Robert D. San Souci, known for his retelling of folk tales has adapted a Creole folk tale in The Talking Eggs which may have had its roots in Europe but landed and spread in the American South.

A tale of two sisters who are treated very differently by their mother. Rose is spoiled and lazy like her mother and Blanche is treated like a "slave," yet kind and polite. 

Blanche's reward comes when she meets and old lady who treats her to magic, cows with two heads, rabbits that dance in their finest dress and those wondrous talking eggs which prove, " that beauty may hide great ugliness while the plainest of objects may conceal treasures within." 

The moral of the story: there are rewards for being polite and nice. 

Winner of several major awards, including the Caldecott Honor Book, and the Coretta Scott Kind Award Honor Book. The watercolor illustrations play and dance through the entire book and enhance this beautiful tale.

ORDER: Hardcover

The story of a shabby stranger who comes to work for Old Sam at a Virginia sawmill in the 1700's in a town where blacks and whites lived, worked as craftsmen and owned property. Young Sam is lazy and anxious to have a Hired Hand to boss around but finds that the new Hired Hand has some magical tricks and teaches Young Sam some valuable lessons. Credible moral to this tale.

This story was" inspired by a small Virginia anti-slavery town" for its setting an drawing, and the illustrations are again by Jerry Pinkney, Caldecott winner.

ORDER: Hardcover

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