"Martin's interpretations linger long in the mind."
Booklist

Books by Rafe Martin

Rafe's books for adults and children are available at your favorite bookseller or can be ordered online. Click the title of any book for information and ordering details.

NOW AVAILABLE..."SIGNED BOOKS BY MAIL" Order form

 


NEW!

Rafe's version of the Japanese ghost tale, "Ho-Ichi the Earless" is in two-time Newbery Award-winner, Avi's latest collection, Best Shorts: Favorite Stories for Sharing. Selected by Avi. Afterword by Katherine Paterson.

Grade 5 Up
"Unlike most collections, there is no integrating theme in the 24 short stories included here-just fine writing, cultural diversity, and timeless creativity. With such strong writers as Richard Peck, Natalie Babbitt, Lloyd Alexander, and Rafe Martin, one would expect nothing less. Strategic placement of genres sustains reader interest. Animals as heroes, time machines as homework helpers, along with Washington Irving's timeless classic Rip Van Winkle and Frank Stockton's highly provocative The Lady or the Tiger? offer many powerful, instantly engaging choices, especially appealing to reluctant readers. . .Brief biographical sketches of the contributors are included. Katherine Paterson offers a persuasive afterword in favor of sharing, discussing, and reading these selections aloud as well as exhorting the dire need for more quality writing in short fiction."
From School Library Journal
Maria LaRocco, Cuyahoga Public Library, Strongsville, OH



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Order Birdwing from amazon.com


Washington Post 2005 Best Kid's Book

Book Sense Winter Pick

Selected to New York Public Library's List of Books for the Teen Age 2006

Chicago Public Library "Best of the Best"

Louisville Courier-Journal The Year's Best Books for Kids.

Birdwing
In Hardback

Jacket Illustration by Dennise Clouse
Arthur A. Levine Books
Scholastic

Birdwing
NOW AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK!
(See below)

Cover Art by Matt Mahurin

Shown on the left is the hardback cover for Birdwing, Rafe's new, magical, mythic, adventurous, heroic novel from Arthur A. Levine Books, Scholastic Publications

FROM THE JACKET COVER

nce upon a time, six brothers were turned into swans. And once upon a time, the spell was broken, giving back to each brother his human form...all except for Ardwin, the youngest. He was left with one arm enchanted, forever a wing.

And so he grows up, marked by difference, a prince struggling to find a place in his father's kingdom while his wing pulls him toward the open sky. Ardwin barely knows how to speak to his family, yet his wing gives him the power to understand every other creature in the forest.

Half the time Ardwin wishes his wing were gone. Yet when he learns that his father plans to have the wing severed, he knows he must flee...to save his life and to find his way.

Birdwing is the story of a boy who falls, half-healed, out of myth and into the world. Can a young man like that find peace? Or will his very existence become grounds for war?

Birdwing

The back cover.

In this mythic and heroic novel, a young man with a left wing instead of an arm must find his own, unique place in life. How did he get the wing? Magic! Why the left side? That is the side of intuition and the heart.

The old Grimm's Brothers' tale of "The Six Swans" ends like this: The six shirts were ready, only the left sleeve of the sixth was wanting. ". . . The swans swept toward her and sank down so that she could throw the shirts over them, and as they were touched by them, their swans' skins fell off, and her brothers stood in their own bodily form before her, and were vigorous and handsome. The youngest only lacked his left arm, and had in the place of it a swan's wing on his shoulder." (from "The Six Swans," The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales)

Birdwing begins there, where the old tale ends. What happens to that boy? What is his destiny? What kind of young man will he become? How will he find his place on this earth and be happy, when all who see him think him a cripple or worse, a freak? His story has been waiting perhaps a thousand years to be told. Now at last we will know what happens in the ever after.

Rafe writes: "We all have a wing. Some hide theirs to fit in. Some cut theirs off to appear like everyone else. And some learn to live fully with their wing, just as they are, and, in fully accepting themselves and their own unique gifts, heal not only themselves, but the kingdom."


REVIEWS

Praise for Birdwing

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/03/11/055907.php

BIRDWING will be featured in the Scholastic Book Fairs for Spring 2007. Which means that it will be featured on the Bookfairs poster for Spring 2007, and that Rafe will be one of the four featured authors in the 2007 Bookfairs Author video that goes out to 100,000 schools. (And so is seen by an estimated 7 million students). The video includes a tour of his home and office and how things there became part of Birdwing. It also features a motorcycle ride with Rafe! Watch for it at your school starting January 2007, when the paperback of Birdwing with a dramatic new cover by noted artist and filmmaker, Matt Mahurin, will also become available. PLUS an audiobook version of BIRDWING is planned for 2007 as well, which may be narrated by Rafe. Stay tuned!



'What if...' provides a firm platform for the author's extended (358 page) incredibly imaginative back story for the old Grimm tale "The Six Swans." . . . Throughout, Martin evokes strong human emotions. The scene where Rose and Ardwin confront each other depicts two very conflicted adults with mixed feelings of duty and choice, and the consequences of choosing. Such intense emotion is leavened, for example, in the humor of the innkeeper's wife, a terrible cook with a direct link to Mrs. Malaprop. In all, a deeply satisfying read!
John Warren Stewig, Carthage College Center for Children's Literature

An unfamilar Grimm's fairy tale comes to life in the story of Ardwin, the youngest of six brothers turned into swans. When the spell is broken on Ardwin, one wing remains, leaving the young prince to struggle between the human and animal worlds. Never expecting to find love, he must decide whether his wing is a blessing or a curse. His journey will keep you totally enchanted right up to the surprising end.
GIRL'S LIFE Feb-Mar 2006

There are more questions than answers at the end of "The Six Swans" by the Brother's Grimm: what happened to the witch that cursed the family? Can the family recover from the blame and guilt? What becomes of the littlest boy who still has a swan wing? Martin picks up these threads in this masterful story of Prince Ardwin, the youngest child, and his ultimate role in helping the entire family find peace. . . Martin's intricate story traces the lives of each minor player and explains some of the mysterious workings of the major characters, including a deeper exploration of the motivations of the witch who sparked the chain of events. The depictions of the fated love of Ardwin and Alene, the princess with a tortured past whose life he saves, and Ardwin's difficult struggle toward awakening into his own strengths are credible and powerful. A dramatic and philosophical work, this will encourage readers to consider the possibility that everyone carries blessings disguised as curses.
STARRED REVIEW!
The Bulletin of the Center For Children's Books

