Storytime Issue 39 is out now and, in this issue, we’re on a mission to brighten your month. November is a hump month. Halloween is done, it’s not quite Christmas and a few fireworks aren’t quite enough to make up for the gloom. What you need are beautiful illustrations and a whole heap of magical stories!
In our latest Storytime magazine, you can travel from the jungle to the moon. You can meet fairies, giants, dwarfs, gods and witches. You can even race a slippery snail and hang out with orangutans. And when you’ve done all that, you can complete puzzles, get crafty, draw, colour, play a game and get book recommendations. As ever, we try to pack in as much quality content as we can.
Find out more about Storytime Issue 39 and the brilliant contributors who help us make the magazine what it is…
Inside Storytime Issue 39
Squirrel and guinea pig chefs in Dwarf Longnose! Art by Paco Sordo.
Our cover star this month is Dwarf Longnose, a fantastic fairy tale from 19th century German poet and writer Wilhelm Hauff, who sadly died at the age of 25. Dwarf Longnose isn’t quite what he seems, but you’ll have to read this fairy tale to find out why. We hope you also enjoy the guinea pig and squirrel chefs (probably one of the main reasons we chose this story!), the talking goose and the fantastic illustrations by Paco Sordo.
Kicking off our issue is the Indian fable The Lion and the Rabbit with more colourful illustrations by Steve Brown. You might think it’s similar to The Dog and His Bone (from Storytime Issue 3), but dig a bit deeper and you’ll find a different moral message.
A lovely illustration for our Moon poem by Ilias Sounas.
We hope kids will love our poem The Moon by Oliver Herford, which poses the question: how does the moon get smaller? The answers are pure silliness, but to save you the hassle of explaining, we’ve put together a Moon Phases Pack, which you can download from our Free Goodies page. It has extra moon-themed activities too. The lovely illustrations are by Ilias Sounas
The Fairy Dog is a sweet folktale from Wales with illustrations by Florence Guittard. It features a cute puppy and a message of kindness. You never know when the fairies might be watching.
We know our readers love our Around the World Tales and The Great Snail Race from Laos is a great story with fantastic and funny illustrations by Quang Phuc Pham. School subscribers also get a Teaching Resource Pack to go with this tale, as well as a bonus Xiang Mieng story. (Schools subscribe to Storytime here to take advantage of this offer.)
This giant is the best fun ever. Story by Jennifer Moore, art by Tomislav Zlatic.
We’re really excited by the latest addition to our Tales from Today strand, The Jobless Giant. It’s by award-winning writer Jennifer Moore, and is sure to be pure wish fulfilment for many children. Who wouldn’t want to be best friends with a giant? Follow Jenny’s writing career on Twitter and do admire the work of illustrator Tomislav Zlatic.
Alphabet Zoo is more exciting than ever, as we meet animals beginning with the letters N and O. We defy you not to chuckle at the naked mole rats or fall in love with the orangutans – all thanks to the brilliant imagination of Tim Budgen. Download your free Alphabet Zoo Activity Pack here!
Finally, our stories conclude with a rare Norse myth in which the trickster Loki is actually helpful for a change! Loki’s Greatest Trick is set in Asgard and is brilliantly illustrated by Caio Bucaretchi.
So use the rain and the dark nights as an excuse to snuggle up with Storytime Issue 39 and let it transport your imagination. Got any comments on our stories or things you’d like to see in Stoytime? Let us know on any of our social media channels – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. We love to hear from you!
Happy adventuring!
