Books in Dover Children's Classics series

Mixing exciting adventure and good-natured humor with gentle homily, Thornton W. Burgess's timeless stories have drawn generations of youngsters into the comforting world of the Green Forest, the Smiling Pool, and the Laughing Brook. Along with generous helpings of warmth and whimsy, the entertaining stories also offer valuable lessons about wildlife, the environment, and being true to one's own nature.In this collection of irresistible animal tales, children will read about Peter Cottontail, who is up to his floppy ears in dangerous escapades as he tries to outwit the ever-hungry Reddy Fox. Elsewhere in the Green Forest, Buster Bear has a series of run-ins with Little Joe Otter, Farmer Brown's boy, and even a stubborn metal pail. And Grandfather Frog, in his determination to see the Great World beyond the familiar vistas of the Smiling Pool, learns firsthand about all the pitfalls of greed, boastfulness, and downright stupidity. New Burgess fans will be charmed and delighted by these stories and other exciting tales about Jimmy Skunk, Billy Mink, and their animal friends.

While scholars are uncertain about the identity of Aesop or whether he was even an actual person, there is no doubt that the stories originally collected under his name over 2,000 years ago in Greece are among the world's most beloved tales. Combining a moral lesson with an entertaining story, the fables still retain their power to charm and instruct.This delightful collection includes a selection of familiar favorites, including "The Fox and the Grapes," "The Ants and the Grasshopper," "The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse," "The Crow and the Pitcher," "The Lion and the Mouse," "The Dog and His Shadow," "The Wolf and the Kid," "The Fox and the Stork," "The Hare and the Tortoise," "The Maid and the Pail of Milk," "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" and dozens more.Reset in large, easy-to-read type and accompanied by 35 original illustrations by Pat Stewart, Aesop's Fables is ready to enchant and edify a new generation of readers.

Myles Falworth was only eight years old the day a knight in black armor rode into the courtyard of his father's castle with murderous intent. Unexpectedly, it triggered a chain of events that forever changed Myles' life, culminating in an unjust accusation of treason that brought disgrace to the house of Falworth. The only hope of redeeming the family's reputation and fortunes rested on Myles' training for knighthood, so that he might challenge the king's champion and triumph in an ordeal by battle.Set in 15th-century England, Men of Iron offers the finest historical fiction in the best traditions of the Knights of the Round Table and Ivanhoe. Author Howard Pyle, who wrote and illustrated many other classic Arthurian romances and stories of Robin Hood, blends fascinating period detail about knighthood and chivalry with a stirring coming-of-age tale. First published in 1892, this classic story remains a great favorite with young readers as well as among educators, due to the author's effortless way of teaching virtues such as courage, loyalty, steadfastness, and generosity. An excellent and inspiring choice to read aloud to children as young as nine, it can be read independently by 12- to 16-year-olds.

Naughty children were never funnier than the young rowdies of these Cautionary Tales. In rhyming couplets, accompanied by hilarious drawings, a celebrated wit recounts the perilous consequences of telling lies, slamming doors, and playing with guns. Bad Child's Book of Beasts, an illustrated A-to-Z bestiary with droll observations on wildlife, features a series of droll observations on wildlife.The Polar Bear is unawareOf cold that cuts me throughFor why? He has a coat of hair.I wish I had one too!A prolific author whose interests ranged from politics and religion to travel and poetry, Hilaire Belloc wrote these classics at the turn of the twentieth century. Generations of readers of all ages have adored their amusing advice on juvenile manners and their jolly parodies of Victorian attitudes.

Welcome to the timeless world of the Green Forest, the laughing Brook, and the Smiling Pool. Here young readers will meet a menagerie of funny and fascinating animal friends — Peter Cottontail, Jimmy Skunk, Reddy Fox, Grandfather Frog and many more — and learn about their exciting adventures.In this beloved classic, the first in a series of highly popular animal tales by Thornton W. Burgess, children discover the answers to such questions as why Grandfather Frog has no tail and why Jimmy Skunk wears stripes. There's also great fun to be had in reading or hearing about the grand goings-on at Mink's swimming party, Little Joe Otter's slippery slide, and Reddy Fox's fishing expedition. These and many other adventures are told in a warm, whimsical way that combines gentle lessons about nature and wildlife with the fun of a good story.

As this delightful story opens, something strange is going on! The waters of the Laughing Brook and Smiling Pool have become a mere trickle, causing alarm among the creatures of the Green Forest. It seems Jerry Muskrat's cousin, Paddy the Beaver, has come south to make himself a new home. That means he had to stop the waters that flowed in the Laughing Brook and Smiling Pool to make a fine new pond for himself and a comfortable home of sticks and mud. But what will happen to the waterways in the Green Forest?Young readers will find out in this charming tale of woodland adventure, as the gentle, good-natured beaver wins over scolding Sammy Jay and the two work together to outsmart Old Man Coyote.This timeless story, with original illustrations by Harrison Cady, not only entertains young readers and listeners, it also imparts valuable lessons about friendship, trust, and respect for the environment.

