New Titles by Margaret Read MacDonald
Atlanta, GA - October 1, 2007
This month, August House will unveil two new books by acclaimed author, folklorist and storyteller Margaret Read MacDonald, the “grand dame of storytelling.” We are also delighted to announce that The Great Smelly, Slobbery, Small-Tooth Dog has just been named a 2007 Gold Award Winner by NAPPA, National Parenting Publications Awards.
The Great Smelly, Slobbery, Small-Tooth Dog
Once again, Margaret has teamed with award-winning illustrator, Julie Paschkis, the creative team that brought you Fat Cat, the Parents’ Choice Award-winning picture book. When the smelly, slobbery, small-tooth dog rescues a rich man from thieves, the man offers the dog any treasure in his house as a reward. But the dog is not interested in wealth; he wants something more valuable - the rich man’s daughter. With great sadness, the daughter honors her father’s promise and goes to live in the palace of the dog. A friendship grows between them, but the girl continues to miss her father, and sometimes forgets the importance of being kind. This colorful picture book follows the style of Beauty and the Beast, reminding us that appearances can be deceiving and that compassion and kindness can be very powerful forces for healing. Julie’s dreamy illustrations and attention to detail provoke the timeless nature of this story from Great Britain.
Five Minute Tales: More Stories to Read and Tell When Time is Short
When August House published Margaret Read MacDonald’s book, Three-Minute Tales, in 2004, the collection received a warm reception from teachers, youth leaders, clergy, and public speakers, all of whom had an insatiable need for positive, pithy stories to fill brief gaps in meetings and inevitably in the classroom. Now MacDonald is back with more stories that can stretch anywhere from one to five minutes or more. These clever, engaging stories encourage audience participation and can be adapted for a wide range of settings. These fables, origin stories scary stories, riddles, trickster tales and more come from around the globe. In this book, the reader will be treated to stories from Thailand, Mexico, Japan, Brazil Indonesia, Korea, Zambia, Hungary, China, Egypt, the Ukraine, India, Russia and other cultures.
Margaret Read MacDonald is a folklorist and professional storyteller who for many years was a children’s librarian with the King County Library system in Seattle. She is the author of numerous folktale collections and children’s picture books, including the award-winning, Go to Sleep, Gecko! and Conejito (both illustrated by Geraldo Valério). Margaret has traveled throughout the world sharing and collecting traditional tales. This commitment to the integrity and authenticity of these stories contributes to her unique stature as an author and performing artist.
Julie Paschkis has illustrated more than twenty books for children. She lives in Seattle and exhibits her work throughout the Northwest. The children’s books she has illustrated include Through Georgia’s Eyes (written by Rachel Rodriguez); Night Garden(Julie Wong); and Here Comes Grandma(Janet Lord).
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About August House
Recently recognized as one of "America's 101 Top Independent Publishers," August House is a highly-acclaimed and award-winning multimedia publisher of children's stories and folktale anthologies. August House's is based in Atlanta, GA.
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