In this outstanding multicultural collection from the authors of the prizewinning While Standing on One Foot, readers must try to outsmart evil kings, answer questions from Death, even puzzle with angels over the justice of God. Every tale returns to the most basic question: What is fair? With tales from Africa, Asia, and Europe, from Irish, Jews, and Muslims, from American schools and courtrooms, The Cow of No Color is truly an international gathering. Ranging from tricks to watch for in playground games to big issues to ponder for a lifetime, here is a book with insights and challenges for every member of every family.

The Cow of No Color: Riddle Stories and Justice Tales from Around the World

Children's Books

Zeitlin, Steve

Jaffe, Nina

Literature & Fiction

Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

What is the universe? How did it get that way? Here are thought-provoking answers from throughout history and around the world. "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth." -King James Bible "In the beginning, before men, before the Gods, all was chaos." -Greek myth Folklorist Steve Zeitlin gives answers to the questions everyone asks about the nature of the universe: What is it? Where did it come from? Will it end? A picture of the universe is a cosmology, and every culture has its own. People build these stories from the world around them. The ancient Egyptians who saw the Nile flood yearly told stories of gods who rise, die, and are reborn. The Maori living on the wind and sea-battered island of New Zealand tell of sea, land, and sky gods in eternal combat. Readers will discover the Iroquois who pictured the world on a turtle's back; the Southeast Asians who described the world as a flat disc held up by three elephants; even Genesis and the Big Bang theories are included. Zeitlin retells each myth, legend, folktale or theory as a story filled with wonder and imagination. Now every child who tries to build a picture of the universe will see how he or she fits in the grand tradition of human thought and imagination.

Four Corners of the Sky: Creation Stories and Cosmologies from Around the World

Religions

Here are eighteen stories from the Jewish tradition that challenge you to answer a question or solve a puzzle. When you've done your best, the authors give you answers that have come down through time. Can you outthink the sages, or will they help you out of a tight spot?

While Standing on One Foot: Puzzle Stories and Wisdom Tales from the Jewish Tradition

This is a book of encounters. Part memoir, part essay, and partly a guide to maximizing your capacity for fulfillment and expression, The Poetry of Everyday Life taps into the artistic side of what we often take for granted: the stories we tell, the people we love, the metaphors used by scientists, even our sex lives. A folklorist, writer, and cultural activist, Steve Zeitlin explores how poems serve us in daily life and how they are used in times of personal and national crisis. In the first book to bring together the perspectives of folklore and creative writing, Zeitlin explores meaning and experience, covering topics ranging from poetry in the life cycle to the contemporary uses of ancient myths. 
"This convergence of poetry and folklore," he suggests, "gives birth to something new: a new way of seeing ourselves, and a new way of being in the world." Written with humor and insight, the book introduces readers to the many eccentric and visionary characters Zeitlin has met in his career as a folklorist. Covering topics from Ping-Pong to cave paintings, from family poetry nights to delectable dishes at his favorite ethnic restaurants, The Poetry of Everyday Life will inspire readers to expand their consciousness of the beauty that resides in everyday things and to use creative expression to engage and animate that beauty toward living a more fulfilling awakened life, full of laughter. To live a creative life is the best way to engage with the beauty of the everyday.

The Poetry of Everyday Life: Storytelling and the Art of Awareness

Self-Help

Creativity

Cornell University Press

Debout sur un pied

Teen & Young Adult

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Books by Zeitlin, Steve