May of us will be faced with new problems at the moment. Of course, life is all about facing and overcoming our difficulties. The great thing about stories is that they give us new ways to look at the problems we face – and ways of dealing with them!
It just so happens that this month’s issue is packed with stories that we can learn from…
Storytime Issue 69 – Help can come from unexpected places!
The War of the Fox and the Wolf is about characters who are facing very different problems. An elderly dog and cat flee their home because their master wants to get rid of them, and a fox has to deal with a mean wolf and his bullying friends. However, when the dog, cat, and fox meet, they come up with a cunning plan. I won’t spoil the ending, but star artist Roger Simó captures all the fun brilliantly!
This Vietnamese prince learns the benefit of hard work in the Watermelon Man
The Watermelon Man is a rather special tale, all the way from Vietnam. Artist Wazza Pink takes us all the way back to the time of ancient kings, when an exiled prince learns how to survive and prosper with the help of a lot of hard work – and some strange black seeds! Perhaps we all need to plant seeds now and work at helping them grow to create a better future?
Moving to a new house is challenge that most of us face at one time or another. In Moving Day, Dilara Karakaş illustrates the story of a boy named Isaac, who has to leave his home and move far away when his parents get new jobs. This story takes a few interesting twists and turns, but Isaac soon discovers that being friendly to everyone you meet is a great way to make a new place feel less lonely.
The poem Who Ate My Socks? looks at a problem that we have all had at one time or another – why does one sock in a pair always go missing? The hero of this tale finds the surprising answer with some diligent investigation, and that is often a good way to find answers to any questions or problems you might have! Check out Carolina Grosa’s lovely artwork which perfectly matches this fun rhyme.
Icelandic princess Ingibjorg (don’t worry, we tell you how to pronounce it in the magazine!) finds herself stranded in the woods when an evil giant steals her feet! Help comes from her childhood beloved pet. While we may not always be able to rely on cats with magical powers to help us in our hour of need, Kisa The Cat does show us how help can sometimes come from the most unexpected places – friends, neighbours, or people you might have known in the past! Sarah-Lisa Hleb brings her unique magic to this fairy tale about a very special friendship.
This poor fly ends up in a sticky situation in our fable – will he escape?
Jing Jing Jia provides the art for this month’s fable, The Fly and the Moth. In this tale, a moth decides not to help a fly in trouble – but gets laughed at in turn when she makes a foolish decision and gets burned! All things being equal, it is best to help people if you can, because you never know when you might need help in return! What is the phrase people use? Pay it forward!.
In the latest episode from Storyland, a visitor get stick in the woods, and the townsfolk get together to help him out. As always, Giorgia Broseghini sprinkles some of her magic dust on the artwork! This tale shows us that it is easier to overcome our problems if we work with others and that a little creativity goes a long way!
Masishasura and Durga is an epic tale from India! The king Masishasura asks the gods for supernatural powers, but when he tries to use them to conquer the world, the gods create a fierce female goddess to defeat him! Do not misuse things others have given you – or you might get in trouble! Bhumika Jangid captures all the excitement with her colourful illustrations.
Of course, the Storytime Playbox is packed with activities, including a maze, an art project, a tasty recipe, and a fun game in which players compete to find a pirate treasure!
What stories have helped you to overcome problems or difficult times? Tell us in the comments!
