Anthologies
Collections of world literature and folktales spanning multiple countries — great for read-alouds or independent reading alongside any country unit.
Stories From Around the World
The Barefoot Book of Earth Tales
Seven illustrated traditional tales centered on people's relationships with animals, plants, water, and the earth, each followed by a simple hands-on activity. The geographic mix includes Kazakhstan, Nigeria, India, Australia, and Wales.
Grades K–6 Find it →
A Year Full of Stories: 52 Folk Tales and Legends from Around the World
Fifty-two traditional stories arranged around holidays, festivals, seasons, and special days throughout the year. Readers encounter folktales connected to China, Japan, India, Russia, Ireland, Germany, France, Greece, Mexico, and many others, alongside the celebrations and traditions associated with them.
Grades 1–4 Find it →
101 Read-Aloud Myths and Legends
A large collection of short myths and legends designed for reading aloud, spanning cultures across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Oceania, and the Americas. Features gods and goddesses, heroes, monsters, tricksters, and magical creatures, with each story's origin identified.
Grades 4–8 Find it →
The Illustrated Book of Myths: Tales & Legends of the World
A richly illustrated collection of traditional myths about creation, gods and goddesses, heroes, monsters, tricksters, death, and the natural world. Draws from cultures across Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, and the Americas — good for comparing how different peoples have told stories about similar questions.
Grades 5–8 Find it →
In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World
Twenty-five creation stories exploring how different peoples have explained the beginnings of the earth, people, animals, fire, and the natural world. Stories come from Guinea, Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia, Guatemala, French Polynesia, China, Egypt, Greece, Australia, and Indigenous peoples of the Americas.
Grades 7–9 Find it →
Favorite Folktales from Around the World
More than 150 traditional folktales grouped around themes such as tricksters, heroes, fools, families, magic, and the supernatural. Stories come from Myanmar, Syria, Vietnam, Tibet, Iceland, Turkey, Russia, China, Japan, Ireland, Italy, Germany, and Norway, with extensive source information.
Grades 7–9 Find it →Africa
African Tales: A Barefoot Collection
Eight richly illustrated folktales retold by South African storyteller Gcina Mhlophe, with maps and background showing where each story comes from. The collection includes tales connected to Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Ghana, and other parts of Africa.
Grades 2–5 Find it →
The Cow-Tail Switch and Other West African Stories
A Newbery Honor collection based on traditional stories gathered through fieldwork in West Africa. The tales feature clever animals, tricksters, kings, riddles, and magical events, drawing from traditions associated with Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, and neighboring areas.
Grades 3–7 Find it →
Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales
More than 30 traditional tales filled with animals, tricksters, magic, bravery, wisdom, and explanations of the natural world. Stories are identified by country or tradition, including Lesotho, Eswatini, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria, Morocco, and South Africa.
Grades 3–7 Find it →
Tales from Africa
Twelve traditional and original stories told by African storytellers, with each storyteller and country identified. Readers travel through Malawi, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Egypt, South Africa, Morocco, Zimbabwe, Angola, and Botswana, encountering folklore, magic, humor, and family stories.
Grades 4–6 Find it →Asia
Asian Children's Favorite Stories
Thirteen illustrated traditional folktales from China, Japan, Korea, India, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia. The stories feature magic, animals, clever characters, and heroes passed down through generations.
Grades K–6 Find it →
Folk Tales from Asia for Children Everywhere
A six-volume collection with traditional stories contributed by writers and illustrators from across Asia. Includes Bangladesh, Cambodia, Iran, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, India, Japan, and Korea.
Grades 3–6 Find it →
Arab Fairy Tale Feasts: A Literary Cookbook
Traditional Arab fairy tales paired with recipes families can make together. The tales feature magic, tricksters, heroes, and fantastic creatures from Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Iraq, while the recipes introduce foods and flavors connected to the region.
Grades 3–7 Find it →
Asian Tales and Tellers
More than 30 traditional stories accompanied by background on Asian storytelling traditions and storytellers. The geographic range includes Bangladesh, Laos, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Myanmar, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, India, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Tibet.
Grades 4–7 Find it →
Our Folktales: The All-Time Favourite Folktales of Asia
Eight illustrated traditional tales, each connected to a different country: China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Singapore. Stories feature magic, heroes, animals, cleverness, family, and traditional values.
