New Releases by Jane Yolen

"Birds and their behavior through the seasons and relationship to man."--

A warrior and her dark sister join forces to dismantle and remake their embattled world in this epic fantasy saga from a Nebula Award–winning author. One of fantasy fiction''s preeminent practitioners, Jane Yolen creates a world and mythology that are richly enthralling and vibrantly alive in this acclaimed trilogy. Sister Light, Sister Dark: Three-times orphaned and raised secretly by the acolytes of the goddess Alta, the child Jenna studies the ways of the warrior in preparation for the day that has been prophesied. For she may well be the goddess reborn who, with the aid of Skada—her mirror twin who can reveal herself only in darkness—is fated to bring devastation to the world. White Jenna: Grown to young womanhood, the warrior Jenna offers her allegiance to the rightful king of the Dales—and her heart to his brother, Carum—joining the fight against the malevolent usurper Kalas. But the powerful despot appears unstoppable, dedicated to the destruction of the worshippers of Alta, the society of women in which the orphaned Jenna was lovingly raised. The One-Armed Queen: Having fulfilled an ancient prophecy, the Queen of the Dales must now keep her faltering kingdom safe from a looming terror, and prepare her chosen successor—a one-armed orphan girl she discovered on the battlefield—for the grim responsibilities of rule. A sweeping adventure of destiny, peril, magic, and romance, The Great Alta Saga is a magnificent feat of storytelling that ingeniously blends world-building, myth, poetry, and song.

Get up close and personal with alligators in all their tooth-filled glory in this collection of poems by New York Times bestselling author Jane Yolen. Rhymes and rhythms reflect on how alligators hunt, keep warm, and care for young. Stunning, large-scale photographs zoom in on these mighty hunters, while fun fact boxes accompany the poetry, providing details that are sure to pique young readers'' curiosity.

Jane Yolen poetically reminds young readers that a simple box can be a child''s most imaginative plaything as artist Chris Sheban illustrates its myriad and magical uses. Reviews -Booklist, November 2021 “A Box! A box is a wonder indeed. The only such magic that you’ll ever need.” This book offers gentle suggestions for what to do with a cardboard box, from the practical to the fantastical and from solitary to social.”

"Aspen (the hostage prince) and Snail (the midwife''s apprentice) must gather an army to face the Unseelie forces that want to destroy Aspen''s home country"--

A Highland lad comes of age at the brutal battle of Culloden in 18th-century Scotland In the year 1745, the cry goes out across the Scottish Highlands for every able-bodied Scotsman to take up arms in support of Bonnie Prince Charlie. Stalwart and brave but prone to sudden seizures, young Duncan longs to join his da and the other men of clan MacDonald in the noble fight against the English. His father decrees the boy must remain behind, but the call to war is impossible to ignore, and when Duncan learns of his uncle’s death in battle, he joins his cousin Ewan and sets out to fight for their country and their prince. But the reality of war is not the glorious undertaking Duncan has long heard spoken of and sung in stirring ballads and stories—and on the battlefield of Culloden he will be tested in ways he never could have imagined and leave boyhood behind forever amid the blood, fire, and death. Critically acclaimed, award-winning authors Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris merge their considerable storytelling talents in a riveting, moving tale of a young boy’s rocky and perilous road to manhood. Richly atmospheric and firmly based in fact, Prince Across the Water is enthralling historical fiction—a powerful and unforgettable journey back in time and an unflinching look at the true face of war.

From Africa, Burma, and Czechoslovakia to Turkey, Vietnam, and Wales here are more than 150 of the world''s best-loved folktales from more than forty countries and cultures. These tales of wonder and transformation, of heroes and heroines, of love lost and won, of ogres and trolls, stories both jocular and cautionary and legends of pure enchantment will delight readers and storytellers of all ages. With black-and-white drawings throughout Part of the Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library

DIVDIVBefore the legendary Arthur became king, he took lessons from a dragon . . ./divDIV Artos is a lonely child, teased or ignored by the other boys in the castle of Sir Ector. One day, he follows Sir Ector’s runaway hound into a mysterious, dark cave, where he encounters a dragon who offers him the gift of wisdom./divDIV /divDIVBoth frightened and intrigued, Artos becomes the dragon’s student and gains what he’s always longed for: the friendship and respect of other boys. Under the guidance of the dragon, Artos’s life begins to take shape in a way he could never have imagined. But has Artos really learned everything the dragon has to teach? And what does the dragon mean when he refers to him as “Artos Pendragon,” or “Arthur son of dragon”? This ebook features a personal history by Jane Yolen including rare images from the author’s personal collection, as well as a note from the author about the making of the book./div/div