Rafe Martin is probably best known for his picture books, including The Rough-Face Girl, an Algonquin Indian version of the Cinerella story. An amazing storyteller, Martin pushes the boundaries for retelling fairy tales with this coming-of-age novel that will appeal to fans of Harry Potter or Philip Pullman. Birdwing focuses on what happened to the six princes transformed into swans in the Grimm Brothers' fairy tale after their sister broke the evil spell. While the boys were returned to human form once the spell was broken, fourteen-year-old Prince Ardwin retained a wing in place of one arm. Tired of being taunted because he is different, Ardwin sets out on an adventurous journey of self-discovery. The path he follows includes enough sorcery, fighting, magic, and enlightenment to satisfy any fantasy reader.
ParentWise Magazine
www.ParentWiseAustin.com

In a magical tale woven by master storyteller Rafe Martin, characters have "fallen out of legend" into a tale of extraordinary beauty and philosophical depth. An evil queen, an enchantress, a winged warrior, a gray-eyed goose girl who's really a princess, a snow lion, giants, mechanical men, and a sarcastic talking horse mix it up in a fairy tale adventure as inventive and soaring as Harry Potter and Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials. . . Martin has made a fairy tale world completely believable and readers, . . . will ponder deep questions of what it means to be human, whether differences are curses or gifts, and how to make one's life a worthy story.
BookPage

Remember the Grimms' story "The Six Swans"? A wicked queen turns her stepsons into wild swans; the spell will be broken only if their little sister stays mute for six years and weaves each of them a nettle shirt. When the time is up, she has not quite finished a sleeve on the last shirt. The brothers regain human form, but the youngest is left with one arm and one wing. The end of that fairy tale is the starting point for this extraordinary novel. . . In the best fairy-tale tradition, "Prince Freak" sets out to discover how he must live. The marvelous thing about Birdwing is that, given its highly literary origins, it is so tough, colloquial, funny and moving. But then, having been sent back to the Grimms, you realize Martin has merely emulated his masters. A book for kids who appreciate the likes of William Mayne and Ursula K. Le Guin.
The Washington Post

Once upon a time: Enchanted tales make up a large part of any child's book collection. Characters like Snow White, Peter Pan and others draw children in with the promise of magical encounters and unexpected events. A new fairy tale may be the perfect gift for someone on your list. Consider "Birdwing" (Arthur A. Levine Books, $16.99) by Rafe Martin, an enchanting story of Ardwin, a boy who was rescued from a curse - but not entirely. One wing remained in place of an arm, and that wing leads Ardwin on an adventure, all the while questioning whether he is man or bird.
Named one of 12 Best Books for 2005 by
Tribune Media

Rafe Martin has written an absolutely faithful and exceedingly satisfying continuation of The Six Swans . . . Reminiscent of Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Adventures, we travel with our good-hearted hero, Ardwin, on his coming of age journey as he struggles to discover whether he is man or bird, gifted or cursed. Along the way he encounters delightfully memorable friends (humans and beasts) and nasty foes who provide rich, but seamless, layers to the main plot. . . . Martin does a superb job of unfolding . . . the essential birthright challenge each of us has to come to terms with: who we are, who we are becoming, and how we fly.

Rated: 10 -- RATING SCALE 10 = A desert island book for all time: Charlotte's Web, Frederick, Bridge to Terabithia.
NECBA New England Children's Book Advisory

Martin deftly weaves fairy tale into fiction . . . The many original characters and unusual adventure scenes ensure that readers will remember this well-paced fantasy.
Booklist

"An emotive fairytale extension thoughtfully explores the life of Ardwin, a prince with a swan's wing instead of a left arm . . . The journey holds . . . surprises . . . [with] memorable images created along the way as Martin touchingly weaves together fairy tale, the wildness of animals and lyrical characterization." (Fantasy, YA).
Kirkus Reviews

Birdwing is a fabulously imaginative continuation of a Grimm's Brothers' folktale. The highly readable and well-written story of a boy searching to find his place in the world is packed with adventure, moral dilemmas, true and false friendships, righting of wrongs, growing-up issues, plenty of danger, and a touch of the fantastical.
American Booksellers Association, BookSense 2005-6

A marvelous, engaging rendering of the age-old story of a boy's struggle to become a man and find his rightful place in the world. Magic, wise animals, loyalty, betrayal, love and war all come together in Ardwin's search for the blessings of life. The writing is so engaging, the lessons so universal, and yet the story so unique in taking off from "The Six Swans" by The Brothers Grimm that readers will feel blessed with a rare glimpse into the meaning of life by the end. A book no one will be able to forget.
Fieldguide to Parenting.com

Martin begins where the Grimms' "Six Swans" concludes-with the release of the six princes from their evil stepmother's spell, but with the youngest (here named Ardwin) left encumbered with one swan's wing. When Ardwin learns that his father plans to accept neighboring King Ulfius's demand that the wing be replaced with a golden prosthetic arm before Ardwin marries Ulfius's daughter, Ardwin finds he's not ready to give up his burdensome appendage-which confers such gifts as the ability to converse with animals. Pursued by minions of both kings, he sets forth on a quest, first back to the swans . . . on, in a Tolkienesque sequence, to the wizard Belarius (think Daedalus, Gandalf, and Prospero); and then to a gory heroic battle against outsized thugs who have kidnapped the goose-girl Alene . . . Ardwin's homecoming occurs in several stages, with reconciliation its keynote; more important, he's learned that, once controlled, his odd difference is empowering, not only literally as a weapon but as a source of creativity. Like Tolkien's, Martin's language segues agreeably from the courtly to the colloquial, enriching a somewhat message-laden ("Differences are good...I am not cursed at all, but blessed!") yet well-told tale. J.R.L.
THE HORN BOOK

Ardwin grew up with this terrible burden and the others called him a freak, many people were afraid of him, and he came to see the wing as a curse. The wing gives him the power to speak to other animals, so Ardwin decides to leave the palace to find his own way. On his journey Ardwin faces many dangers but also meets special people and creatures who will help him along the way. Can Ardwin find the peace he searches for and find where he truly belongs? An enchanting tale of love, loss and understanding.
KidsBookshelf.com

For the younger reader 12 and up, there's a fantasy tale, Birdwing (Arthur A. Levine Books, Scholastic Inc) by Rafe Martin. It spins the story of a girl who rescued her six brothers from a sorceress who had turned them into swans. All are returned to human form, but one retains a single wing in the place of an arm. When his father, a king, decides to sever the wing, he must flee from him, as well as the sorceress who hunts him still. The theme of course is finding one's true identity, but the story makes the journey a very interesting one.
Bookviews.com

...a wonderful escape for readers who love novels based on fairy tales. The characters are extremely well drawn and the intricate plot echoes the labyrinth created by the magician with the author serving as the glowing string to lead one through to the end.
Genrefluent.com


More ways to learn about Birdwing

Enjoy this author-narrated video by Scholastic that tells of the inspiration for Birdwing!
Birdwing! Video
(10.3MB.swf)

Read an excerpt from Birdwing!

