Her name is Alexandria Aurora Fortunato, and she is as lovely as the dawn. But that is only one of her problems. There's also the matter of those three magical gifts of treasure bestowed on her by a mysterious old woman. And King Claudio the Cruel wants to marry her for her beauty and her wealth, and so does his rival, Prince Edmund of Dorloo.

Those are two more problems. And, worst of all, she is locked in a tower, with a grille of iron bars and several hundred tons of stone between her and freedom. Some days Alexandria wishes she looked like a pickled onion. Clearly the only thing to do is escape  -- and, with the aid of her twelve darling goose companions, that's precisely what Alexandria does. 

So begins the adventure of Patrice Kindl's beguiling heroine. Her flight will take her to strange lands and lead her into perilous situations, all of which the plucky Alexandria views with a wry and witty spirit. Here is a sprightly tale of magic and romance, in which those geese play a most surprising role. 

--Houghton Mifflin Co.

Legend has it that more than four thousand years ago a mighty dragon prince named Lac Long Quan married a fairy princess named Au Co. From these parents the Vietnamese people were born. With power, humor, and grace, Sherry Garland shares six of her favorite folktales of Vietnam. Passed down through the ages, these colorful stories depict the rich history, tribal customs, explanations of natural phenomena, and values so important to the Vietnamese people.

--Harcourt, Inc.

Of all the animals in the rain forest, Jabutí was the favorite. His shell was smooth and  shiny, and the songs he played on his flute were sweet. But his music was a reminder,  too, of the mischievous pranks Jabutí sometimes played. His song reminded Tapir of being tricked, Jaguar of being fooled, and time and again it reminded Vulture that he had no song at all. When a concert takes place in heaven, Vulture offers to fly Jabutí there   … all the while plotting a trick of his own. For nearly three decades, Gerald McDermott  has been making myths new again for readers of all ages, using language as vibrant and colorful as his bold illustrations.

--Harcourt, Inc.

"Back some time ago when folks still had to worry about giants and wild unicorns and such, there was an old woman and her son, Jack." 

So begins this tall tale from the heart of Appalachia about Jack, a boy who goes out to seek his fortune (accompanied by his faithful, although somewhat cowardly, hound) and winds up face-to-face with some pretty ornery critters! 

How Jack manages to overcome each varmint one by one -- without even meaning to! --
is the heart of this funny, boisterous story from an award-winning artist.

--Margaret McElderry Books, An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division

Whose footsteps do I hear? Come in!

It's a chance to be friends or to "renew the breath of friendship."

Here are seven interconnected stories about making and keeping friends, jewel-like tales originally told to the youngest listeners at Native American firesides in the Hopi country of northern Arizona. In John Bierhorst's authentic re-creation of a Pueblo storytelling session, readers and listeners will find out how Coyote got his short ears, why Mouse walks softly, and how Bee learned to fly. 

Snake, Mole, Badger, Beetle, and Dove also have roles clever and foolish, friendly and not so friendly, and all are depicted with humor and finesse by illustrator Wendy Watson.

--Farrar Straus Giroux