The world's largest archipelago, Indonesia is home to hundreds of ethnic groups with diverse cultures and languages. Focusing on the rich heritage of the country, this latest addition to the highly acclaimed World Folklore Series presents 29 stories from across Indonesia, most of which have never been published in the English language. Build your multicultural collection or expand your repertoire with tales that provide a moving and colorful image of the diversity and richness of the people and lands of Indonesia. Six thematic groups are presented: Jealous and Envious Brothers and Sisters; Stories of Independent Princesses; Stories of Ungrateful Children; Stories about Rice; Stories of Place Legends; and Stories of How Things Come to Be. All Levels

Hundreds of language and cultural groups, each with its own myths and legends, make Indonesia a rich source of stories. Selected to give young readers an understanding of the Indonesian people through their folklore, 29 tales reveal the islands from Sumatra to Irian.

This colorfully illustrated multicultural children's book presents Indonesian fairy tales and other folk stories--providing insight into a rich oral culture. Set in tropical rainforests, on balmy beaches, and in the remote highlands of the Indonesian islands, Indonesian Children's Favorite Stories offers a taste of how universal values of bravery, cleverness, true love, kindness and loyalty are transmitted to Indonesian children. It make perfect new additions for story time or bedtime reading. Astute princesses, resourceful villagers and daring travelers appear throughout this vast archipelago to tell their stories and charm our children. These beautifully illustrated stories, retold for an international audience, provide children with an insight into the traditional culture, morals and environment of Indonesia. This book is aimed at children in the five to twelve age group, but readers of all ages, young and old, will find much to enjoy within these pages. Featured Indonesian stories include: True Strength The Woodcarver's Love The Buffalo's Victory The Magic Headcloth The Caterpillar Story And many more! The Children's Favorite Stories series was created to share the folktales and legends most beloved by children in the East with young readers of all backgrounds in the West. Other multicultural children's books in this series include: Asian Children's Favorite Stories, Indian Children's Favorite Stories, Japanese Children's Favorite Stories, Singapore Children's Favorite Stories, Filipino Favorite Children's Stories, Favorite Children's Stories from China & Tibet, Chinese Children's Favorite Stories, Korean Children's Favorite Stories, Balinese Children's Favorite Stories, and Vietnamese Children's Favorite Stories.

This colorfully illustrated multicultural children's book presents a classic Balinese fairy tale--providing an entertaining look into a rich oral tradition. Featured as a "Top Pick" on TravelForKids.com, Gecko's Complaint tells the story of a Gecko who once lived on the island we now call Bali, in a jungle dense with flowers and vines. After hundreds of fireflies disturb Gecko's sleep, he complains to kindly Raden, the jungle's lion leader. In his efforts to get to the bottom of Gecko's troubles, Raden discovers all too much complaining and far too many irritable animals. Can Raden help the animals with their troubles? Can peace and happiness return to the jungles of Bali? A simple yet absolutely delightful Balinese folktale for kids, this bilingual edition, which features both English and Indonesian text, is a perfect introduction to the true spirit of Bali. The Indonesian island of Bali has a strong art and storytelling tradition--folktales that have been passed down from generation to generation. As a nation with over 18,000 islands, Indonesia has hundreds of traditional languages and cultures, each with myths and legends to tell. With its backdrop of volcanoes, earthquakes, dense jungles, diverse wildlife and people, it is not surprising that Indonesia is rich with fabulous, imaginative tales.

This continuing HEIAN series is devoted to oral retellings of Asian childhood tales. Indonesian Fables of Feats and Fortunes tells about a mischievous small deer, a rooster that sings, and a battling baby water buffalo. Kuniko Sugiura lived in Indonesia, where she collected folklore. She has written and edited several books on folktales and storytelling. Koji Honda has a degree in sculpture and designs monuments and other installations.

How to Read a Folktale offers the first English translation of Ibonia, a spellbinding tale of old Madagascar. Ibonia is a folktale on epic scale. Much of its plot sounds familiar: a powerful royal hero attempts to rescue his betrothed from an evil adversary and, after a series of tests and duels, he and his lover are joyfully united with a marriage that affirms the royal lineage. These fairytale elements link Ibonia with European folktales, but the tale is still very much a product of Madagascar. It contains African-style praise poetry for the hero; it presents Indonesian-style riddles and poems; and it inflates the form of folktale into epic proportions. Recorded when the Malagasy people were experiencing European contact for the first time, Ibonia proclaims the power of the ancestors against the foreigner. Through Ibonia, Lee Haring expertly helps readers to understand the very nature of folktales. His definitive translation, originally published in 1994, has now been fully revised to emphasize its poetic qualities, while his new introduction and detailed notes give insight into the fascinating imagination and symbols of the Malagasy. Haring’s research connects this exotic narrative with fundamental questions not only of anthropology but also of literary criticism.

**Winner of Moonbeam Children's Book Award Gold Medal** For thousands of years, children all over the world have listened to popular folktales. Each country has its own set of fascinating stories, and learning those from another part of the world is both entertaining and educational. Asian Children's Favorite Stories presents 7 Asian folktales from different countries--China, Japan, Korea, India, the Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia. The classic stories in this book include: Why Cats and Dogs Don't Get Along (Korea) Baka the Cow and Kalabaw the Water Buffalo (Philippines) How the Mousedeer Became a Judge (Indonesia) Liang and His Magic Brush (China) The Lucky Farmer Becomes King (Thailand) The Clever Rabbit and Numskull (India) The Crane's Gratitude (Japan) This multicultural children's book opens doors to other cultures and engages the imagination.