A Personal Letter from Rafe Martin

Arthur A. Levine Books Q & A with Author Rafe Martin

Arthur A. Levine Books Presents Birdwing

Kids Bookshelf interview with Rafe Martin

RECESS RADIO: Listen to a short interview about Birdwing from the perspective of Children's Literature. http://www.recess.ufl.edu/transcripts/2005/1213.shtml



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Order Birdwing NOW in paperback from barnesandnoble.com

BIRDWING
Cover Art by Matt Mahurin
NOW AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK!

NEW BIRDWING soars in paperback! As of February 2007 BIRDWING will be available in an Afterwords Edition, from Scholastic, Inc. $6.99 US/$8.99 CAN. With gorgeous new cover art by noted artist Matt Mahurin. Includes author interview, an entire Grimm's Brothers' tale-- The Goose Girl, retold by Rafe Martin, and more!
ISBN -13: 978-0-439 -21168 -0
ISBN -10: 0-439-21168-9

A more in-depth version of the Afterwords interview with Rafe is now also available at www.arthuralevinebooks.com/birdwing.asp

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OrderAwakening to Zen from amazon.com

Awakening to Zen :
The Teachings of Roshi Philip Kapleau

by Philip Kapleau. Polly Young-Eisendrath, Rafe Martin (Editors)

hen Roshi Philip Kapleau returned to the United States in 1966, after thirteen years of training in Japan with two of the country's greatest masters of Zen, he "did not come home empty-handed -- he brought us a living word of Zen," Kenneth Kraft has said. The first Westerner fully and naturally at home with Zen, Roshi Kapleau has made it his life's work to translate Zen Buddhism into an American idiom, to take Zen's essence and plant it in American soil. Four decades later, the seeds of Zen that Roshi Kapleau planted have blossomed. Zen flourishes and Roshi Kapleau continues to help people find enlightenment and fulfillment within, not outside, their daily lives. "True awakening," Roshi Kapleau has said, "is not a 'high' that keeps one in the clouds of an abstract oneness, but a realization that brings one solidly down to earth into the world of toil and struggle." Kapleau has written a number of books in his lifetime, The Three Pillars of Zen the most well known among them, but the heart of his work, his teachings to his students, has never before been made available.

"Zen master Kapleau has played a key role in establishing American Buddhism, founding the Zen Center in Rochester, New York, and writing such widely influential books as The Three Pillars of Zen. Now readers can experience the spirit of his "live" teachings in this illuminating collection of Kapleau's lectures, writings, and interviews, most previously unavailable to the general public. Spanning the first 30 years of Zen in America, the volume begins with a concise and resonant definition of the essence of Zen, then moves on to cogent discussions of Zen and everyday life, the practice of zazen, or seated meditation, and Zen's perspective on death and dying. Kapleau cautions against the overintellectualizing or -psychologizing of Zen; it is, after all, a spiritual practice, not an abstract theory or method for stress reduction. When asked why Zen Buddhism appeals to Westerners, Kapleau lists several reasons, including "peace, inner and outer, and personal experience as a replacement for abstract conjecture about fundamental questions."
Booklist

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Order The Boy Who Lived With The Seals from amazon.com

A Literary Guild
Alternate Selection

An Editors' Choice, Best Books for Children Award,
Booklist Magazine

A CBC and NCSS Notable Children's Book
in Social Studies


Featured in Newsweek's
Best Children's Books of 1993

The Boy Who Lived with the Seals
Illustrated by David Shannon
G. P. Putnam

Temporarily out of stock...to be reissued in paperback by Yellow Moon Press in 2006)


his companion to the critically acclaimed The Rough-Face Girlpresents a mysterious Native American (Wasco-Chinook) tale of a boy who must follow his own path and find his own way. In so doing, gifts come that benefit the whole community.

"This spare but evocative retelling of a Chinook Indian tale about loss and redemption is powerfully written and grippingly illustrated. . . . An excellent addition to any collection, the book will have wide application across curriculum lines."
Booklist Starred Review.

"This is an exceptionally fine addition to the growing shelf of Native American lore."
School Library Journal

"Another potent Native American offering from a gifted pair."
Publishers Weekly

"Just how a good story should end."
Newsweek

In the heroic style of Martin and Shannon's The Rough-Face Girl (1992), a fairly elaborate expansion of  'a very short story told by the Chinook people of the Northwest Coast.' A little boy playing by the water disappears; his grieving parents don't see him again until, years later, after a woman from another tribe espies him among the seals. Captured, the seal-like boy reluctantly tries to adapt, meanwhile learning to carve exquisitely decorated canoes. Then he escapes once again to the seals; but each year his parents find, as a gift, a beautiful new canoe. Martin's extended text has the yearning, bittersweet tone of tales like the selkie stories, where a character is torn between two worlds. In Shannon's carefully composed paintings, the nobly dignified 'People' are set against backgrounds celebrating the austere beauty of forest and sea. A handsome setting for a satisfyingly dramatic tale."
Kirkus Reviews

"Based on a tale related by the Chinook people of the Northwest Coast, this is a moving account of a young boy who disappears one day while his tribe camps near the great River during their spring migration. Despite the tribe's frantic efforts to locate him, his whereabouts remain a mystery. After the boy reappears among the seals, he is captured and brought back to his home, where he must relearn all that he had once known. A masterful retelling."
The Horn Book
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Order The Boy Who Loved Mammoths in paperback from amazon.com or from Yellowmoon.com

Winner of the Parents' Choice Gold Award

The Boy Who Loved Mammoths
Illustrated by Richard Wehrman
Yellow Moon Press


ere is the story of Will, a boy who believes that mammoths really exist, and who goes out to find one. When Will meets his mammoth in a snowstorm, the real threat of danger clashes with the equally real power of Will's imagination. The magic and delight of this tale is brought to life by the 22 illustrations by award-winning artist Richard Wehrman. With its rich language and penetrating vision, this book will entrance children and adults alike. In short, this story demonstrates the creative power of the imagination, and will inspire readers to have faith in theirs. You can also hear Rafe's told version of this tale on the audiocassette Rafe Martin Tells His Children's Books. This is the original, long literary version of the original story that Rafe turned into his award-winning picture-book Will's Mammoth. The last section of this book is an essay on Rafe's writing process and the origins, from his own childhood, of this award-winning story. A terrific companion to the picture-book version and a wonderful exploration of an author's actual writing process.

