There is an old saying that “good things come in small packages.? In this story from Italy, storytellers Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss show us that good things also come in “furry? packages. When a merchant finds himself in a land that is overrun by rats, he realizes that he has the most “priceless gift? in this country, namely his ship’s cats. In this classic tale, we learn that one man’s cats are another man’s treasure and vice versa. Read by Miss Lydia.

Priceless Gifts by Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss. Illustrations by John Kanzler. Copyright 2007. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, August House, Inc.

When the dollmaker creates Zigzag from scraps, she promises him, "Some child will love you." This gives the strange-looking doll hope. But the other dolls and stuffed animals in the shop don't want such an ugly toy around. They force Zigzag to leave. Clinging to the promise that a child will someday love him, little Zigzag sets out to find a home. Read by Miss Lydia.

The Denver Public Library would like to thank August House for joining our podcasting family. Look for more enchanting stories from this publisher in the future.

Zigzag by Robert D. San Souci. Illustrations by Stefan Czernecki. Copyright 2005. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, August House, Inc.

A monster from outer space is soooooooo hungry, but can't find anything to eat until he meets a little girl. Will the girl be his next meal or does she have something up her sleeve? Read by Mary Palmer.

The Hungry Monster. Copyright 1996 by Phyllis Root. Illustrations copyright 1996 by Sue Heap. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Inc., Cambridge, MA, on behalf of Walker Books Ltd., London.

Oliver the owl stays up so late one night that he sees the sun come up, but when he goes to share the sight with his nighttime friends, they are all asleep. Read by Ella.

Oliver's Wood. Copyright 1996 by Sue Hendra. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Inc., Cambridge, MA, on behalf of Walker Books Ltd., London.

Listen to the latest interview with Harry and the Potters and Draco and the Malfoys, recorded after their August 2007 show at the Central Library.

A very silly rhyming story read by Lee.

Silly Sally Copyright 1992 by Audrey Wood. Reproduced by permission of the author.

Francis is an easily frightened little kitty, but his devoted friend Ben may be in trouble and Francis has to summon the strength to climb a tree and confront a monster to help his friend. Read by Mary Palmer.

Francis the Scaredy Cat Copyright 2002 by Ed Boxall. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Inc., Cambridge, MA, on behalf of Walker Books Ltd., London.

The Denver Public Library is pleased to announce a new partnership with August House publishers. Some of your favorite DPL storytellers plan on recording these delightful, multicultural stories from around the world. August House is dedicated to keeping the art of storytelling alive and in addition to printed materials, they also produce audiobooks and offer free multimedia versions of select titles on their web site. Please take a moment to browse their site, watch the stories online and place August House titles on hold at the Denver Public Library.

Little Bear can't fall asleep since he's afraid of the dark. Fortunately, Big Bear comes to the rescue with some creative ways to help Little Bear get more comfortable at bedtime. Read by Miss Lydia.

Can't You Sleep, Little Bear? Copyright 1988 by Martin Waddell. Illustrations copyright 1988 by Barbara Firth. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Inc., Cambridge, MA, on behalf of Walker Books Ltd., London.

Three little mice see if they can get past their fear and make it to the dark at the top of the stairs. Read by Ella.

The Dark at the Top of the Stairs. Text copyright 1996 by Sam McBratney. Illustrations copyright 1996 by Ivan Bates. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Inc., Cambridge, MA, on behalf of Walker Books Ltd., London.