Cobweb Christmas: The Tradition of Tinsel
FROM SARAH:
I enjoyed so many things in this delightful retelling of an old German Christmas folktale! Written by Shirley Climo (who is something of a master of folk tale retellings!), this is a great book to add to your Christmas collection.
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
Everybody loves Christmas at Tante's. The old lady decorates a wonderful tree and makes certain to have something for all who come to visit, be it the nearby village children or the shy animals of the pine forest.
The only creatures Tante overlooks are the spiders she has swept out of her cottage while cleaning. But the curious spiders want to come inside and see Tante's tree, too. When a midnight visitor lets them into the old lady's home, they unknowingly spin Tante the very gift she has longed for—a gift that has inspired the draping of tinsel on Christmas trees ever since.
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The Egyptian Cinderella
FROM SARAH:
One of several picture book retellings of Cinderella from around the world. Read several of these and then discuss what makes them similar and different for a lovely read-aloud week!
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
This Egyptian spin on the classic Cinderella tale was initially recorded in the first century by a Roman historian and is retold here by folklorist Shirley Climo.
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The Korean Cinderella
FROM SARAH:
Shirley Climo has several multicultural Cinderella retellings that are fantastic, even though several of them are out of print and a little harder to find. Reading various Cinderella tales from around the world and then discussing their similarities and differences is loads of fun, and quite worthwhile!
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
Like the tree planted to honor her birth, Pear Blossom is beautiful, and the pride of her elderly mother and father. But then her mother dies, and her father remarries. Pear Blossom’s stepmother resents her new daughter’s beauty. Out of jealousy, she makes Pear Blossom perform impossible chores while her own daughter, Peony, watches idly. But fortunately, Pear Blossom is not alone. With the help of magical creatures—togkabis—she can accomplish each task, and triumph over her stepmother’s cruelty.
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