Books like Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale
By Carmen Agra Deedy
For the kid who loves a good test of character, Martina's search for a husband turns family wisdom into a clever, funny screening process. Warm, witty, and full of Cuban flavor, with sly humor tucked into family tradition.
A crocodile mistakenly turns up under the tree on Christmas Eve and starts eating everything in sight — the roast, the stove, even the tree — while one girl fights to save him.
An adopted dog named Cooper refuses to act like a dog — he'd rather drive the family car, go to the ballet, and travel than fetch or sit — so his new family has to adjust to his quirky ways.
A boy drops his white mitten in the snow, and one by one a mole, a rabbit, a badger, and other woodland animals squeeze inside — each one bigger than the last — until a bear and a tiny mouse push things too far.
A father is proud of both his daughters, but when the Great King summons the most worthy young women in the land to appear before him, only one can become queen.
A generous Scotsman living in a tiny house with his family of twelve invites every weary traveler passing by on a stormy night inside, insisting there's always room for one more.
A silly goose finds a book lying in the farmyard and decides that simply owning it makes her wise, so she starts handing out mistaken advice to the other animals.
A warrior princess wants nothing but a big, strong horse for her birthday, but the pony she actually gets is small, round, and gassy — and nothing like the fierce steed she imagined.
Three hungry soldiers march into a French village where every scrap of food has been hidden, so they announce they'll make soup from nothing but water and stones — and talk the wary townspeople into adding just a little more.
A bear wakes up from hibernation ravenous and thin, and as his forest friends bring him roots, berries, clover, and fish, his hunger keeps growing — until it's satisfied in a surprising way.
A forgetful house cat keeps muddling up her days — until a stranger sneaks into the family kitchen one night, and Mog's confusion turns out to matter more than anyone expected.
Scarred from tending the fire, a girl and her two beautiful but cruel sisters all try to win the hand of a rich, powerful Invisible Being — but only his sister's watchful gaze can tell who has truly seen him.
A girl named Mei Mei breaks her ama's favorite cup and, terrified of the consequences, lets the family cat take the blame — until the guilt becomes impossible to bear.
