October 4, 2021
This enjoyably eclectic compilation of 29 lesser-known tales spins readers around the storytelling globe. (A “Story Map” in the back matter makes their geographical range clear.) Napoli’s choices are notable for their breadth and inclusivity, spanning multiple cultures spread across six continents, from Australia’s ecologically cautionary “The Bunyip” to “The Old Woman” of the Jindwi in Zimbabwe, who is remarkable for her magical knee. All arise from oral traditions, a form that Napoli notes “can lose some... charm and power” when written down. Her renditions, notable for their plain yet effective language, have a ring of their own—“Dick Whittington was not a lucky child. He had no parents nor even a memory of them”—amplified by Balit’s gold-tinged illustrations, which shimmer with stylized, Byzantine detail, depicting people of various skin tones and magical worlds where an ogre can fall in love with a human and flowers tumble from the mouth of an enchanted princess. Ages 8–12.