Princess Luciana And The Magical Flower

For many parents, curling up with a book for a bedtime story with their kid is a daily ritual. For others, it is the perfect time to spend time with their children after a busy day, and for some, it is something they should do but are not entirely sure why. Discover these benefits of bedtime stories for kids. Sharpen their brains Research shows that one of the greatest benefit of interacting with children, including reading to them stories, is that children learn a great deal of things- from improved logic skills to lowering their stress levels. Bedtime stories rewire the brain of a child and quicken their mastery of language. Their vocabulary repertoire is expanded and their listening and oral communication skills enhanced.bedtime stories for kids Enhance creativity and Stimulate imagination If you are a good storyteller, then you should teleport your kid to a different realm- from reality to fantasy for the child to learn the difference between these two. This will enhance and stimulate his imagination.children's books kindle Emotion development The kid will learn to experience different emotions while empathizing with the characters of the story. The common emotions of sadness, happiness and anger may be encountered and he will learn to control these in real life.bedtime story for kids

In the classic rags-to-riches fairy tale a penniless heroine (or hero), with some magic help, marries a royal prince (or princess) and rises to wealth. Received opinion has long been that stories like these originated among peasants, who passed them along by word of mouth from one place to another over the course of centuries. In a bold departure from conventional fairy tale scholarship, Ruth B. Bottigheimer asserts that city life and a single individual played a central role in the creation and transmission of many of these familiar tales. According to her, a provincial boy, Zoan Francesco Straparola, went to Venice to seek his fortune and found it by inventing the modern fairy tale, including the long beloved Puss in Boots, and by selling its many versions to the hopeful inhabitants of that colorful and commercially bustling city. With innovative literary sleuthing, Bottigheimer has reconstructed the actual composition of Straparola's collection of tales. Grounding her work in social history of the Renaissance Venice, Bottigheimer has created a possible biography for Straparola, a man about whom hardly anything is known. This is the first book-length study of Straparola in any language.

Children's book full of adventure.

The debut novel of the dazzling Silken Magic series, set in the mythical kingdom of Tyrrhia, where courtly politics, magic, and the silk trade intersect. When the owl called, Luciana’s heart filled with dread. The first time she had heard the owl call three times, she had been barely five—and her father had died. Over the years that followed, this herald of misfortune had warned of death several times, and on each occasion she had lost someone dear to her. Now she was a grown woman with too many for whose safety she feared. Luciana’s husband, Stefano, Duca di Drago, brother to the queen of Tyrrhia, was currently away fighting in the war against the Turks. Her grandmother, the Romani Queen, was at an age when death might easily claim her companionship. And Luciana’s own beloved sister Alessandra was at the Tyrrhian court, an innocent among courtiers far too well-versed in intrigue. But the truth would prove far more dreadful than Luciana’s worst fears. For not only was Alessa dead, but her very soul was imperiled by the way she had died. Luciana had no choice but to journey to the White King’s Court to seek out the one responsible. Yet the trail she must uncover would lead Luciana into the gravest danger. And even the silken magic of the Rom might not prove strong enough to defeat the dark sorcery which had stolen her sister’s very spirit, and now threatened to turn this power against the royal court.

Renowned today for his contribution to the rise of the modern European fairy tale, Giovan Francesco Straparola (c. 1480–c. 1557) is particularly known for his dazzling anthology The Pleasant Nights. Originally published in Venice in 1550 and 1553, this collection features seventy-three folk stories, fables, jests, and pseudo-histories, including nine tales we might now designate for ‘mature readers’ and seventeen proto-fairy tales. Nearly all of these stories, including classics such as ‘Puss in Boots,’ made their first ever appearance in this collection; together, the tales comprise one of the most varied and engaging Renaissance miscellanies ever produced. Its appeal sustained it through twenty-six editions in the first sixty years. This full critical edition of The Pleasant Nights presents these stories in English for the first time in over a century. The text takes its inspiration from the celebrated Waters translation, which is entirely revised here to render it both more faithful to the original and more sparkishly idiomatic than ever before. The stories are accompanied by a rich sampling of illustrations, including originals from nineteenth-century English and French versions of the text. As a comprehensive critical and historical edition, these volumes contain far more information on the stories than can be found in any existing studies, literary histories, or Italian editions of the work. Donald Beecher provides a lengthy introduction discussing Straparola as an author, the nature of fairy tales and their passage through oral culture, and how this phenomenon provides a new reservoir of stories for literary adaptation. Moreover, the stories all feature extensive commentaries analysing not only their themes but also their fascinating provenances, drawing on thousands of analogue tales going back to ancient Sanskrit, Persian, and Arabic stories. Immensely entertaining and readable, The Pleasant Nights will appeal to anyone interested in fairy tales, ancient stories, and folk creations. Such readers will also enjoy Beecher’s academically solid and erudite commentaries, which unfold in a manner as light and amusing as the stories themselves.

Game of Thrones meets The Princess Bride in this hilarious new series, combining romance and high fantasy, by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kerrelyn Sparks. Raised in isolation on the magic-shrouded Isle of the Moon, five girls became five sisters. Now women, they are ready to claim their places in the world—and perhaps change it forever . . . FLAME AND FORTUNE Sorcha knew the mission was dangerous. Leaving the safe grounds of her brother’s kingdom and parlaying with the elves across their border . . . well, treachery seemed at least as likely as true peace. But to support her sister, Sorcha would brave far more than the underhanded ways of the elves. Or so she thought, before she was taken hostage. Of course, her captors didn’t count on her particular abilities—or on the help of the Woodsman, the mysterious thief who made his home in the forest. He saw the battle from the trees, saw the soldier attacking against incredible odds to save a comrade—and then saw the valiant fighter revealed as Princess Sorcha of Norveshka. He can’t tell if he wants to kidnap her or kiss her. But despite Sorcha’s stubbornness, his inconvenient honor, and a rebellion on the cusp of full war, something burns between them that neither can let go . . . “Sparks' crafting of distinct kingdoms and fantasy races is the strongest part of the series…An adventurous fantasy romp.” —Kirkus Reviews “Satisfying chemistry, a playful sense of adventure, and the threat of more danger to come keep the pages turning. Readers will revel in this fun, fast-paced fantasy romance.” —Publishers Weekly

Project Runway meets Mulan in this sweeping fantasy about a teenage girl who poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor and embarks on an impossible journey to sew three magic dresses, from the sun, the moon, and the stars. And don’t miss Elizabeth Lim’s new novel, the instant New York Times bestseller, Six Crimson Cranes! “All the cutthroat competition of a runway fashion reality show and the thrilling exploits of an epic quest." —The Washington Post Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia makes the ultimate sacrifice and poses as a boy to take his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she'll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There's just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors in a cutthroat competition for the job. Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia's task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise. And nothing could have prepared her for the unthinkable final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor's reluctant bride-to-be, from the sun, the moon, and the stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined. Steeped in Chinese culture, sizzling with forbidden romance, and shimmering with magic, this fantasy novel is not to be missed. "This is a white-knuckle read." —Tamora Pierce, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of Tempests and Slaughter