Francis Blake – illustratör

Meet Mr. Mosquito, drawn from a Gypsy story. He''s cantankerous and nasty enough to raise belly laughs along with the eyebrows of the polite. In a story inspired by Australian bush tales, we meet Ella and Bella, two hilarious (and flatulent) sisters. Angelina''s earthy wit is memorialized in a story from Swahili tradition.The eight stories in Rude Stories have roots from Japan to Canada, from Africa to Eastern Europe, but they all share a sense of irreverence, and, because they are the work of a true storyteller, they beg to be read aloud, told aloud and shared. Francis Blake''s hilarious askew art brings the characters to life in this spicy stew of international stories to satisfy every child''s appetite for the deliciously absurd.From the Hardcover edition.

• Why are Americans superstitious about two-dollar bills?• Why do we have twelve months in a year instead of ten, or six, or even twenty?• Why do we celebrate foolishness on the first day of April?• Why is yawning contagious?• Why is the number thirteen considered to be unlucky in so many different cultures?The A to Z of Everyday Things tells the surprising stories behind twenty-six seemingly ordinary objects and activities. From calendars and money to tulips and sideburns, this book uses commonplace items to explore the rich but often overlooked cultural history of our everyday lives. In the end, The A to Z of Everyday Things offers us a picture of modern life and how we got here in a funny, quirky, and highly readable form.

Jan Andrews draws on folk stories from around the world to build her newest collection of tales, rife with humor and tingling with action. Cleverly threaded together by verses describing the arrival of unbidden stories that enter boldly through the door and stay just long enough to have their say, these tales have been rendered anew by a master storyteller. In “Jesper and the Jackrabbits,” simple wits add up to wonderful wisdom — and rich reward. “Jacinth Wins Words” will spark hilarity, as two sisters compete with surprising and malodorous weapons. The cumulative “Cat and Mouse Tale” is nonsensical fun while “Jacinth Finds Fear” points up what is really important and worth dwelling on. “Jane Saves the Day” is one-upmanship at its best and demonstrates just how powerful underdogs can be. A wonderful addition to anyone’s library, Stories at the Door points up our human foibles in the nicest of ways and reminds us all not to take ourselves too seriously. Highly amusing drawings peppered throughout heighten the experience all the more.