"Inspiring words to any young reader or writer."
American Bookseller

"An astounding fantasy!"
Jack Garner, USA Today and Gannett News

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Order The Brave Little Parrot from amazon.com


A Best Children's Book of the Year--Bank Street College Children's Book Committee
The Brave Little Parrot
Illustrated by Susan Gaber
G.P. Putnam


hen a raging fire threatens to burn down the forest, all of the animals run away in fear. All except for one brave little parrot,who has an idea. Help me, she cries to the elephants, beseeching them to fill their trunks with water to spray on the flames. "Help me!" she begs the cheetahs, even as they urge her to flee and save herself. But the brave little parrot will not be daunted. Can the determination and courage of one small bird be enough to save a forest?

"Susan Gaber's majestic illustrations and Rafe Martin's lyrical retelling bring to life an inspiring tale from ancient India that will speak to today's readers. Today, as rain forests burn, this old tale of doing the one little thing you can takes on special meaning." Perseverance saves the day in this graceful retelling of a traditional jataka tale from India. Martin employs a direct, engaging style to tell the story of a small parrot's battle against a raging forest fire....An author's note explains that that jataka tales ...based on the past lives of the Buddha...have been told and retold for 2500 years. This is an elegant continuation of that tradition."
Publishers Weekly

"Children will celebrate the brave little parrot's victory and ask for this story again and again. It's a wonderful choice for reading aloud."
Booklist

"In the story of a god disguised as an eagle that descends to earth to aid a small parrot, Martin offers one of the jataka tales from India, which chronicle the past lives of Buddha. When a forest fire erupts, a little parrot tries to convince the animals of the forest to help put out the fire, but she's told it's hopeless, and to save herself. Even the great eagle--a god who has watched the other gods and goddesses ridicule the parrot--can't dissuade the small bird from her noble effort. Those valiant attempts elicit compassionate tears from him: ``Tears fell from his eyes, fell in torrents, sheet after sheet, like cooling rain, upon the fire,upon the forest, upon the animals, and upon the little parrot.''Needless to say, the tears quench the fire, restoring harmony and beauty, and all the colors of the forest, mirrored in the parrot's new feathers. Readers may recognize aspects of the story from Native American lore, but will be less familiar with the shape-shifting powers of the Buddha. Gaber's jungle landscapes begin with a peaceable kingdom atmosphere, igniting into smoke-filled, flame-licked pages whose brush strokes highlight all the drama. Close-ups of wildlife bring readers face to face with majestic tigers, eagles, elephants, and the earnest, brave-hearted parrot--she'll win hearts with her theatrical heroics."
Kirkus Reviews

"His book doesn't preach . . . It's about seeing what needs to be done and doing it - and changing the world, in ways that can't be imagined, by the power of example. Martin's storytelling is lovely, lyrical, and spare. And the watercolor illustrations, by Susan Gaber, match the story's emotional depth . . . . Few children's books contain an end-page quote from Finnegan's Wake, James Joyce's classic, maddeningly difficult novel. But The Brave Little Parrot does and its perfect: "What bird has done yesterday man may do tomorrow."
Lee Krenis Moore, Rochester Democrat & Chronicle

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Order Dear as Salt from indigo.ca

Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre, 1993

Dear as Salt
Illustrated by Vladyana Krykorkaand
Scholastic Books, Canada

ne of Rafe's lesser-known books, Dear as Salt is a traditional Italian folktale. Though this book is not available in the United States, it may be ordered from Canada from indigo.ca, a leading Canadian online bookseller.

"An Italian Cinderella variant most familiar as 'Cap of Rushes.' The golden, glowing illustrations are in complete harmony with the story's joyful colloquial tone. . . . Martin is thoroughly at home with the folktale idiom. His light consistent diction and assured narrative make this read like a told story, which is a distinct achievement. This version should not only be popular, but should remain in print for an appreciable time."
Quill & Quire
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Order
The Eagle's Gift from amazon.com

The Eagle's Gift
Illustrated by Tatsuro Kiuchi
G.P. Putnam

n this Alaskan Eskimo tale joy comes to the world through the Eagle Mother, the animals, and the arts, which build community. It is also a story about the importance of storytelling and the illustrations--oil paintings all-are simply gorgeous.


"Storytellers and readers looking for stories with inspirational currency will wish to purchase this eloquent retelling."
School Library Journal

"This moving, dignified story is paired with majestic paintings that capture the natural beauty of the landscape as well as the exultation of the people as they learn to come together in friendship and community to bring festivity into their difficult lives."
Booklist

"In this Eskimo myth that explains the origin of community celebration, a boy is transported by an Eagle-man to a mountaintop where frail Eagle Mother charges Marten to complete four tasks in order to learn the meaning of joy and teach it to his people . . . As Marten completes each task, Eagle Mother grows stronger until she is restored. Marten's quest completed, Eagle Mother commands him to return to his own people. Through him, they learn the joy of friendship, singing, dancing, and storytelling . . . The tale is solemnized by the simple but elegant language of a polished storyteller . . . A respectful Author's Note attributes the tale to the recognized authority Knud Rasmussen. Kiuchi's neo-impressionist paintings range from the cold sweep of Arctic landscape to the earthy interior of a feast hall filled with the moving shadows of dancers, singers and drummers. This ancient myth has origins in a harsh world where life is endless toil; it will also resonate in modern culture where striving and lack of community make the gift of joy elusive. Storytellers and readers looking for works with inspirational currency will wish to purchase this eloquent retelling."
School Library Journal

". . . affirms the universal values of imagination, creativity, and comradeship in a heartwarming ode to joy."
San Francisco Examiner & Chronicle
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Order Foolish Rabbit's Big Mistake from amazon.com

ALA Notable Children's Book

Horn Book Fanfare Book

A "Pick of the List Book," American Bookseller

Foolish Rabbit's Big Mistake
Illustrated by Ed Young
G.P. Putnam


afe's retelling of a well-known jataka tale which illustrates how jumping to conclusions can lead to trouble. It is the story of how a little rabbit misinterprets a loud crash, and how a brave lion's common sense restores order to chaos. It is, essentially, a story about fears and rumors, and ultimately of courage. A funny, rhythmic beautiful picture book about courage and facing fears - with a very happy ending.

