THE BAREFOOT BOOK OF EARTH TALES

The Barefoot Book of Earth Tales

Retold: Dawn Casey
Illustrator: Anne Wilson
BUY – Earth Tales

From across the world these seven beautiful folktales share with children, the timeless magic of a good deed and the importance of living in harmony with nature. Everything is interconnected and our thoughts and actions really do make a difference.

This book is a celebration of life, combining ancient wisdom with modern environmentalism.
It encourages independence of spirit and a sharing of the world’s cultural diversity.

A Gold Nautilus Book Award winner, The Barefoot Book of Earth Tales promotes green living and reinforces the eco-messages in each story.

A short introduction tells us where each tale comes from and a bit about the culture or background, which sets the scene and may help young readers understand new ideas. Each story is followed by a fun hands-on activity, from building a living willow den, to creating an aboriginal based song-line painting.

Honey sunsets, citrus storms, delicate slices of morning sky. Greedy Osato gobbles down the delicious sky. She knows she has pulled off far more than she needs. But the sky was big and there was always enough for everyone. Who cared about a little wasted sky?

This traditional Nigerian story tells how people came to work for their food and is a timely reminder that our own actions have the power to create or destroy the balance of living in harmony with nature.

Would you give up your dearest possession to save your village?
Would you hug your favourite tree to stop it being cut down?

In these two stories the selfless action of a child brings life and protection to people and trees alike. We see how the American Indians lived in shamanic balance with nature and how the bravery of a small group of women and children in India, inspired a movement which even today protects ancient forests.

When a young boy is entrusted with money to buy seed, but instead uses it to free thousands of captured birds, his kind deed creates a miraculous outcome. Filled with wisdom, friendship and the powerful message of trusting your heart, this uplifting story from Kazakhstan is an absolute gem!

Gecko is irritated! The fireflies flash all night and he can’t get a wink of sleep. But why are they flashing? He pleads with Tiger, chief of the jungle to discover what is going on. This insightful and humorous Balinese tale shows us that although we may only see part of the web, all things are connected one way or the other.

From a thought provoking Aboriginal creation story, to an elderly Welsh couple’s solution to where not to dump their garbage, these stories will tickle the imagination.

Bravery and kindness opens our hearts, tears release our fears and joy fills us, as we are lifted by the power of love. Share with us the special gifts of a truly great story!