Birdwing

Once upon a time, six brothers were turned into swans. And once upon a time, the spell was broken, giving back to each brother his human form...all except for Ardwin, the youngest. He was left with one arm enchanted, forever a wing.

Avi: Best Shorts

Rafe’s version of the Japanese ghost tale, Ho-Ichi the Earless, a two-time Newbery Award-winner, is in Avi’s collection.

The Boy Who Lived With the Seals

This companion to the critically acclaimed The Rough-Face Girl presents a mysterious Native American (Wasco-Chinook) tale of a boy who must follow his own path and find his own way. In so doing, gifts come that benefit the whole community

The Boy Who Loved Mammoths

Here is the story of Will, a boy who believes that mammoths really exist, and who goes out to find one. When Will meets his mammoth in a snowstorm, the real threat of danger clashes with the equally real power of Will’s imagination.

Dear As Salt

One of Rafe’s lesser-known books, Dear as Salt is a traditional Italian folktale.

The Eagle's Gift

In this Alaskan Eskimo tale joy comes to the world through the Eagle Mother, the animals, and the arts, which build community. It is also a story about the importance of storytelling and the illustrations—oil paintings all—are simply gorgeous.

The Language of Birds

Ivan and Vasilii are as different as brothers can be. When their father sends them out to prove themselves in the wide world, Vasilii is only out for himself, while Ivan approaches the future with a generous heart.

Mysterious Tales of Japan

A collection of ten of Rafe’s favorite Japanese folktales draws readers into an eerie, beautiful world that is not so different from our own with such stories as the romantic Green Willow and the suspenseful Ho-ichi the Earless.

The Rough-Face Girl

An award-winning recreation of a classic Native American (Algonquin) Indian Cinderella, this is a mysterious, magical, powerful book. Many of Rafe’s readers call it their favorite of his books, and it has won much recognition in the world of children’s literature.

The Shark God

A powerful, mysterious, and very beautiful ancient Hawaiian flood-tale of compassion and justice, magnificently (truly!) illustrated by the always astonishing David Shannon.

The Storyteller's Story

Photos by award-winning author and photographer Jill Krementz (A Very Young Dancer, A Very Young Rider and many others) illustrate this look into the life of a professional storyteller and children’s author.

The Twelve Months

This Slavic “Cinderella” explores the magic and mystery of time and the seasons, and the ripening consequences of two opposing paths in life—one, compassionate and true, the other selfish and fraudulent. Guess which one wins out in the end?

Will's Mammoth

Rafe Martin understands the power of imagination and its importance in growing up. In a few words he brings to life Will, a boy who believes in his mammoth. Will loves big woolly mammoths.

The World Before This One

Crow is a Seneca boy, coming of age in a time of war, in a time before stories. Cast out of the Seneca tribe, Crow and his grandmother struggle merely to find enough food to make it through the harsh winter. Then Crow finds a boulder in the woods that startles him by speaking.

The Storytelling Princess

In this original, wild and wacky comedy of lost and found identities, destinies unfolding, and compelling storytelling no one really knows the ending of the tale.