16 Whimsical Tales to Tickle Your Funny Bone

Rapunzel and the Seven Dwarfs

By Willy Claflin

Illustrated by James Stimson

978-0-874839-14-2 (Hardcover)

Only Maynard Moose could dream up this hilarious story that mashes up three fractured fairy tales by combining the stories of Rapunzel's golden locks with Sleeping Beauty and Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs to create a bizarre adventure story.

The Bully Goat Grim

By Willy Claflin

Illustrated by James Stimson

978-0-874839-52-4 (Hardcover)

This hilarious Maynard Moose tale, as retold by master storyteller Willy Claflin, takes us on another whimsical journey with the misadventures of a Bully Goat who suffers from Random Hostility Syndrome. The Bully Goat clashes with a three headed troll “fambly” and is undone by a baby girl troll when she suddenly realizes that “everybody ought to mess with him!” Her inspiration leads to a confrontation with the Bully Goat using only a pillow and three raggedy old bed sheets.

The Little Moose Who Couldn't Go to Sleep

By Willy Claflin

Illustrated by James Stimson

978-1-939160-67-6 (Hardcover)

In this whimsical telling of how Little Moose struggles with going to sleep each night, you'll meet Little Moose, Maynard's youngest cousin and his favorite kin, her parents Mr. and Mrs. Moose, the sheep, and most, importantly, you'll learn the legend of Mother Moose and her kitchen. You'll also visit Moose Academy where young moose go to learn proper posture, woodland skills and counting to three over and over again.

The Uglified Ducky

By Willy Claflin

Illustrated by James Stimson

978-0-874838-58-9 (Hardcover) 978-0-874839-53-1 (Paperback)

You may think you know the classic story of the Ugly Duckling, but think again. In the capable hands of his alter ego Maynard Moose, renowned storyteller Willy Claflin takes us on a wacky journey where this Uglified Ducky, a hapless young moose, "blunders away" from his home, is mistaken for a baby duck, and endures endless humiliation as he tries to learn to waddle, quack, swim, and fly. Eventually, he finds his true "fambly," who helps him discover his own beauty.

Noodlehead Stories

By Mitch Weiss & Martha Hamilton

Illustrated by Ariane Elsammak

978-0-874835-84-7 (Hardcover) 978-0-874835-85-4 (Paperback)

Call it what you will: stories of the fool have been around as long as people have been telling stories. Everyone has a noodlehead day, when the brain takes a leave of absence. As the stories in this collection show, knuckleheads come in all forms and shapes. These stories bring to mind the wise words of the French humorist Francois Rebelais: "If you wish to avoid seeing a fool, you must first break your mirror."

Juan Bobo Sends the Pig to Mass

By Ari Acevedo

Illustrated by Tom Wrenn

978-0-874838-83-1 (Paperback)

In Puerto Rico, there are many stories about Juan Bobo, a young man with a good heart but little common sense. In this tale, Juan Bobo’s mother tells him to take care of their pig while she goes to church. When the pig won’t stop grunting, Juan Bobo decides that the pig must want to go to church as well.

Sister Tricksters: Rollicking Tales of Clever Females

By Robert San Souci

Illustrated by Daniel Sa Souci

978-0-874837-91-9 (Hardcover)

Everyone remembers the exploits of Br'er Rabbit and his cohorts Br'er Fox, Br'er Possum, and other sly characters. But while these tales were circulating among slaves in the southern United States, another set of stories was passed along just as enthusiastically, only here the clever tricksters were female.

Forty Fun Fables

By Mitch Weiss & Martha Hamilton

Illustrated by Baird Hoffmire

978-1-939160-77-5 (Paperback)

Animals don't talk but they appear in fables to tell us about our very human selves. This classic collection of whimsical stories is told simply with wit that appeals to children of all ages. In reading these tales, the lessons of many cultures are passed along and wisdom is shared. Young readers will be highly engaged and entertained by the fools, tricksters, and clever characters who appear in these timeless stories.

The Clever Monkey

By Rob Cleveland

Illustrated by Baird Hoffmire

978-0-874838-01-5 (Paperback)

When two greedy jungle cats discover a large piece of cheese, they can't decide how to divide it fairly. The clever monkey comes to their rescue. Or so they think. After reading this trickster tale from West Africa, you will think twice before asking a monkey for help.

