The Essex coastline has endured invasion by plundering and bloodthirsty Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, and this mysterious landscape is still haunted by their presence. Their spirits, and countless others, have oft been reported – not least by smugglers determined to keep intruders away from their secret hideouts. Even more dramatic stories of the supernatural lurk inland: accusations of witchcraft have been screamed around many picturesque market towns, dragons have terrorised the community, and a violent White Lady has struck at Hadleigh Castle. Indeed, it is the women of Essex who have stirred the imagination most – from brave Boudicca and beautiful Edith Swan-neck to the adulteress Kitty Canham. Amid the county's infamous pirates, highwaymen and desperados, Essex can even boast a lady smuggler.

A knight in glass armour, the basilisk of Saffron Walden, Old King Cole of Colchester – Essex is a place full of fantastical characters and mysterious tales. Storyteller Jan Williams is a familiar sight around the county, entrancing locals with her tales of ghostly Romans and vicious Vikings. These stories – specially chosen to be enjoyed by 7- to 11-year-old readers – will unlock the colourful world of Essex and help children to engage with their surroundings.

Surrey’s landscape, shaped by the Devil’s mischief and the whims of dancing Pharisees, is home to a wealth of tales. For Surrey is a place where dragons have stalked, dripping poisoned saliva from their yellow teeth; a place where horses have sprouted wings in order to rescue bewitched villagers; a place where pumas with the gift of speech have prowled the countryside. From the legends of Stephen Langton to the marvels of Captain Salvin and his flying pig, Janet Dowling has vividly retold these myths and stories of Surrey, and brought to life the county’s heroes, villains and saints.

Essex - the witch hunting county - is especially rich in traditions, legends, dialect and stories that have been handed down through the ages. It is these traditions that are gathered together in this volume and whose origins and meanings are explored to create a sense of how the customs of the past have influenced the ways of the present. This fully illustrated study of folklore rediscovers those traditions that have either vanished, been ignored or hidden away. There are tales of dragons and warriors, literary folk and legendary folk, but always at the heart of Essex folklore are the traditional beliefs, stories, events and customs of the common people. Daily life itself contained numerous beliefs and maxims, omens and superstitions, as well as being full of music, dance and song.

From miracle-working saints and shape-shifting witches to silent ghosts and wailing banshees, County Laois is teeming with folk tales and a selection of the best, drawn from historical sources and interviews, have been brought to life here by storyteller by Nuala Hayes.This book will take you on a journey through the county’s varied landscape, from the rugged Slieve Bloom Mountains to its fertile plains, with tales of talking cats, bewitched butter, fairy changelings and holy fish. On the way we will meet characters like the great warrior Conall Cearnach, from whom the people of Laois are said to be descended; Moll Anthony, the wisewoman of the Red Hills; and the White Lady said to haunt Durrow Castle to this day.Richly illustrated by internationally renowned artist Rita Duffy, these enchanting stories can be enjoyed and shared time and again.

Was the stranger, who knocked at the city gates during a storm, really a princess? What kind of friend could a frog be? Read ‘The Frog Prince’ to find out. If you want to know why the animals were afraid of the proud elephant, Karpuratilaka, read the Indian tale in this collection to find your answer. Could the turtle really fly? A West Indian folktale reveals how the turtle took to the skies. Read about the party for the long-tailed animals in author Dianne Stewart’s original African folktale, ‘A Dance in the Moonlight’. This collection of fairy and folktales from around the world, is beautifully illustrated by Heidi-Kate Greeff and will be enjoyed by adult and child alike.

Did you know that there are more than twenty-one rivers in London? Many of them have been forced underground by the development of the city but they all have their own history and their own stories to tell, from Roman times to the present day. Anne and Sef have dredged these tales from the silt, bringing them to the surface for you to enjoy. Tales of mudlarks and refugees; a pirate queen and Vikings; a young boy running away from enslavement, and many more all flow through the pages of this collection. Seas and oceans have been crossed, dangers overcome, and these ancestors of ours come to life as they tell their stories once more.