Grades 4–7 Find it →
Arab Folktales
A wide-ranging collection of traditional tales from across the Arab world — djinn, clever fools, talking animals, magic, riddles, romance, and adventure. Stories come from Morocco, Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Iraq, and other parts of the Middle East and North Africa, translated from Arabic oral and written sources.
Grades 6–9 Find it →Europe
Hidden Tales from Eastern Europe
Seven lesser-known traditional tales drawn from Poland, Slovakia, Russia, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, and Romania. The stories feature magic, transformations, strange happenings, clever characters, and fairy-tale adventure.
Grades 1–4 Find it →
Stories of Hope and Spirit: Folktales from Eastern Europe
Thirteen traditional stories centered on courage, wit, generosity, and perseverance, with each story's origin identified. Countries represented include Moldova, Latvia, Estonia, Georgia, Slovakia, Croatia, Serbia, Russia, and Chechnya.
Grades 3–7 Find it →
Folktales of Eastern Europe: The Flying Ship and Other Traditional Stories
Twenty-two illustrated traditional fairy tales, legends, fables, and creation stories from Belarus, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Serbia, Romania, Hungary, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, and the Czech Republic. Expect magical journeys, strange creatures, enchanted objects, and clever heroes.
Grades 4–7 Find it →
The House of the Cats and Other Tales from Europe
One folktale or legend from each country that belonged to the European Union in 2013. Along with familiar countries, readers encounter stories from Malta, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Romania — ranging from funny and magical to eerie and adventurous.
Grades 5–9 Find it →Oceania & Pacific Islands
Tales from the South Pacific Islands
Traditional folktales collected from island storytelling traditions across the South Pacific, including Fiji, Rotuma, Tonga, Samoa, and Vanuatu. The stories feature magic, animals, chiefs, heroes, family relationships, and explanations of the natural world.
Grades 3–6 Find it →
Pacific Island Legends: Tales from Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia, and Australia
Forty-three traditional and historical stories spanning Palau, Guam, the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, and islands throughout Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia. Includes creation myths, gods and heroes, kings and queens, and stories of the sea.
Grades 4–9 Find it →The Americas & Caribbean
Tales Our Abuelitas Told: A Hispanic Folktale Collection
Twelve traditional folktales from the Spanish-speaking world featuring magic, humor, animals, and impossible situations. Notes trace the Indigenous, African, Spanish, Arab, and Jewish influences behind the stories and show how tales developed as they traveled through Spain, Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.
Grades K–5 Find it →
The Sea-Ringed World: Sacred Stories of the Americas
An illustrated collection of sacred stories, creation tales, heroes, gods, and legends from Indigenous peoples across the Americas. Stories are identified by their peoples and traditions, including Hopi, Inuit, Taíno, Guaraní, Mapuche, Muisca, Maya, Nahua, Ojibwe, and Blackfoot, connected to Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, the Caribbean, Canada, and the United States.
Grades 3–8 Find it →
Caribbean Folk Tales: Stories from the Islands and the Windrush Generation
Traditional Caribbean stories, legends, and folktales connected to Barbados, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. The collection includes tricksters, spirits, shapeshifters, music, magic, and stories carried across generations and through Caribbean migration.
Grades 4–8 Find it →True Stories From Around the World
Young, Gifted and Black, Too
Fifty-two illustrated biographies of Black artists, activists, scientists, athletes, writers, leaders, and innovators from around the world. Readers meet people connected to Mozambique, Ghana, Nigeria, Haiti, Jamaica, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States, spanning different eras and fields.
Grades 2–7 Find it →
Rise Up: Ordinary Kids with Extraordinary Stories
Twenty-nine illustrated true stories about children and teenagers who invented, campaigned, competed, created, survived difficult circumstances, or stood up for something they believed in. Includes young people from Pakistan, Uganda, Sweden, the Netherlands, and other countries, with the focus on what they accomplished while still young.
Grades 3–6 Find it →
Herstory: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook Up the World
Fifty illustrated biographies of women and girls from around the world — rulers, scientists, artists, activists, mathematicians, explorers, musicians, and athletes. Countries represented include Pakistan, Kenya, Mexico, China, Egypt, Poland, Russia, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom.
Grades 3–6 Find it →
Hear Our Voices: A Powerful Retelling of the British Empire Through 20 True Stories
Twenty illustrated true stories about people who lived within, resisted, and were affected by the British Empire. Readers encounter people and events from Kenya, India, Jamaica, Nigeria, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong — stories of resistance, migration, independence movements, and everyday life under empire.
Grades 4–7 Find it →