Showing results by author "Martha Hamilton" in All Categories

Did you ever look carefully at a spider's webs? Did you ever wonder what causes thunder and lighting? Why do dogs chase cats? Why does it look like there's a man in the moon? In this delightful recording of tales from around the world, each story explains why an animal, plant, or natural object looks or acts the way it does.

During a long drought in Australia, Tree Kangaroo and Koala grow thirsty for water. When Tree Kangaroo remembers how he and his mother survived a similar drought by digging a hole for water, their problems seem to be solved. Koala creates excuses to rest and be lazy while Tree Kangaroo works hard to dig the well. When water begins to fill the hole, Koala forgets to share and loses his tail and a friend! Illustrated by Tom Wrenn.

In this story from Russia, two frog sisters learn the truth of that old saying, "It ain't over 'til it's over" - or, "The opera isn't over until the fat frog sinks." Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss, the team that brought us The Hidden Feast and Noodlehead Stories, put their noodles together to bring us this delightful tale of exploration and perseverance.

When the barnyard animals are invited to a party by their neighbors, they dress in their Sunday best and set off for a day of merriment. But when dinnertime arrives, the famished animals are perplexed to find a simple meal of cornbread. Most of them are polite, but Rooster turns his beak up in disgust and rudely leaves the party, missing the treasures hidden for the guests.

In this chain story from Cuba, Rooster learns that he needs a lot of help to get cleaned up for Heron's party. Illustrated by Baird Hoffmire.

In this story from Peru, we meet a baker who is so stingy that he wants to charge people just for smelling his baked goods. When the baker takes his case to court, the wise judge decides to teach the greedy man a well-deserved lesson. Illustrated by Tom Wrenn.