First Fairy Tales

When Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published their Children's and Household Tales in 1812, followed by a second volume in 1815, they had no idea that such stories as "Rapunzel", "Hansel and Gretel", and "Cinderella" would become the most celebrated in the world. Yet few people today are familiar with the majority of tales from the two early volumes, since in the next four decades the Grimms would publish six other editions, each extensively revised in content and style.

While fairy tales were not originally intended for children, they have become a staple of children's literature since the early 19th century. Here is a collection of English fairy tales, including many stories you will remember from childhood.

The Pied Piper pipes a village free of rats, and when the villagers refuse to pay him for the service he pipes away their children as well.

George MacDonald, described by W.H. Auden as "one of the most remarkable writers of the 19th century", was valued in his own time as an original thinker and spiritual guide. Of all his writing, it is the fairy tales that have retained their fascination, and this collection includes all 11 stories. The fairy tales feature the stock characters of traditional tales—fairies both good and bad, and children undertaking precarious journeys. Often adopting paradox and nonsense as Lewis Carroll did, the stories invite adults to deploy the same open-mindedness as children.

Ladybird presents First Favourite Tales audio, a fabulous collection of classic stories for toddlers, brought to life through the magic of audio. Produced with enchanting sound effects and lively music that will delight children and introduce them to the world's most famous stories.

An ancient malevolence that will threaten the very existence of the Great Ga’Hoole Tree has been loosed from the past. With his dying breath, Ezylryb tells Soren and Coryn to read the legends of Ga’Hoole hidden in his private library. There they find a world of treachery and magic in which a young king and queen struggle to keep peace while Grank, their most loyal friend and supporter, studies embers and flames in a distant land. Then a desperate plea comes from the king, and Grank rushes to the aid of his noble friends.

Bayr of Saylok, bastard son of a powerful and jealous chieftain, is haunted by the curse once leveled by his dying mother. Bartered, abandoned, and rarely loved, she plagued the land with her words: From this day forward, there will be no daughters in Saylok. Raised among the Keepers at Temple Hill, Bayr is gifted with inhuman strength. But he’s also blessed with an all-too-human heart that beats with one purpose: to protect Alba, the first girl child born in nearly two decades and the salvation for a country at risk.

Four Jack Tales from the Appalachian oral tradition, recorded by a nationally accalimed storyteller. In this collection, Jack has a little trouble adjusting to the workaday world and to personal financial management. Eventually he works hard enough, but his fortunes do not seem to parallel his productivity. Jack finally has to go a bit out of his way to prove himself, meanwhile dealing with a prospective father-in-law who plays hard to get.

A classic fable from Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories, read by Johnny Morris. Have you ever wondered how and why the animals came to be as they are? In these magical tales, drawn from stories he heard as a child in India as well as on folk traditions he later collected all over the world, Rudyard Kipling gives some wonderfully imaginative explanations.

A moving myth story of unlikely heroes and humans that need their help. You will laugh and cry, and be in wonder of this amazing world they dwell. The Wood Elf and the Mountain Troll are the ones to do it! Bring messages from the Kingdoms of the north and the south. Through the Forest of Fears, these two heroes travel through this mystic land, encountering both good and evil forces. The giant talking Eagle named Gaston is just one of these magical creatures they encounter and find help with on their journeys. All six books of the "Adventures of Elf and Troll" are included here in this 200 ...

When the animals all get together in the jungle, they discover that the noise that they have been making is indeed music. Dylan Pritchett weaves a tale that helps us disover that we all have music inside just waiting to come out. Illustrated by Erin Bennett Banks.

Smart, headstrong Kirabo is raised by her grandparents in rural Uganda. But as she enters her teens, she starts to feel overshadowed by the absence of the mother she has never known. At once epic and deeply personal, The First Woman is the bold and piercing story of one young girl’s discovery of what it means to be a woman in a family, a community and a country that seem determined to silence her. Steeped in the rich folklore of Uganda but with an eye firmly on the future, Jennifer Makumbi has written a sweeping, effervescent tale of longing, femininity and courage.

Maia and her family raise dragons for the political war machine. As she comes of age, she anticipates a dragon of her own to add to the stable of breeding parents. Her peaceful life is shattered when the Summer Dragon - one of the rare and mythical High Dragons - makes an appearance in her quiet valley. Political factions vie for control of the implied message, threatening her aspirations, her aerie, her entire way of life.

No matter how far she runs, the forest of Edgewood always comes for Emeline Lark. The scent of damp earth curls into her nose when she sings and moss creeps across the stage. It’s as if the woods of her childhood, shrouded in folklore and tall tales, are trying to reclaim her. But Emeline has no patience for silly superstitions.

Experience Jim Weiss's hilarious tellings of "The Gingerbread Man," "The Three Little Pigs", and others, each with a multitude of character voices. A lush bouquet of stories for young listeners! You and your children will be enthralled by Jim Weiss's tellings of "The Gingerbread Man," "The Three Little Pigs", and the African folk tale, "Why Flies Buzz," each with unique character voices; touching versions of Hans Christian Andersen's beloved "Thumbelina" and "The Ugly Duckling," and the classic "Dick Whittington and His Cat," with its famously satisfying ending.

Were the Egyptian gods fanciful imaginings of primitive people or something more? Some believe they once walked the Earth as mortals, that they warred and loved just as any of their worshippers. This is their story--the tale of how Isis gained the power of shaping. How mighty Osiris died and lived again. How they discovered the fabled First Ark, a structure older than man. It is the tale of us all, the story that shaped our race from cave dwellers into the people we are today.

Some stories are so timeless we can't wait to share them with our children. You'll find five such classics in this collection from PlainTales, including the tales of the naughty Gingerbread Boy, the clever Billy Goats Gruff, the enchanted Frog Prince, the stalwart Little Red Hen, and the courageous Bremen Town Musicians. All are told with simple, engaging language perfect for the littlest listeners.

This collection of multicultural folktales takes you on a journey to the Polynesian island of Tonga. You will explore this diverse culture through incredible tales of gods, dragons, magic and more. These tales offer age-old lessons in forgiveness and kindness that are enjoyable for children and adults alike.

When hard-working animals complain to "the magic desert watcher" about camel's laziness, the watcher agrees to make things more fair.

Joseph Jacobs (1854-1916) was a prominent member of the English Folklore Society. English Fairy Tales is a collection of 87 classic English fairy tales collected and edited by Jacobs who had spent 10 years collecting them from written and oral sources. His style was chosen to appeal to young people.