"Recommended for all of us, grown or not, who have anything in common with the foolish rabbit."
School Library Journal Starred Review

"This Jataka tale from India, a forerunner of Chicken Little and Henny-Penny, tells the story of a little rabbit who has fears about the end of the world. . . . Young's illustrations for this ancient story are quite glorious. . . . The artist blends magnificent, rich colorings that form shapes and shadows giving his artwork a highly original look. An excellent presentation that is especially well-suited for story hour."
Booklist Starred Review

" . . . one of the great all-time series of double-page spreads. . . . A gem for reading aloud."
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Starred Review

"Remarkable scenes described by ... a renowned oral storyteller."
Publishers Weekly

" . . . characters that seem to be sculpted in color."
Horn Book Starred Review

Guess who loves Foolish Rabbit?
Check out this link:

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1291&dept_id=523588&newsid=11078938&PAG=461&rfi=9

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Order The Hungry Tigress in paperback from amazon.com
or from Yellowmoon.com

Anne Izard Storyteller's Choice Award

The Hungry Tigress
Yellow Moon Press, 1999

n this definitive edition, completely updated and rewritten with expanded commentaries and two new sections, Rafe Martin brings together a fascinating array of stories from the Buddhist tradition. The previous edition, published by Parallax Press, won an Anne Izard Storyteller's Choice Award, and the stories have been anthologized in collections such as Soul Food, Best-Loved Stories Told at the National Storytelling Festival, and Peace Tales.

Told and developed by Rafe over many years, these stories include legends of the historical Buddha's birth, life, and enlightenment as well as traditional jataka tales stories of the Buddha in his former births, often appearing in animal form. A section of later tales contains original stories by Rafe, two of which, "Kogi, the Priest" and "Digit," can be heard in told versions on his tapes Ghostly Tales of Japan and Animal Dreaming. In many of these seemingly simple tales, wise animals teach humans important lessons about the central Buddhist principles of wisdom, heroic action, nonviolence and compassion. From the familiar legend of the Buddha's Enlightenment, to the title story of a tenderhearted prince who offers his body to a starving tigress and her cubs, to a twentieth-century tale based on the heroic act of a World War II pilot, these stories are imbued with deep interest in the natural world and empathy for all things living. A complete section of detailed commentaries provides essential background information and analysis of each story.

In addition, two thoughtful essays explore the relevance of jataka tales to us today, and how the stories can be used to teach and guide our lives. The book artfully draws together Buddhist scholarship, story-as-teaching, folktales, and myth into what is both an engaging story book and an informative resource, sure to delight and enlighten all readers. Winner of an Anne Izard Storyteller's Choice Award as "one of the most outstanding books for storytelling."

"A book to delight young and old alike."
UPI

"Fierce, poignant, mysterious--these tales rouse our deepest ethical concerns."
Kenneth Kraft, author of Zen:Tradition and Transition

"Its gentle, wise stories offer a world view that provides an excellent springboard for discussion of personal and communal responsibility.... If you are interested in books that plant powerful ecological messages begin with The Hungry Tigress."
The Yarnspinner


"An important book. One of the few today to teach Buddhism the traditional way - from the depth of its mythic vision."
Roshi Philip Kapleau, author of The Three Pillars of Zen

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Order The Language of Birds from amazon.com

A Junior Library Guild Selection

"Parent's Guide to Children's Media" Award

Nominee for the 2003 Indiana Young Hoosier Book Award

The Language of Birds
Illustrated by Susan Gaber
G. P. Putnam, 2000


van and Vasilii are as different as brothers can be. When their father sends them out to prove themselves in the wide world, Vasilii is only out for himself, while Ivan approaches the future with a generous heart. When a thoughtful gesture saves the life of a baby bird, Ivan is granted a wish from the bird's mother. "I wish to always understand the language of the birds," he says. And so it is.

Their father and Vasilii mock this humble gift and laugh at the messages Ivan relates from the birds, even when they warn of danger. It's not until Vasilii is threatened with death that the magnitude of Ivan's previous gift is fully appreciated.

"In this resonant retelling of a Russian folktale a rich merchant has two sons: Vasilii, the elder who squanders his money on every pleasure, and Ivan, who rescues a baby bird. The bird's grateful mother grants Ivan a wish--to understand the language of the birds--which saves the brothers....Satisfying on many levels."
Booklist

"A strong text underscores this picture-book retelling of a traditional Russian folktale.... Martin does an excellent job of creating a text that is both evocative and descriptive. With its positive description of humans working with nature, this title should have uses beyond most picture-book adaptions of Russian folklore."
School Library Journal

"This is an unusually robust, inviting folktale setting and Martin peoples it with amiable characters headed for an even more amiable conclusion."
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

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Order The Monkey Bridge from amazon.com

The Monkey Bridge
Illustrated by Fahimeh Amiri
Knopf, 1997


"From the renowned author of The Rough-Face Girl comes an exquisitely rendered version of one of India's best-loved tales, about what it means to be a king. Having studied the Buddhist tradition for many decades, Martin is at his best in this fable of how a king's greed put a tribe of monkeys in mortal danger, while a monkey king's sacrifice restores peace to his kingdom. Full-color illustrations."
Ingram

"This Buddhist Jataka tale concerns the monkeys who feast on the Treasure Tree fruit and the human king who seeks to kill the monkeys and steal the fruit. When the human king sees the Monkey King selflessly risk his life to save his comrades, he learns a lesson in leadership and altruism. The eloquent tale is accompanied by busy, colorful pictures presented within attractive borders. -- Copyright © 1997 The Horn Book, Inc. All rights reserved."
Horn Book

"In this traditional Buddhist folktale from India, humans learn from the animals: the monkey king's action and wisdom serve as a model for the king of the humans. Amiri's detailed, richly colored illustrations convey a distinct sense of place. Young children will enjoy spotting the monkeys spilling over the decorative borders, and the convincing story line and large cast of supporting characters make this an excellent choice for readers' theater or creative drama."
Karen Morgan, Booklist

"The illustrations mimic the style of Indian miniatures, but are larger and more expressive; these monkeys aren't decorative--they kiss, tickle, and groom each other. Their individuality suits this lyrical story and its emphasis not on a leader's rank, but on the qualities of the leader that prove him deserving of his position. (Picture book/folklore. 4-7)"
Kirkus Reviews

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Order Mysterious Tales of Japan from amazon.com

Anne Izard Storyteller’s Choice Award

ALA Notable Book

Æsop Accolade

Award of the
American
Folklore Society

Mysterious Tales of Japan
Illustrated by Tatsuro Kiuchi
G. P. Putnam

collection of ten of Rafe's favorite Japanese folktales draws readers into an eerie, beautiful world that is not so different from our own with such stories as the romantic "Green Willow" and the suspenseful "Ho-ichi the Earless." An excellent alternative to the many horror books now marketed to children. While often eerie and mysterious, these tales are beautiful, elegant, and touch the imagination deeply. With introduction, sources, notes.

