Who could have known that when Rudyard Kipling wrote these Jungle Book stories in 1893-94, they would eventually inspire the Oscar nominated song 'The Bare Necessities' – one of the most recognizable tunes of all time? The adventures of the young boy, Mowgli, raised by wolves in an Indian jungle, have been praised since their publication and adapted numerous times. Most people know the 1967 animated movie with Phil Harris as the charismatic bear Baloo. 2016 saw Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray, and Lupita Nyong‘o in a live-action Disney movie. And even Marvel Comics has had their hands on this classic coming-of-age tale of the importance of family and belonging.
Told from the perspective of a horse, Black Beauty (1877) dives into the topic of animal rights like no other novel. Black Beauty is raised by a caring mother on an idyllic farm, not knowing that he will never be as free again. Tossed from owner to owner, he encounters mistreatment in many forms, but luckily, his journey is not without love either. Being herself an invalid, author Anna Sewell (1820-1878) seemed particularly aware of the importance of kindness toward all living creatures. She wrote Black Beauty – her only novel – in the final years of her life, and lived just long enough to see its positive reception. In the years after her death, Black Beauty would become the foundation for change in horse welfare in both England and the US.
'Two worst things as can happen to a child is never to have his own way - or always to have it.' When her parents die, Mary, spoiled, yet unloved, is shipped from India to England to live with her absent uncle. When she discovers a secret garden, and starts to tend to it, like the flowers, she comes to life. One day she hears a cry from within the mansion, and soon learns that she is not the only one in need of some fresh air. `The Secret Garden‘ (1911) by Frances Hodgson Burnett is among the most loved children‘s novels of all time. It has been adapted for the stage and screen many times, most famously in 1993 with Dame Maggie Rogers in the cast.
Rose Campbell is having a hard time adjusting to her new life. Recently orphaned, she has been swept away from a strict girls‘ boarding school and placed in the care of her six aunts and seven rowdy male cousins. When her guardian, Uncle Alec, returns from abroad, things are about to change once more. To her aunts‘ alarm Alec has different ideas of what it means to raise a girl than most, but his unconventional approach might just be what gets Rose out of her shell. Just as author Louisa May Alcott‘s widely-read novel Little Women (1868), Eight Cousins (1875) is unusually forward-thinking and feminist for its time.
Sara Crewe is devastated when the news of her beloved father‘s death in India reaches her at her boarding school in London. Miss Minchin, the heartless and greedy headmistress, immediately moves Sara to the attic and forces her to become her servant. Despite being used to luxury, Sara quickly adjusts to her new life and never stops being kind and polite to everyone. Little does she now that someone out there is looking for her, and they might be much closer than they think.
Author Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett – most famous for her novel The Secret Garden (1911) – originally wrote A Little Princess as a short story, and later a play, finally turning it into a novel on her publisher‘s recommendation in 1905. As smart and imaginative as Anne Shirley of Anne of Green Gables, Sara has been winning over readers for over a hundred years, and A Little Princess is considered one of the best children‘s stories of all time.
Anne of Green Gables is a children‘s classic by Canadian author L. M. Montgomery and recently adapted by Netflix in the hit series Anne with an E. 11-year-old Anne is mistakenly sent away from her orphanage to live on Prince Edward Island with brother and sister Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert who need help on their farm. Wild and imaginative Anne learns to find her place in the little town of Avonlea, makes friends, and strives to be the best in school. A children and adults favourite Annes tale of is one of love, individuality, and (mis)adventures.
Little Lord Fauntleroy is the first children's novel written by English playwright and author Frances Hodgson Burnett. It was originally published as a serial in the St. Nicholas Magazine between November 1885 and October 1886, then as a book by Scribner's in 1886.
Based on the classic tale by Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland: The Mad Hatter's Tea Party takes Alice on a further adventure in Wonderland, where she meets the Mad Hatter and the March Hare, the King and Queen, and the other main characters from the original story. The text is a modern re-telling, making the story appropriate for young children, giving them a delightful introduction to this iconic childhood classic.
Read beautifully by Downton Abbey's Joanne Froggatt, this is a sequel to Eric Puybaret's delightful Alice in Wonderland: Down the Rabbit Hole.
“In all this world, there is nothing so beautiful as a happy child.” (Santa Claus)
The architect of The Wizard of Oz delves into the mythological beginnings of the jolly old elf himself. Baum created a mythological world in which the magical forest of Burzee, created at the beginning of time, is the main source of all otherworldly magical power. Ak, the Master Woodsman ruled the forests; Kern, the Master Husbandman of the World, ruled the food crops; Bo, the Master Mariner of the World, ruled the seas. All other immortals are subject to these three. Baum also created Ryls as guardians of the flowers and Knooks as guardians of the animals of the world.
Baum first introduced Ryls and Knooks in his collection of short stories, American Fairy Tales. In The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, his mythology is more fleshed out, comprising a rich enchanted world, which also includes the more traditional nymphs, guardians of the trees and fairies, and guardians of humans. Later, when Baum’s creation of Oz became his main focus, he placed all of his fantastical realms around Oz, yet designated that the forest of Burzee was the source of the magic of Oz itself.
Classic fairy tales and stories are an essential part of children's development. Our audiobook collection means to bring together the fairy tales, stories, myths and legends which have fed the children of many generations in the years when the imagination is awakening and craving stimulus and material to work upon. The classic stories in this compilation all have in common the use of powerful imagery, to feed children's dreams, ignite their imagination and stir healthy emotions into light; let your children discover the love of these fundamental parts of our culture and share the pleasure of narration. This compilation includes folk tales, classic tales by Charles Perrault and Hans Christian Andersen, and stories from the Arabian Nights, narrated in a warm and lively way: The Enchanted Horse; the Story of Peter Pan, by James Barrie; The Master Cat, or Puss in Boots; Snow Drop and the Seven Dwarves; Cinderilla, by Charles Perrault; Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves; Sinbad the Sailor; The Frog Prince; Sleeping Beauty in the Woods, and The Fairies, by Charles Perrault.
This collection of 10 bedtime stories will help your child drift into a peaceful sleep, by concluding his day with delightful adventures, important teachings and symbolic imagery for enlightening dreams. Classic children's stories and fairy tales are an essential part of any kid's development. Our audiobook collection means to bring together the fairy tales, stories, myths and legends which have fed the children of many generations in the years when the imagination is awakening and craving stimulus and material to work upon. This compilation, specially designed for small children, includes folk tales, classic tales by Charles Perrault and Hans Christian Andersen, and stories from the Arabian Nights, narrated in a warm and soothing way: The Story of Peter Pan, by James Barrie; The Elves and the Shoe Maker; The Princess and the Pea; The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids; Little Red Riding Hood; The Wolf and the Fox; The Frog Prince; The Ridiculous Wishes; and The Little Match Seller.
