Happy New Year, everyone! To welcome in 2020 we have created an issue with something special for everyone – from fairy tale magic and ancient myths to a scientifically-plausible tale of modern-day space adventure! Be sure to let us know which of these stories are your favourites!
Inside Storytime Issue 65
Storytime would like to wish all our readers the very best for the new year – and what better way to celebrate the dawning of a new decade and think about the passage of time and the seasons than with the very season-centric tale The Twelve Months? The Twelve Months tells the tale of what happens when the personifications of the months of the year use their powers to help a poor Czech girl names Maruska, and illustrator Eugene Smolenceva really captures the magic of this classic story.
Meet Carys Williams – the best baker in Wales, who gets two magic wishes. What will she wish for?
We bring Wonderland whimsy to Storyland with the brand-new tale of The Fox and the White Rabbit. Giorgia Broseghini shows what happens when the White Rabbit is menaced by the cunning fox – who will win this battle of wits? This story has a particularly timely message about following one’s instincts and not trusting strangers!
The issue also features a good-natured poem from the perspective of a giant who has given up his child-devouring ways and now helps kids to have fun instead. The Sleepy Giant poem is brought to life by Brian Fitzgerald’s lovely illustrations.
What would happen if you got what you wish for? In The Fairy Borrowing, the artist Giovanni Abeille shows us what happened to a young Welsh girl when she receives wishes from the fairies who borrowed her pots and pans! A folk tale with a funny twist in the end that should make our young readers giggle.
Greed can make us do silly things! In The Wise Parrot, a girl owns a parrot that can apparently find gold – but when a greedy man tries to buy it, he discovers that some things are too good to be true! The colourful, fun illustrations are from the talented Chris Borges.
Storytime goes literally out of this world with our cover story, Mission to the Moon mixing cosmic adventure with scientific fact! It’s our little nod to the 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing. When Connor goes on a trip to the Space Centre, he couldn’t predict that it would lead to him being recruited by NASA for a very special mission of his own. Geraldine Rodriguez captures both the adventure and the scientific details with her wonderful art.
We are honoured to include a wonderful classic tale from none other than Oscar Wilde. Chiara Nocentini illustrates The Happy Prince, a heart-breaking tale of an unlikely friendship between a bird and a golden statue who is troubled by the sadness and suffering in the world.
Inanna and Ninshubur are pursued by seven deadly sea monsters in our Mesopotamian legend, The Queen of Everything
Finally we wrap up the first issue of 2020 with a myth that takes us all the way back to the birth of civilization in ancient Mesopotamia, with the thrilling story of the goddess Inanna. The Queen of Everything is a powerful story, with Alex Herrarias bringing the magic and monsters to life.
In Storytime Playbox, we give our readers a chance to test their reading comprehension and unleash their creativity! Look out for a new game in which players compete to see who can feed a giant the tastiest and most nutritious food! And don’t forget to check out Story Magic for new books that can take you and your child on new reading adventures.
See you all next month and keep reading!
