Why did the chicken cross the road? To read the new issue of Storytime Issue 47, of course! Especially as it stars the chicken world’s most industrious and famous character, Little Red Hen. We’ve written on our welcome page that kindness always wins the day. In Storytime Issue 47, you’ll find many examples of kindness (and silliness too). Little Red Hen is an interesting character because, at the end of the story, she doesn’t give in to selfless kindness. She lets the other farmyard animals get what they deserve. What do you think? Was she right to teach them a lesson or does her behaviour ruffle your feathers? Read on to find out more about Storytime Issue 47.

Inside Storytime Issue 47

We’re delighted to feature a story from a new writer, Emily Cooper. The Seaside Scallywag follows a greedy seagull called Sidney – a chip-scavenging, ice cream-stealing scourge of the seaside. The other seagulls have had enough, but one kind gull decides to give Sidney a second chance. Writer Emily is an English literature graduate and former journalist who teaches children with special needs. She loves writing bedtime stories for her two daughters, aged 5 and 9, and was inspired to write about Sidney following a family holiday in Whitstable. We think Lucy Semple‘s illustrations are the perfect match for this story. We couldn’t have opened the issue in a better way.

Next we take you to the deserts of the Middle East for Zuleika’s Gift. It’s a story told in Saudi Arabia and Syria about the magical origin of the date palm tree. We highly recommend getting in some dates to nibble while reading this story. It’s not just an excuse for an exotic treat, but it also helps bring the story to life. We thank Nneka Myers for the joyous illustrations.

For a bit of fun and naughtiness, we couldn’t resist Lewis Carroll’s iconic Tweedledum and Tweedledee. It’s a short poem, so easy to learn off by heart, and it should prompt some interesting discussions. Hopefully, it will also inspire you to read the Alice books! Momo gave us the fun illustrations for this.

There’s more mischief in our Famous Fable The Fox, the Wolf and the Sea. We think kids will love the clever trick Fox plays on Wolf. They might even want to pretend they can do it too next time they visit the sea. We love the characters created by illustrator Pablo Olivero.

As mentioned, Storytime Issue 47’s fairy tale is Little Red Hen – a hardworking little chuck with big ideas. If you are a school subscriber, we’ll send you a free teaching resource pack to go with this story. (Find out more at Storytime For Schools if you don’t subscribe yet.) We were very excited to work with Meimo Siwaporn on the cover and illustrations for this story, who previously created the artwork for our Chinese horoscope myth, The Emperor’s Race (Storytime Issue 41).

Kindness doesn’t just extend to people and animals – it can be shown to books too, as Mischievous Bartholomew discovers in this issue’s second poem. Parents of toddlers may empathise with the pain of seeing beautiful books ripped to shreds by curious little hands but, don’t worry, it all ends well. Our illustrations are by Paddy Donnelly.

Thor makes his third outing in Storytime Issue 47. So far, we’ve seen him dress up as a lady to get his stolen hammer back, duel with giants and, in this issue, we discover how his mighty hammer was made. Cantankerous Loki makes an appearance too, of course. Michel Verdu returned to Storytime to create a mythical masterpiece for our illustrations.

Finally, this issue’s folk tale comes from Scotland and features a fantastical little brownie who lives to help others. In this story, he saves the day when he helps a new baby into the world – and earns a special reward as a result. Dobby’s character in Harry Potter was inspired by legends of brownies. Our beautiful illustrations are by Sara Torretta, who has worked with us before on Storytime Issue 36‘s funny folk tale, The Mare’s Egg.

Lots of variety, stories from different countries, tales old and new, and illustrations to feast your eyes on! We’re really proud of this issue and think Little Red Hen would approve of our hard work. Still not sure? Sneak a beaky peek here:

 

 

Now Pack Storytime Issue 47 in Your Suitcase!

Though this isn’t our official summer issue (that comes next month!), it has a vibrant, colourful, summery feel, which will hopefully put you in the mood for that long break. Be sure to slip it in your suitcase, because no matter how much fun you have on the beach, there’s always time to squeeze in a story at breakfast, by the pool or at bedtime. And we’re always there for you on rainy days too.

Do you have a favourite story or illustration in this issue? We’d love to hear what it is. Get in touch with us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and let us know.

 

Let stories rule your roost this month!