Picture Books

The original story of Aladdin is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It concerns an impoverished young man named Aladdin. He is recruited by a sorcerer from the Maghreb, who passes himself off as the brother of Aladdin's late father and convinces Aladdin and his mother of his goodness by making arrangements to set up the lad as a wealthy merchant. His real motive is to persuade young Aladdin to retrieve a wonderful oil lamp from a booby-trapped magic cave.

Here's what the old miller left his sons when he died: To his oldest son, the mill. To his middle son, the donkey. To his youngest son, Jacques,the cat. A fine cat, indeed, but still, just a cat. Luckily, as Jacques discovers, Puss is no ordinary kitty. He's smart. He can talk. And he is quite a snappy dresser. He's also planned an exciting future for Jacques-one that involves a princess and a very large fortune. Master storyteller Philip Pullman and prizewinning illustrator Ian Beck team up in this witty retelling, which sparkles with humor and adventure.