"This lyrically written collection is a wondrous introduction to tales that may be unfamiliar to children."
Kirkus Reviews Pointer Review

"Some of these ten stories, such as "The Boy Who Drew Cats," will be familiar to readers; others will not. But all the tales are characterized by an eerie beauty. In his introduction, Martin explains this quality as peculiarly Japanese, with roots in the Shinto and Buddhist views of life. Most of the tales focus on the spiritual powers within nature. A woman falls in love with a pine tree; a man marries a dangerous snow maiden; a priest is granted a wish to live three days as a carp. The theme of kindness repaid occurs frequently but with a twist of bittersweet loss unusual in Western folklore. Several stories are ghost tales, but even those are haunting rather than horrifying. Every tale is headed with a haiku and illustrated with one black-and-white drawing and one color plate. As with his earlier work The Rough-Face Girl (1992), Martin's interpretations linger long in the mind."
Booklist

"A journey into a moral landscape of great power and subtlety. "
Los Angeles Times Sunday Book Review

Shivery, mysterious, and cool as moonlight, these retellings respect both their sources and their audience, while doing what stories do best -- entertain.
School Library Journal, Starred Review

"The ten wonderfully, eerily told tales [Martin] shares here rely not on terror for impact but on enigma, subtlety, moral implication and taut storytelling.... Ages 8-up."
Publishers Weekly

"These mysterious stories draw the reader into an eerie, beautiful world....This wonderful collection is also richly illustrated."
Asian Journal

"All the tales are characterized by an eerie beauty.... Most of the tales focus on the spiritual powers in nature.... As with his earlier work The Rough-Face Girl Martin's interpretations linger long in the mind."
Booklist

"Nicely retold and handsomely illustrated."
New York Times Sunday Book Review

"Martin's retellings are colloquial, lively, very accessible, and really do send the shiver up the spine ....This is ideal for individual reading or read-alouds."
San Francisco Chronicle

"Influenced to a large extent by American writer Lafcadio Hearn, the author has brought together ten tales, of which seven are based on Hearn's versions. Though replete with ghosts and spirits, the tales are gently told where possible so that the collection assumes a quietly eerie tone. The harsh consequences of broken promises are not forgotten, however, and several of the lead characters are dead by tale's end. The softly hued paintings, glowing with blues and golds, focus on the key figure of each tale. The sources for the tales are carefully documented, and additional comments by the author relate personal experiences that affected his retellings."
The Horn Book


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Order One Hand Clapping from amazon.com


Winner of
Storytelling World's 1996
Anthologies Award

One Hand Clapping : Zen Stories for All Ages
by Rafe Martin and Manuela Soares
Illustrated by Junko Morimoto
Rizzoli, 1995

he stories in this collection come from the Zen Buddhist tradition, from tales told by the Buddha himself to anecdotes from the lives of the Zen masters of China and Japan who helped pass on the Buddha's teachings. These stories reflect the wisdom, directness, and spontaneity for which Zen is known.

"This thought-provoking collection, designed for 'the tender heart children and adults naturally share,' provides a window onto the contemplative nature of Buddhism. The selections offer many layers of meaning for different levels of interest . . . Like beads on a necklace, the stories are strung together and unified by Morimoto's (My Hiroshima) agile illustrations . . . Gracefully compiled and beautifully designed, this is a one-of-a-kind book. All ages."
Publisher's Weekly

"Though Martin and Soares have selected 18 anecdotes from the lives and writings of the Zen Masters with young readers in mind, most pieces have layers of meaning that may only be revealed after shared reading and discussion. . . Nonetheless they shine with the humor, drama, and apparent paradox that characterizes much of Zen teaching. . . [a] lovely, lively gathering."
Kirkus Reviews

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Order The Rough-Face Girl in hard cover from amazon.com



Order The Rough-Face Girl in paperback from amazon.com

1995 Virginia State Reading Association
Young Readers Award

Golden Sower Award, 1994

1994-5 Georgia Children's Picture Storybook Award

IRA Teacher's Choice Award, 1993

Child Study Children's Book Committee "Children's Book of the Year 1993"

1993 Association of Booksellers for Children Booksellers' Choice Award

Pick of the Lists,
American Bookseller

1993-94 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master Reading List

Utah 1995 Children's Picture Book
Award Nominee

Children's Book
Award Nominee,
North Carolina
Library Association

The Rough-Face Girl
Illustrated by David Shannon
G. P. Putnam, 1992

Also available in paperback

n award-winning recreation of a classic Native American (Algonquin) Indian Cinderella, this is a mysterious, magical, powerful book. Many of Rafe's readers call it their favorite of his books, and it has won much recognition in the world of children's literature. It is the Cinderella we all know, but bears no resemblance to the Disney version.

"There are many versions of the Cinderella story, but none is more eloquent or affecting -- or more strikingly illustrated."
Parent's Magazine

"... a welcome rediscovery of an American Indian Cinderella variant whose heroine is both a religious mystic and a seeker after true love."
Newsweek

"Martin's retelling is spare but never dry; the two sisters are richly comic figures, the climax and ending uncontrived yet magically romantic. . . . A strong distinctive tale with art to match."
Kirkus Reviews, Pointer Review

"This is a story for those of us who have anguished over the invasion of Walt Disney into Native America....This [is a] story of mystery, true hearts, and love. You and yours will enjoy it."
Winona La Duke, Indigenous Woman Magazine

"Simply in the words of an oral storyteller, Martin retells an Algonquin folktale... Shannon's finely crafted ... paintings ... embody the full flavor of the story.... this is a splendid read-aloud."
School Library Journal

"The text contains the cadences and rhythms of oral language, and the illustrations, dark and vivid, use earth tones and shadows to convey the drama of the text. A well-told tale in a handsome format."
The Horn Book

"[This] Cinderella story ... from Algonquin Indian folklore....is bound to startle any Disney-raised child.... there's a mysticism and depth to this version that take it to a plane far beyond Disney."
Providence Journal-Bulletin

"In this powerful retelling of a Native-American Cinderella story, the Rough-Face Girl, the youngest of three daughters, is so named because years of tending the fire have scarred her face and arms. She earns the love of and the right to marry the powerful Invisible Being by seeing him in the beauty of the earth around her. The text contains the cadences and rhythms of oral language, and the illustrations, dark and vivid, use earth tones and shadows to convey the drama."
The Horn Book

"The Rough-Face Girl is a wonder."
Nancy Willard, Newberry Award-Winner

Additional accolades for The Rough-Face Girl:
Pennsylvania Children's Book Award Nominee
Flickertail Book Award Nominee
USA TODAY 's "best children's books for summer reading"
Newsweek's "best children's books of 1992"
ABC-Radio's "Mrs. Bush's Thanksgiving Storytime Special"
PBS-TV series STORYTIME

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Order in Hardcover The Shark God from amazon.com

Order in Paperback The Shark God from amazon.com

Nominated for the 2004 Virginia Young Readers State Award.