The Exploding Toilet

By David Holt & Bill Mooney

Illustrated by Kevin Pope

978-0-874837-15-5 (Paperback)

A humorous collection of modern urban myths and legends grouped under chapters as "School Days," "The Home Front," "Scary Stories," "Scams and Conspiracies," and "Dumb Luck and Bad Breaks."

Fat Cat: A Danish Folktale

By Margaret Read MacDonald

Illustrated by Julie Paschkis

978-0-874836-16-5 (Hardcover) 978-0-874837-65-0 (Paperback)

Have you ever heard the saying, “Your eyes are bigger than your stomach?" Well, Cat's stomach is bigger than a lot of things. He is always hungry, and living with culinary-inclined Mouse, who makes thirty-five pies in one day, just makes it worse. Fat Cat swallows everything in sight, including the wash lady and her washtub, a troop of soldiers and their swords, even a king and his elephant! But when Cat swallows Mouse and her sewing basket, that's the last straw.

Sitting Down to Eat

By Bill Harley

Illustrated Kitty Harvill

978-0-874834-60-4 (Hardcover) 978-0-874836-03-5 (Paperback)

A young boy's snack time is interrupted by a visit from an elephant. As soon as he moves over to make room, they are joined by a tiger ... and a hippo ... and a big blue whale ... and soon a full menagerie, each insisting there's room for one more.

Tales of Nonsense & Tomfoolery

By Pleasant DeSpain

Illustrated by Don Bell

978-0-874836-70-7 (Hardcover) 978-0-874836-45-5 (Paperback)

Every culture known to humankind has its fools, those well-meaning (yet bungling) folks who always manage to do the wrong thing, even though their hearts are in the right place. From stories of the fool, we learn how to avoid becoming one ourselves—as well as how to laugh at ourselves when the inevitable happens and we do something silly. The ten stories collected here deal with fools from around the world, including: "The Silly Farmer" from Ethiopia, "The Extraordinary Cat" from China, "The Bear Who Said North" from Finland, and "The Proud Fox" from the United States.

Conejito: A Folktale from Panama

By Margaret Read MacDonald

Illustrated by Geraldo Valério

978-0-874837-79-7 (Hardcover) 978-1-939160-96-6 (Paperback)

When Conejito begins his school holiday, he goes to visit his Tía Mónica—or is it the cakes and cookies he knows she will feed him when he arrives? But Conejito runs into a few obstacles on the way to his auntie's, including Señor Zorro, Señor Tigre, and Señor León. Conejito may want to eat Auntie Mónica's treats, but Mr. Fox, Mr. Tiger, and Mr. Lion want to eat him!

Trickster Tales

By Josepha Sherman

Illustrated by David Boston

978-0-874834-50-5 (Paperback)

People of all ages love to watch the escapades of tricksters. In modern times, we watch Bugs Bunny, Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote, even Ace Ventura and Bart Simpson. But these contemporary characters have roots in antiquity. The trickster is a universal archetype, found in every culture: Anansi among the African people, Coyote in the American Southwest, Raven in the Pacific Northwest, Rabbit in the American South, the leprechaun in Ireland, and Fox in South America.

Greek Myths Western Style

By Barbara McBride-Smith

Illustrated by Katrina Kelso

978-0-874835-24-3 (Hardcover) 978-0-874836-17-2 (Paperback)

When she was a young girl, Barbara McBride-Smith was introduced to the ancient Greek myths, but she didn't quite hear them correctly. When her teacher told her they lived in the cradle of western civilization, young Barbara thought she meant Western—as in central Texas, where they seemed to fit right in. Ol' Man Zeus, after all, was a gun-totin' Big Daddy. You know Aphrodite, the school basketball queen or Pandora the debutante, the best guitar picker around was Orpheus-Tom T., and wasn't Medusa the one who started the fashion trend known as Big Hair? With her incurable Texas drawl, feminist sympathies, and cheerleader's do-right attitude, master storyteller Barbara McBride-Smith spins the Greek myths as you've never heard them before.