Paul Robert Walker

Jacket illustration by James Bernardin

Contents


• Rumpelstiltskin (Germany)
• One-Inch Boy (Japan)
• My Friend, the Nisse (Denmark)
• The Capture of Summer (North America)
• People of the Rock (South Africa)
• The Golden Ball (Wales)
• Laka and the Menehune (Hawaiian Islands)
• The Red-Ribbon Leprechaun (Ireland)

Other Books in the Walker-Bernardin Folkore Series


LITTLE FOLK: Stories from Around the World

Illustrated by James Bernardin
Harcourt Brace • 1997

ISBN 0-15-200327-4 • OSI
80 pages • 8 1/2 x 11• Ages 8-12

American Bookseller Pick of the Lists
Storytelling World Honor Book

Having conquered the Giants (1995), Walker takes on the pixies in this first-rate companion book. . . . Each tale is accompanied by a classically styled full-page acrylic painting, as well as a smaller drawing. The extensive bibliography of sources, along with the detailed notes that follow each tale, is a testament to Walker's scholarship. The comparative, analytical introduction serves as a fine model for students of children's literature and folklore.
—Booklist

Lucid, lively storytelling; thoughtful and informative source notes; and an attractive format combine in this entirely appealing collection of eight stories about "little folk." . . . Walker's retellings are as sprightly as the creatures he describes. . . . Bernardin's vivid acrylic paintings and colored pencil sketches highlight the text, often employing unusual perspective to emphasize the subject of the tale. A perfect pick to read aloud or alone.
—School Library Journal

For centuries, tales of little folk have delighted people all over the world. No matter what these mysterious little creatures are called—fairies, dwarfs, elves, pixies, brownies, hobgoblins, or nunus—they are said to possess magical powers. Some find their power in their wit, others in their ability to change form, and still others in their name.

In Little Folk, Paul Robert Walker retells eight of these fanciful tales, drawing from a variety of sources and cultures, with energetic and amusing illustrations by James Bernardin. From Japan's brave Issun Boshi, who stands just one inch high, and Denmark's mischievous nisse to Hawaii’s hard-working Menehune and Ireland's crafty leprechaun, this collection of folktales explores the wide range of stories told about the little folk who once shared our world—and maybe still do!


Selected Works

*Narrative Nonfiction
THE FEUD THAT SPARKED THE RENAISSANCE: How Brunelleschi and Ghiberti Changed the Art World
The story of two brilliant artists whose lifelong conflict jumpstarted the Renaissance in Quattrocento Florence.
American History / Photography
REMEMBER THE ALAMO: Texians, Tejanos, and Mexicans Tell Their Stories
The story of the battle in the context of the Texas Revolution, told through eyewitness accounts and powerful historical images. Ages 10 and up.
REMEMBER LITTLE BIGHORN: Indians, Soldiers, and Scouts Tell Their Stories
The compelling story of the battle told though eyewitness accounts and striking historical images. Ages 10 and up.
TRUE TALES OF THE WILD WEST
Ten true stories of the American western experience written in an appealing narrative style. Ages 10-14.
THE SOUTHWEST: Gold, God, & Grandeur
Eleven thousand years of human history among the sun-baked deserts, canyons, rivers, and mountains of what is now the American Southwest.
Biography
PRIDE OF PUERTO RICO The Life of Roberto Clemente
The inspiring story of a Hall of Famer who rose from poverty in Puerto Rico to set new standards of excellence and integrity on and off the field. Ages 8-12.
Educational Publishing
AMERICAN FOLKTALES series
Five folktale collections representing five regions of the United States

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