Selected among the most outstanding books of 2001 (from a field of 7,023 juvenile titles) by the Los Angeles Best Books program

Winner of the Wisconsin Golden Archer Award

Selected as an HONORS AWARD WINNER by the 2001 National Association of Parenting Publications Awards

Winner of a National Parenting Publications Award

"A real find for story hours and individual readers as well."
-The Horn Book

The Shark God
Illustrated by David Shannon
Arthur A. Levine Books
Scholastic

Back in print!! Beautiful new, Scholastic Bookshelf, paperback edition.
Boys respond especially to this story of courage and justice!
ISBN-10: 059039570X, ISBN-13: 978-0590395700


powerful, mysterious, and very beautiful ancient Hawaiian flood-tale of compassion and justice, magnificently (truly!) illustrated by the always astonishing David Shannon.

The Shark God has been "selected to be among the most outstanding books of 2001 in the annual Los Angeles Best Books program, a partnership of the Los Angeles Unified School District Library Services and the Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group of the International Reading Association." It was one of the only 4 books selected in Folklore. "The selections for the 2001 list were made from a total of 7,023 juvenile titles published in 2001." "The announcement of these outstanding books is being made at the annual International Reading Association Convention this year (2003) in Orlando."

"Based on an ancient legend from Hawaii, this story is sufficiently unfamiliar and suspenseful to have appeal for storytellers and readers alike. The setting is a tropical island ruled by an unfeeling despot; the catalytic characters are a brother and sister who manage to rescue a rope-entangled shark despite the indifference of their neighbors, who are as callous as the king. When in their exuberance the children violate the rules and touch the king's drum, they are arrested and condemned to death. In exasperation, their parents seek out the shark god, depicted as a monumental man with a tattoo of a shark's open jaws on his back. Moved by their story, the god engineers the family's rescue and the destruction of their unworthy neighbors in a stunning cataclysm of wind, waves, and clouds. The figures of the god and the king--particularly the former--are in the tradition of Oceanic art; there are echoes of Gauguin in page composition. Shannon's dark palette is well suited to the overall tone, lightening effectively as the family sails to a new and more inviting land. The appended author's note is informative and detailed.... Given the fact that sharks are a source of endless fascination among children, this is a real find for story hours and individual readers as well."
Horn Book

"Once again Martin and Shannon, author and illustrator of The Rough-Face Girl, have teamed up for another brilliantly written and designed book. This little known Hawaiian legend is full of suspense and should easily capture the attention of a wide age range. The detailed and brightly colored paintings effectively convey the Hawaiian culture as well as the power of the Shark God and could be used quite nicely with large groups. Children with a general interest in sharks will also enjoy this title."
Featured Book Review -- The Shy Librarian. Reviewed by Orvella Fields

"The winning partnership that created The Rough-Faced Girl (1992) reunites with this dramatic, beautifully illustrated adaptation of an ancient Hawaiian legend. After rescuing a shark near their tropical island--no thanks to their hard-hearted neighbors--a jubilant brother and sister can't resist playing the king's drum--a strictly taboo act, punishable by death. The pitiless king is unrelenting in his sentence, and the children's parents seek solace from the wise but wrathful Shark God, who destroys the island's population with a flood reminiscent of Noah's story, saving only the children and their parents and sending them off to a new life on another island with a kinder king. In text and images, the story creates a potent sense of atmosphere, power, and suspense. Young ones will feel the roaring Shark God's murky lair, see his "strong, sharp, white teeth," and sense his ferocious omnipotence, impressively portrayed in vibrant paintings reminiscent of Gauguin and perfectly composed for large groups. In a concluding note, the author describes how he toned down the original for a young audience. Even with his alterations, this powerful tale will rivet children ready for a little terror and some heavy but well-handed morality. Great cover, too."
Booklist, November 1, 2001: STARRED REVIEW

"The creators of Rough-Face Girl (1992) and The Boy Who Lived with the Seals (1993) ...get together for another strongly told, strikingly illustrated folktale. Detailing his own additions in an appended note, Martin reworks an old Hawaiian myth into a story of mercy rewarded. Shannon peoples his island scenes with sturdy, tattooed, mahogany-skinned figures but Kauhuhu [the Shark God] magnificently huge and ferocious, is by far the most powerful presence here: human in form but with silver skin, decidedly shark-like features, and an immense toothy mouth tattooed across his shoulder blades...there's enough joy, terror and drama here to captivate any reader or listener."
Kirkus Reviews September 1, 2001: STARRED REVIEW

"Combining threads from a Hawaiian legend and his own creative imagination Martin has woven a tale of two kind-hearted children who aid a shark in distress.... Shannon's vigorous illustrations provide a dramatic backdrop for this well-told tale of cruelty and compassion.... From the vivid cover depicting the Shark God assuming a gigantic human form to the laughing sound of the royal drum as the liberated family sails off to their new home, this is a winning package."
School Library Journal, September 2001


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Order A Storyteller's Story from amazon.com

A Storyteller's Story
Illustrated by Jill Krementz
Richard C. Owen Publishers

http://www.RCOwen.com/MTA-RafeMartin.htm

hotos by award-winning author and photographer Jill Krementz (A Very Young Dancer, A Very Young Rider and many others) illustrate this look into the life of a professional storyteller and children's author. Rafe shares his day, his life, his travels, his work, and describes his writing process.

"Though more children are doing author studies in school, there's a lack of materials....This refreshing book combines good, simple writing and appealing photographs with an idea whose time has come."
Booklist

"Just the ticket for those librarian-perplexing assignments for autobiographies."
Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books

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Order The Storytelling Princess in hardcover from amazon.com

And The Storytelling Princess in paperback from amazon.com


Winner 2004
Storytelling
World Award
Honor Title


Junior Library Guild Selection

The Storytelling Princess
Illustrated by Kim Root
G. P. Putnam

Also available in paperback



n this original, wild and wacky comedy of lost and found identities, destinies unfolding, and compelling storytelling no one really knows the ending of the tale.

"A prince who loves to read and a princess who craves adventure fly in the face of parental authority when informed of their arranged marriage.... Though the prince finally agrees to marry "someone who can tell me a story whose ending I don't know," the princess steadfastly proclaims, "I'd rather be washed overboard in a storm at sea." Fate intervenes...and throws them together...not knowing that each is the other's intended. Told in the language and structure of a traditional tale, the story has many motifs that will be familiar to readers who will, ironically sense the ending long before it is clear to the prince. That predictability is nonetheless genuinely satisfying, as there are enough elements of excitement and energy within the action and the telling to engage and maintain children's attention."
School Library Journal, September 2001

"The handsome prince loves books, and the princess is daring and smart. Martin brings them together in an inventive fairy tale with a modern twist: one of them is a teller of tales; the other is a listener in search of a story with a surprise ending. The pictures are as warm and winning as the story."
Named to Booklist's list of Top 10 Youth Romances for 2001!

