Science tells us that young children develop best when they are read to. In this follow-up to Read to Your Baby Every Day, soothe your toddler with retellings of traditional folk tales, fairy tales and fables from around the world paired with images of Chloe Giordano’s charming hand-embroidered illustrations on cloth.

Every tale is the perfect length to read aloud to your toddler before bedtime and carries a message of empathy, friendship and care for the world around us. Bond with your toddler and help them grow as you read to them these timeless stories:

THE THREE WISHES, Scandinavia

THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER, Ancient Rom

BRER RABBIT AND THE WELL, North America

HOW THE BEAR LOST HIS TAIL, Iroquois

THE MAGIC PEAR TREE, China

WHY THE BANANAS BELONG TO THE MONKEY, Brazil

THE FISHERMAN AND THE GENIE, Syria

THE STONECUTTER, Japan

THE RAINBOW SERPENT, Indigenous Australia

THE CLEVER LITTLE TURTLE, Mexico

THE SCRUFFY DUCKLING, Denmark

THE LION AND THE THORN, Ancient Greece

ANANSI AND THE TURTLE, Caribbean

KING MIDAS, Ancient Greece

A BAG FULL OF STORIES, Cambodia

THE MICE AND THE ELEPHANTS, India

SNOWFLAKE, THE SNOW CHILD, Russia

WHY CATS CHASE MICE, Nigeria

HOW THE WREN BECAME KING OF THE BIRDS, Ireland

THE FEAST, Mali