People have been telling “fool stories” for as long as anyone can remember. After all, everyone has a noodlehead day now and then—a day when your brain seems to take a little vacation. As you’ll see in this collection, silly characters come in every shape and size. They might make ridiculous mistakes, mix things up, or leap before they look, but that’s what makes their adventures so much fun.

The hills and small towns of western North Carolina in the 1950s come to life in this collection of stories by master storyteller Donald Davis. He’s shared his tales everywhere—from the World’s Fair to the Smithsonian to the National Storytelling Festival—and now he invites readers into the adventures of his own childhood. His stories follow him from his earliest school days all the way to the moment he begins to understand the big changes happening in the world, including the loss of friends during the Vietnam War.

Have you ever stopped to really look at a spider’s web? If it’s only meant to catch flies, why does it shimmer with such delicate, beautiful patterns? Have you ever wondered what makes thunder rumble, why the ocean tastes salty, or how tigers came to wear their bold stripes? This collection gathers delightful “why” stories from many cultures and time periods—tales that imagine how animals, plants, and natural wonders came to look or behave the way they do.

When a surprise visit from a Spanish Viceroy sends a monastery kitchen into a panic, a young boy named Carlos accidentally helps create a culinary masterpiece.

Experience the vibrant energy of Hispanic culture in FIESTA!: A Celebration of Latino Festivals, a colorful month-by-month guide to traditional holidays. This engaging picture book uses bold illustrations and spirited poetry to introduce children to diverse Latin American traditions and celebrations.

The Dancing Turtle is a vibrant children's picture book that retells a classic indigenous Brazilian folktale about a music-loving turtle captured by a hunter. To escape becoming turtle stew, the clever protagonist must use her wit and the help of the hunter's children to find her way back to the rainforest.

Discover hilarious world folktales in Noodlehead Stories, a perfect book for children who love funny...

Students count to 100 with their teacher as they celebrate the 100th day of school, using photos, charts, and diagrams to learn real-world math and build STEM skills.