Elderberry Tales

When her two older brothers fail to return from the quest to find the healing waters of the magic lake at the end of the world, Ampata decides to head out on her own - and makes an important choice along the way. 

An Incan folktale, retold by Elaine L. Lindy of Stories to Grow By, used by permission. 

When Mama Lion steals Mama Ostrich's chicks to raise as her own, Mama Ostrich sets out to find another animal willing to stand up to the fierce lioness.

Adapted by Elaine L. Lindy from the story, "The Story of the Ostrich Chicks," from the book, The Masai: Their Language and Folklore, by A.C. Hollis (Oxford, 1905) p. 198. Copyright Elaine L. Lindy ©2002.. Used with permission from Stories To Grow By.

 

Image Giacomo Zanni from Pixabay

When Tante Adela discovers a skunk in her oven, it will take the entire village to figure out how to - very carefully - remove it. 

This French Canadian tale was adapted by Stories to Grow By, and is used here with permission. Visit Stories to Grow By for more tales that entertain and build character. 

High in the Andes mountains of Peru lives a frog that is not like the other frogs. When she discovers a girl held prisoner by a condor, her compassion compells her to take a big risk and help the girl. Will they both be able to escape? How will this chance encounter transform their lives?

This traditional tale is adapted by Elaine L. Lindy and is part of the Stories to Grow By collection, used here with permission. Visit the Stories to Grow By website for a wealth of stories that entertain and inspire, and encourage character growth for children. 

When Deer goes missing, her friends Turtle, Rat, and Crow work together to find her and help her escape. 

This classic story has it's origins in the Panchatantra, and has been adapted by Elaine L. Lindy from Rev. W. Knatchbull's 1818 work "Fables of Bidpai". Published on the website Stories to Grow By, it is used here with permission. 

Rejected by his first love, a young man moves to a deserted island. When he catches a mermaid, she offers him a magic ring that will give him a second chance at love - but will he take it?

This story is part of the Stories to Grow By collection, and is used with permission here on Elderberry Tales. 

A group of animals want to build a house for themselves in the middle of the forest, but what will happen when the Big Bad Wolf arrives for a visit?

This story is produced in collaboration with Stories to Grow By, a collection of fables and folktales from around the world, carefully selected and adapted to inspire character growth in children. 

When a flock of doves is captured in a hunter's net, they need to work together to escape. 

This classic story is adapted from the Panchatantra, an ancient Indian collection of interrelated animal fables attributed to Vishnusharma.

This story is produced in collaboration with Stories To Grow By, an award-winning collection of stories from around the world, carefully selected and adapted to build character in children. 

Image by Gerhard Gellinger from Pixabay 

Emma and Josh heard that something happened in their town. A Black man was shot by the police.

"Why did the police shoot that man?"

"Can police go to jail?"

Something Happened in Our Town follows two families — one White, one Black — as they discuss a police shooting of a Black man in their community. The story aims to answer children's questions about such traumatic events, and to help children identify and counter racial injustice in their own lives.

Written by Marianne Celano, PhD, ABPP, Marietta Collins, PhD, and Ann Hazzard, PhD, ABPP

Illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin

 

Thank you to the American Psychological Association, and Magination Press, for permission to share this story with you on Elderberry Tales. 
I highly recommend purchasing a copy of this book; partly for the illustrations, partly so you can return to it again as needed, and partly so you can share it with a friend. You can purchase your own copy through Magination Press here:
https://www.apa.org/pubs/magination/441B228

 

Refiloe's sister is getting married. Refiloe's chickens are very dirty and she decides to wash them for the wedding. The chickens do not like being washed. Refiloe cannot find her chickens when it is time for the wedding, and everyone is in for a big surprise!

This story: Refiloe and the Washed Chickens is written by Marion Drew. Illustrations by Wiehan de Jager. © African Storybook Initiative, 2014. Some rights reserved. Released under CC BY 4.0 license.

African Storybook Initiative provides open access to picture storybooks in the languages of Africa, for children’s literacy, enjoyment and imagination.