DIVDIVDIVUnder the fountain in Washington Square Park, there lives an incompetent wizard . . . /divDIV David has just moved to New York City from Connecticut, and he’s a bit lonely. He hasn’t made any friends yet, and the city is so big. But one Saturday afternoon in Washington Square Park, David and his dog, D. Dog, meet a girl named Leilah. Leilah tells David that there’s a wizard in the park—a wizard who lives under the Washington Square fountain. At first, David thinks Leilah is just making things up—until he encounters the real live wizard! Unfortunately, the wizard’s spells work at the most inconvenient times, and he accidentally turns David’s dog into a marble statue. Before the wizard can change D. Dog back, a sneaky antiques dealer grabs the statue and races uptown to sell it. Can David’s new friends help him get D. Dog back?/divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features a personal history by Jane Yolen including rare images from the author’s personal collection, as well as a note from the author about the making of the book./div/div/div

DIVDIVDIVAll magic has consequences/divDIV Long ago, the seawitch Dread Mary fell in love with a hard-hearted prince and gave him the Magic Three of Solatia: three silver buttons that could fulfill any wish—but at a price. Centuries later, the buttons belong to Sianna of the Song, a button maker’s daughter and heir to all of Dread Mary’s magic secrets. But the cruel King Blaggard of Solatia seeks to wed the lovely Sianna and steal her power. Sianna will need her wits, her magic, and the silver buttons to save herself and Solatia from the evil Blaggard . . . but what will it cost her?/divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features a personal history by Jane Yolen including rare images from the author’s personal collection, as well as a note from the author about the making of the book./div/div/div

An alien civilization is forever changed by the incursion of human social scientists—and an ancient prophecy—in this award-winning novel. The year is 2132 when members of the Anthropologist’s Guild set down on the planet Henderson’s IV, or L’Lal’lor as it is known to the native population. Charged with the nonintrusive study of alien cultures, the crew discovers a society containing no love or laughter. It is, instead, centered around death—a world of aristocratic and common folk in which grieving is an art and the cornerstone of life. But the alien civilization stands on the brink of astonishing change, heralded by the discovery of Linni, the Gray Wanderer, a young woman from the countryside whose arrival has been foretold for centuries. And for Anthropologist First Class Aaron Spenser, L’Lal’lor is a place of destructive temptations, seducing him with its mysterious, sad beauty, and leading him into an unthinkable criminal act. Told from the shifting viewpoints of characters both alien and human, and through records of local lore and transcripts of court martial proceedings, Cards of Grief is a thoughtful, lyrical, and spellbinding tale of first contact. It is a true masterwork of world building from Jane Yolen, a premier crafter of speculative fiction and fantasy. This ebook features a personal history by Jane Yolen including rare images from the author’s personal collection, as well as a note from the author about the making of the book.

DIVDIVAward-winning author Jane Yolen transports readers to new realms of dragons, sprites, and rogues in twenty-seven magical stories and poems/divDIV “That’s what dragons are for, after all, to call forth heroes.”/divDIV /divDIVJane Yolen enchants and enthralls with an exquisite collection of short fiction and poetry brimming with sympathetic monsters, unlikely heroes, and all manner of magical amazements. Exploring the depths of human love, pain, and folly in these unforgettable tales, Yolen gives life to a cast of unforgettable characters: a selfless young woman whose sadness brings forth beautiful gifts, a deluded musician whose song spectacularly fails to soothe a savage beast, and an alien salvage crew mining gems from the mind of a dying poet. Here be dragons, outlaws, kings, mermen, and dream weavers, sprung from the unparalleled imagination of one of the world’s foremost fantasists./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features a personal history by Jane Yolen including rare images from the author’s personal collection, as well as a note from the author about the making of the book. /div/div

