that preschoolers will understand and enjoy. What makes a monkey a monkey? A long tail for swinging around--but many other features, too. Children discover the surprising answers here.