It is almost impossible to envision what childhood would be like without the enchanting world of fairyland. The goat-faced girl, Prunella, the three sons of Hali, giants and dwarfs, monsters and magicians, fairies and ogres—these are the companions who thrill boys and girls of all lands and all times, as Andrew Lang's phenomenally successful collections of stories have proved. From the day that they were first printed, Lang's fairy tale books of many colors have entertained thousands of youngsters, as they have also brought pleasure to the parents who have read these classics to their children. The Grey Fairy Book includes many strange, exotic stories from Lithuania, Africa, Germany, Greece and France. But they are all told in the common language of the fairy tale, and their events will be familiar to children and grown-ups alike. The donkey who turns into a price, a spinning wheel that turns moss into silk, revengeful fairies, and ogre-like fathers of lovely daughters strike responsive chords in readers, even when they appear in new circumstances.All in all, this collection contains 35 stories, all narrated in the lively, clear prose for which Lang was famous. Not only are Lang's generally conceded to be the best English versions of standard stories, his collections are the richest and widest in range. His position as one of England's foremost folklorists as well as his first-rate literary abilities make his collections unmatchable in the English language.

Good poetry for children is rare. Few collections, few single poems in fact, survive beyond a few years of popularity. There are exceptions — the poetry and verse of Walter de la Mare, Lewis Carroll, and Edward Lear come to mind. Still rarer is successful children's poetry by a poet known equally for other work, such as Christina Rossetti.These verses — deceptively simple, light, often like a nursery rhyme in character — consider such topics as childhood activities, children's cruelty and gentleness, roses and wild flowers, nesting birds and farm animals, cold winter and blossoming spring. Many pose riddles and conundrums ("A hill has no leg, but has a foot;/A wine-glass a stem, but not a root").This is the only edition in print to reproduce the poems with the illustrations which originally accompanied them. Engravings by Arthur Hughes, one of the best-known illustrators of the Victorian era, catch the mood of each verse.Sing-Song is a fitting name for this collection: many of the verses capture the cadence of the ballad. Children will enjoy their music. Parents will find the simple content and lyrical language of the verses ideal for reading aloud.

When little Reddy Fox gets too big for his breeches and steals a plump pet hen in broad daylight, the stage is set for an exciting tale as Farmer Brown's boy pursues Reddy with loaded gun and Bowser the Hound. Fortunately, Reddy has wise Granny Fox on his side and, with some timely help from other woodland friends, manages to avoid an unhappy ending.As this timeless fable unfolds, children will delight in Reddy's risky antics and the commotion his behavior causes among Johnny Chuck, Drummer the Woodpecker, Peter Rabbit, and the other inhabitants of the Green Forest. Thornton W. Burgess, author of Old Mother West Wind and many other children's classics, was a master at telling a good story that holds a child's attention while instilling an important lesson in the most painless and enjoyable fashion. First published in 1913, The Adventures of Reddy Fox was one of his finest efforts. In this inexpensive Dover edition, newly reset in large, easy-to-read type, it will delight children (and adults) today, just as it did their grandparents.

Children will love this wonderful tale of Blacky the Crow, who has very sharp eyes, and who is often getting into trouble because he sees things he shouldn't. One day Blacky notices two fresh eggs in a nest belonging to Hooty the Owl and Mrs. Hooty. The eggs are a prize too delicious to pass up and Blacky devises a plan to snatch them. But does he succeed? Young readers will enjoy finding out in this charming tale by master storyteller Thornton W. Burgess.Reset in large, easy-to-read type, this book is filled with gentle humor and important lessons about nature and wildlife, and is further enhanced by four original Harrison Cady illustrations. Blacky the Crow is sure to captivate youngsters discovering the joy of reading and the pleasures of storytelling at its finest.

When Jimmy Skunk curls up to take a nap in an old barrel, the imp of mischief gets the better of Peter Rabbit. Tons of trouble plague the long-eared prankster after he decides it'd be great fun to see the barrel — with Jimmy inside — roll down from its resting point high on a hill.Reddy Fox gets the blame for Jimmy's wild ride (as well as a dose of the skunk's "perfume"); Peter gets his comeuppance for playing nasty tricks; and before the day is out, Jimmy Skunk and Unc' Billy Possum go egg-hunting and wind up in a pretty pickle in Farmer Brown's henhouse.Children will delight in these warm, whimsical adventures that combine all the interest and excitement of a good story with gentle lessons about nature, wildlife and such virtues as courtesy, kindness, and preparedness.Newly reset in large, easy-to-read type, the text is enhanced by six black-and-white illustrations by Thea Kliros, based on Harrison Cady's originals.

It is almost impossible to envision what childhood would be like without the enchanting world of fairyland. Princess Rosanella, The Three Bears, giants and dwarfs, monsters and magicians, fairies and ogres — these are the companions who thrill young boys and girls of all lands and all times, as Andrew Lang's phenomenally successful collections of stories have proved. From the day that they were first printed, the Lang fairy tale books of many colors have entertained thousands of boys and girls, as they have also brought pleasure to the many parents who have read these unforgettable classics to their children. In the Green Fairy Book, the third in the series, Lang has assembled stories from Spanish and Chinese traditions, a few of the most entertaining creations penned by the Comte de Caylus, others by Sebillot, Fenelon, Kletke, and Mme. d'Aulnoy, and, of course, some of the best-loved tales from the Brothers Grimm. Here in one attractive paperbound volume with enlarged print are "The Blue Bird," "Sylvain and Jocosa," "Narcissus and the Princess Potentilla," "The Three Little Pigs," "The Half-Chick," and many other favorites that have become an indispensable part of our cultural heritage.All in all, this collection contains forty-two stories, all narrated in the clear, lively prose for which Lang was famous. Not only are Lang's translations generally conceded to be the best English versions of standard stories, his collections are the richest and widest in range. His position as one of England's foremost folklorists as well as his first-rate literary abilities make his collections unmatchable in the English language.