"Enchanting!"
The Boston Herald

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Order Straight to The Heart of Zen from amazon.com

Straight to The Heart of Zen
Philip Kapleau
Rafe Martin (Editor)
Shambhala Publications

ne of the greatest aids to spiritual advancement was invented in China over a thousand years ago. We know it by its Japanese name, the koan, which Zen master Philip Kapleau describes as a direct and profound presentation of the truth. Koans, by design, are difficult to understand but can afford giant leaps toward enlightenment. As such, they are best taken one at a time and in limited quantity, which is how Kapleau presents them in Straight to the Heart of Zen. Each of the 11 chapters concerns a single koan. We learn about the background of the characters in the koan , and why they speak and respond the way they do. We also learn other relevant details that are sorely lacking in the original, pithy accounts but that were assumed to be common knowledge by the original authors. Although koans are traditionally used by monks, Kapleau selects his for lay practitioners. In addition to offering historical background, Kapleau draws on his own spiritual insight to help the reader penetrate the koan, which makes Straight to the Heart of Zen a clear choice for advanced students.
--Brian Bruya, Editorial Reviews, Amazon.com


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Order The Twelve Months from amazon.com

2001 Honor Title, Storytelling World Award, Stories for Pre-Adolescent Listeners

Recipient of a 2001 Christie Award

The Twelve Months
Illustrated by Vladyana Krykorka
Stoddart Kids, a division of Stoddart Publishing, Ltd


his Slavic "Cinderella" explores the magic and mystery of time and the seasons, and the ripening consequences of two opposing paths in life--one, compassionate and true, the other selfish and fraudulent. Guess which one wins out in the end? Like Dear as Salt, also illustrated by Vladyana Krykorka, this title is available only in Canada or through a Canadian on line book service.












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Order Will's Mammoth from amazon.com

ALA Notable Book

SLJ Best Books
of the Year

Horn Book Fanfare Book

Child Study
Association
Books of the Year

First on Time
Magazine's list of
"The Year's Twelve
Outstanding Works for
Children", 1989

ALA Best of the
Best for Children

Will's Mammoth

Illustrated by Stephen Gammell
Also available in paperback


afe Martin understands the power of imagination and its importance in growing up. In a few words he brings to life Will, a boy who believes in his mammoth. Will loves big woolly mammoths. Even when his parents tell him that there aren't any mammoths left, that doesn't stop Will. Climbing on top of a giant boulder, Will takes off on his own woolly mammoth, and the adventures begin. Dazzling illustrations sweep the reader into a breathtaking, colorful, prehistoric world.

"Will has a perfectly splendid day riding his mammoth at the head of the mammoth herd. This simple exercise of the imagination is electrified by the splotchy, snowy, wildly energetic illustrations. A triumph of mammoth mania."
The Horn Book

"A marvelous imaginary journey that will strike a responsive chord in young and old alike."
School Library Journal Starred Review

"From Gammell's imaginatively lettered title page to the last sighting of young Will, sound asleep and dreaming of his favorite subject, this is a rare treasure of a book. . . . A paean to imaginative play that should be around as long as the mammoth has been gone.
Kirkus Reviews, Pointer Review

"One winter morning, Will's mother and father inform him that his favorite fauna, the woolly mammoth, is extinct. But the boy knows better. Squinting his eyes, he manages to conjure up the prehistoric past, complete with saber -- toothed tigers, early versions of horse, warthogs, and of course, the elephant's tusky ancestor . . . Stephen Gammell augments Rafe Martin's whimsical text with celebrations of early mammals, snow and that greatest of all time machines, a child's imagination."
Time Magazine

"Radiant invention in a small epic of the imagination."
Publishers Weekly



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Order The World Before This One: A Novel in Legend from amazon.com


Winner 2004
Storytelling
World Award
Winning Title

Selected for
New York
Public Library
List of the
"100 Books for
Reading and Sharing"
-- also known as
The New York
Public Library's
List of the
"100 Best Books
of the Year!"





























































Order The World Before This One: A Novel in Legend
NOW in
paperback from
barnesandnoble.com

The World Before This One: A Novel in Legend
Illustrated by Calvin Nicholls
Arthur A. Levine Books
Scholastic, 2002

Also available in paperback. (See below)


oven together of vibrant recreations of traditional Iroquois (Seneca) tales from Rafe's own home ground--Rochester, N.Y. -this novel-length book explores the profound role and transformative power of stories in our lives and communities--and tell lots of good stories! (Rafe has told some of these stories in an actual Iroquois longhouse at Ganondagan, New York State Historic and Sacred Seneca site in Victor, N.Y.).

Ages 9-12. In a time before stories Crow, a young Seneca boy, and his grandmother have been cast out of the community. They struggle to find enough food to survive and make it through the harsh winters. One day as Crow is hunting birds he's startled by a voice he hears coming from a boulder. The boulder tells Crow many wonderful stories of a life before this one, and each day Crow returns to hear more stories. But when Crow returns home he has very little food with and his grandmother becomes suspicious. She fears something evil has a hold on Crow and plans to put an end to it. But will she succeed before Crow discovers his own destiny within the clan? A powerful story of folklore and legend with beautiful paper sculptures.
Kids Bookshelf.com

Gr. 5-8. Working with a council of Seneca elders, storyteller Martin created a collection of folktales that reads like a novel. After being shunned by their community, young Gaqka (Crow) and his grandmother retreat to the woods, where Gaqka learns to hunt and where he encounters an enchanted storytelling stone that tells about "the world before this one." Gaqka's hunting suffers when he begins to visit the stone daily, and his worried grandmother sends spies who, like her grandson, also fall under the stone's spell. Eventually, the whole village recognizes the power of stories, and Gaqka, as storyteller, returns as an esteemed member of his community. In the stone's voice, Martin retells the ancient tales in language that is both spare and exciting, deftly folding them into the novel's compelling framing story that is based on a Seneca legend. Nichols' expertly cut paper sculptures, elegant and minimal, don't overpower the stories. Peter Jemison, a Seneca elder, introduces the book, and an extensive author's note offers more cultural background and source information. A highly readable, intriguing novel about northern Native American traditions, for both curricular support and pleasure reading.
Gillian Engberg Copyright © American Library Association.
All rights reserved
Booklist

"Written in the style of a novel, this collection of 14 Seneca tales is presented through the retelling of one central story into which all the others are artfully woven. Each story has been carefully selected for its perti