MAGAZINES
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I enjoy writing stories and poems
for the Cricket Group magazines.
One story, “Kotoshi the Dragon Doctor,”
was included in their hard cover anthology, Fire and Wings
(Cricket Books,
2002).
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Kotoshi, instead
of
being
eaten by a dragon,
or killing
it,
not only heals a
dragon baby’s
wounded wing, she
discovers
that its mother much
prefers
eating fish to
sacrificial maidens.
The story continues
in “Kotoshi
the Love Doctor” (Cricket,
May 2007) when
Kotoshi
meets a poetic
patient she
can’t (or perhaps
doesn’t
really want) to
cure.
Art by Daniel Powers
for
"Kotoshi the Love Doctor"
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Here is a list of
more stories:
“Spider Soup,” Spider, 6/1995
A Liberian folktale starring a greedy and
selfish spider.
“The Salted Mushroom,” Cricket,
11/2003
In 15th century China a wealthy salt merchant
plans to live forever.
“Reina Sardina,” Spider,
3/2004
A magic fish grants Pepe’s mother an
unexpected wish.
“Tukama and the Duppy,” Spider,
6/2005
Can Tukama outwit a mischievous Duppy?
“Marco and the Magic Seeds,” Spider,
5/2004
Marco’s magic beans turn out to be squash
seeds, and the weedwoman is not a fee-fi-fo-fumming, treasure-hoarding
ogre.
“Love Leaves” & “Basket of Love,” both in Cricket, 2/2003
Two Chinese courtship festivals and how they
began.
“The Ox-Star,” Spider, 8/1996
When Shang Ti sends Ox to Earth with an
important message, mixed-up Ox makes a big mistake.
“The Moth Prince,” Cricket,
11/1999
A spoiled
Chinese prince
awakens from a dream
that he’d become a moth.
But maybe it wasn’t a dream.
“The Moth Prince” is one
of my favorite stories.
Among its
inspirations:
a tour of a Chinese silk factory
in 1990 and a famous
dream
in the Taoist classic,
Chuang Tzu:
When the sage, Chuang Chou
awoke, he didn’t know if he
was a butterfly dreaming
of Chou or Chou
dreaming
he was a butterfly!
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Art
by Linda
S.Wingerter
for “The
Moth Prince” |
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“Hair and Feathers,” Cricket,
11/1996
How can bald Bandong court Nanka, his true
love, if he has no hair for her to comb?
“Biscuit Boy,” Ladybug,
4/1996
With a bugle and a song, shy Sidney sells
Mama’s biscuits in the marketplace
“Princess Shen-ming and the Wise Man,” Cricket, 8/1996
A practical princess wisely interprets a
simple man’s comments.
“The Little-Like-Me Baby,” Ladybug,
4/2000
Who does a baby platypus look like?
Art by Ponder Goembel
for “The Little-Like-Me Baby”
“The Bits-and-Pieces Platypus,” Ladybug,
4/2000
Facts about the platypus.
“The Promise of Seged,” co-author, David Gershator, Spider, 11/2000
The Jews of Ethiopia celebrate the holiday of
Seged--and reach the land of their dreams and prayers.
“Coyote’s Coat,” Spider,
4/1999
Will Coyote never be satisfied with the color
of his fur?
“Kot kot kot kodatch...,” Ladybug,
7/2000
A boastful Hungarian hen takes a ride on a
bike.
“Tiyoro and the Kissing Bird,” Cricket,
2/2006
A tale from Mali: subborn girl meets stubborn
bird.
“Nu Wa and the Yellow Clay,” Spider,
4/2005
A Chinese myth of creation featuring the snaky
goddess Nu Wa.
“Vive l’Artiste!” Cricket,
10/2005
When a Haitian artist, inspired by the
spirits, paints his finest painting, will he sell it?
“The Butterfly Test,” Cricket,
5/2006
If an indecisive prince can’t make up his mind
what to wear or what to eat, how will he ever choose a wife?
“Promises,” Cricket, 8/2007
A classic tale from the Panchatantra, in which a young
woman marries a snake.
“Ancestor Dog,” Cricket, 9/2008
A legendary “Beauty and the Beast” story from
China.
“Barbarian’s Bride,” Cricket,
5-6/2009
Who will be chosen to wed the Barbarian?
Surely not the Emperor’s favorite!
“Seek the Sun,” Spider, 9/2009
A true story from Japan.
Highlights!
I was lucky that a story I wrote, "The
Tennin's Robe," inspired by a classical Japanese tale, appeared in a
wonderful issue of Highlights
magazine, April 2008. That issue includes some amazing facts about the
brain plus a true story about the famous candymaker
Milton S. Hershey.
New stories coming
soon:
“Wu-tu,” Cricket
From the annals of Chinese history: valiant
soldier, precious stone, greedy king, beautiful maid....
“The Beggar Prince,” Cricket
A classic tale, retold from the Panchantantra, in which a disowned
daughter is married to a sickly beggar.
"The Lonely Goat," Ladybug
A goat looks
everywhere for his family. Where did everybody go?
Poems in the Cricket
Group Magazines:
“At the Holocaust Memorial Museum,” Cicada,
May/June 2001
Where does tolerance start?
“After the Storm,” co-author, David Gershator, Cricket, 4/2000
Treasure on the beach.
“Mosquito catcher,” Spider,
6/2001
My friend the lizard.
“Don’t call my name,” Cricket,
5/2000
Why not? Read on:
DON’T CALL MY NAME
Please don’t call
my name--
I’m reading a book.
Please don’t call
my name.
Don’t ask me to
clean up my room
and take out the
trash.
No, I don’t want to
go shopping.
I’m not ready to
play.
Please don’t call
my name--
I’m reading a book.
I’m far away.
I’m busy.
I’m making new
friends.
I know all their
secrets
except for a few,
so please,
don’t call my name.
I’m reading a book
and I can’t answer
your call
till I see how it
ends.
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