The award-winning author How to Fracture a Fairy Tale revamps the Camelot legend with stories of King Arthur’s powerful mentor, the great magician Merlin. There is perhaps no more beloved and enduring myth in the Western canon than the story of King Arthur, his knights, Queen Guinevere, and of course, his mysterious tutor and magical advisor, Merlin. A sorcerer, sage, prophet, and teacher, Merlin’s mysterious life has inspired a vast array of classic works while giving rise to numerous conflicting legends. Here, award-winning author Jane Yolen, one of the most acclaimed fantasy writers of our time, retells Merlin’s tales as never before. Through a series of stories and poems ranging across centuries—from the days of Merlin’s childhood as a feral boy to the possible discovery of his bones in a much later era—Yolen reimagines both the glory and grimness of Camelot, recalling characters and events from Arthurian legend, while ingeniously inventing new myths and dark fables. Merlin’s Booke is a brilliant patchwork, made up of tales that explore the mysteries of King Arthur’s world and the terrible magic that pervaded it. This ebook features a personal history by Jane Yolen including rare images from the author’s personal collection, as well as a note from the author about the making of the book.

Children’s Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis and the inimitable Jane Yolen team up in this ironic and witty take on the last moments in the lives of a variety of animals. Each satirical poem in this darkly humorous collection is an epitaph of a different animal. Grouped by animal type, these posthumous poems are full of clever wordplay and macabre humor that will appeal to kids (and adults) of all ages. From the humble chicken to the great blue whale, this laugh-out-loud poetry collection is sure to be a hit at storytimes and around Halloween.

Sisters Serena and Meteora were proud members of the high court of the Fairy Queen-until they were cast out from court, stripped of their powers, and banished to the brutish mortal realm of Earth-where they discover a long-forgotten dark force that threatens both fairy and human worlds.

Dinosaurs describe ways to enjoy cookies.

An unforgettable take on a favorite fairy tale by multi-award-winning author Jane Yolen Summer''s life in the mountains of West Virginia feels like a fairy tale--her parents dote on her, and she''s about to get a new baby brother. But when the baby dies soon after he''s born, taking their mother with him, Summer''s life turns grim. Things get even worse when her father marries a woman who brings poisons and magical mirrors into Summer''s world. Stepmama puts up a pretty face and Summer''s father is under her spell, but Summer suspects she''s up to no good--and is afraid she is powerless to stop her.

Two rambunctious monsters creep, gurgle, crawl, and tumble before falling asleep.

Halva is traveling with her trained bear to visit the King of Denmark when they stop for the night at a cottage where, they learn, a pack of trolls is about to make its annual Christmas Eve visit, causing trouble and making a big mess. Includes author''s note about the story''s origins.

Lift-the-flap pages and colorful illustrations of dinosaurs help demonstrate the concept of opposites.

Elsie is a city girl. She loves the noise of the cobbled streets of Boston. But when her mother dies and her father moves them to the faraway prairies of Nebraska, Elsie hears only the silence, and she feels alone in the wide sea of grass. Her only comfort is her canary, Timmy Tune. But when Timmy flies out the window, Elsie is forced to run after him, into the tall grass of the prairie, where she''s finally able to hear the voice of the prairie-beautiful and noisy- and she begins to feel at home. Jane Yolen and David Small create a remarkable, poetic, vividly rendered book about finding one''s place in the world.

These princesses dig in the dirt, kick soccer balls, and splash in muddy puddles -- all in their sparkly crowns!

Aliera Carstairs just doesn''t fit in. She''s always front and center at the fencing studio, but at school she''s invisible. And she''s fine with that . . . until Avery Castle walks into her first period biology class.

Explains how little dinosaurs should behave during a typical school day.

Cuddle up and share this feel-good book from the creators of How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?

All but ignored by her family, Princess Djeow Seow spends most of the day playing with her kite. When her father, the Emperor, is imprisoned in a high tower, Princess saves the day by flying her kite up the tower to save him.

Having been presumed dead, Jakkin and Akki finally return to Austar IV with newfound skills, and the knowledge that what they have learned could either transform their planet or destroy it.

All the fairies are excited to be invited to the King''s ball, except for one young fairy whose only party dress is in tatters.

Boisterous toddler board books join the phenomenally best-selling ''How Do Dinosaurs'' series! How do dinosaurs count to ten? Over and over and over again! This brand new board book format brings the gigantic humour of bestselling, award-winning team Jane Yolen and Mark Teague to the youngest readers, helping them learn to count from one to ten with a simple, rhyming text and laugh-out-loud illustrations! A perfect companion book to the How Do Dinosaurs... story books, and a great baby gift as well.

Sixteen-year-old harpist prodigy Moira is transported to a strange and mystical wilderness, where she finds herself in the middle of a deadly struggle between a magical fox and a monstrous troll.