Explanation: All the world’s stories were kept locked in a big wooden box by the sky god, Nyame. In order to free the stories, Anansi the spider had to play his tricks on a number of dangerous creatures and present them to Nyame.

Further reading: To read the short tale Anansi and the Box of Stories, check out the book Myths and Legends of the World, by Alli Brydon and Julia Iredale. It’s one of our recommended reads this summer. 

Explanation: An aquanaut is a diver who lives and operates both inside and outside an underwater shelter for extended periods of time.

Further reading: Jill Heinerth is a Canadian aquanaut and underwater photographer. Read her story The Aquanaut, one of our recommended reads this summer. Jill has also created a video for the TD Summer Reading Club. Check it out on the video page of this website!

Explanation: A kitsune has the ability to take many shapes. This means that it can take many different forms: an old priest, a young woman, or anything else it chooses. Sometimes kitsunes want to help someone in need. Other times, they may wish to teach a lesson to someone who has misbehaved. Kitsunes are unpredictable, and each one is unique.

Further reading: The Book of Mythical Beasts and Magical Creatures, by Stephen Krensky and Pham Quang Phuc, contains information about the kitsune and other shape-shifting creatures. 

Explanation: Dinosaurs are a group of reptiles that lived on Earth beginning about 231 million years ago. Dinosaurs were different from all other reptiles because of the positioning of their legs. Lizards, alligators, and other reptiles have legs that sprawl out to their sides. Dinosaurs’ legs extended straight down from their bodies, allowing them to stand, walk and run upright.

Further reading: Check out Dinosaurs: Fact and Fable, by Seymour Simon, for interesting information on dinosaurs. You can also visit your local public library and look under Dewey Decimal number 567.9 for all books on dinosaurs. 

Explanation: In the classic story The Frog Prince, the princess accidentally drops her golden ball into the pond. The frog retrieves the ball from the bottom of the pond and returns it to the princess, making sure that she promises to be his friend forever.

Further reading: The Frog Prince is just one of many fairy tales you can read in the book Brothers Grimm: The Most Beloved Fairy Tales. Two brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, traveled around their country (Germany) to listen to the most popular fairy tales. They then put all the fairy tales into a book so they would never be forgotten. 

Explanation: As soon as the race starts, the hare shoots off to an early lead. At the halfway point, the hare is so far ahead that he decides to lie down and take a nap. Meanwhile, the tortoise keeps walking, slowly and steadily, never stopping. He passes the napping hare and wins the race!  

Further reading: Read about Aesop’s life and his most popular fables in The Fabled Life of Aesop, by Ian Lendler and Pamela Zagarenski. 

Explanation: Nocturnal animals become more active at night to hunt and mate. In addition, night makes it possible to avoid heat and predators. Nocturnal animals have physical traits that let them roam in the dark more effectively.

Further reading: Check out the story The Origin of Day and Night, by Paula Ikuutaq Rumbolt and Lenny Lishchenko. This origin story features an arctic fox and an arctic hare. The animals must come to an agreement about when to bring the sun up into the sky and when to make it set. 

Explanation: Germination is the growth of a plant contained within a seed. It results in the formation of the seedling.

Further reading: Check out the book Fairy Science, by Ashley Spires, for cool science facts and experiments to try out at home. For more books about plants, visit your local public library and look for Dewey Decimal number 580. 

Explanation: With the help of friends, the wolf learns the belly, bumblebee, and whale breathing techniques. To learn more about these breathing exercises and to find out about some common yoga poses, check out The Three Yogis and the Wolf Who Lost His Breath, which you can read online on this website.

Further reading: Ask your local library staff to help you find more picture books that promote health and wellness. You can look for non-fiction books on health under Dewey Decimal number 613, and for non-fiction books on yoga under number 613.7046.

Explanation: Eastern dragons are often depicted without wings. Even though they do not have wings, they sometimes still have the ability to fly. The Eastern dragon is a symbol of good luck and strength in many cultures. In many stories, Eastern dragons are depicted as highly intelligent, and do not breathe fire or hoard treasures as Western dragons generally do.

Further reading: Check out Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon, by Kat Zhang and Charlene Chua, to learn about Eastern dragons. The Book of Mythical Beasts and Magical Creatures, by Stephen Krensky and Pham Quang Phuc, presents and explains the different types of dragons.