In the yellow hues of the African plains, hunting was easy for the leopard, whose light coat served as camouflage. When all the animals moved away, the hungry leopard had to follow them to the striped, splotchy, spotted forest. But he didn't stand a chance of survival unless, of course, he acquired spots himself.

Denzel Washington reads this larger-than-life tale about the African-American hero who was born with a hammer in his hand. Join John Henry on a scenic journey from cotton country to the wilderness, where he finds men of all colors working together to build a great railroad. In no time, John Henry becomes king of the railroad camps by driving more steel than any man alive. And, in an exciting contest that pits man against machine, he single-handedly out-performs a new-fangled steam drill.

Here are two hilarious Jamaican folktales about the original story spinner himself, both read by Denzel Washington. Anansi the spider is teeny-teeny, but his boasts are as tall as tales get. In the first story, Anansi takes Tiger's challenge and outwits the prideful snake to win possession of all the stories in the jungle. In the second story, Anansi devises a scheme to appear important at his mother-in-law's funeral but gets caught in his own lies and winds up as bald as a mango.

Take a rollicking ride through the Wild, Wild West with the original cowboy, Pecos Bill. Raised by coyotes to brave the great frontier, Pecos rides his wild mustang Widow-Maker and invents the first rough-and-tumble cattle drive. Then he mounts a runaway cyclone like a buckin' bronco to create the Great Salt Lake.

Finn McCoul is the greatest champion in all of Ireland, but when he discovers that the brutish giant Cucullin is after him, even the great Finn gets a wee bit nervous. But with some ingenious culinary magic on the part of his clever wife, Finn manages to get out of the scrape with his dignity intact. Well, most of it! This rollicking version of a beloved Celtic legend, read by actress Catherine O'Hara, with music by Boys of the Lough, will light up your ears.

In this humorous African folktale, narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, Koi wants the villagers to honor him as befits the son of a chief. But unless he can accomplish three impossible tasks, he will end up in the cooking pot instead. His problems begin with a scrawny kola tree, and they end when three unlikely new friends - a snake, an ant and an alligator - save his life and help him find his rightful place in the world.

Read by actor Michael Caine with original music by Ellis Marsalis and featuring cellist Yo-Yo Ma. One day, King Midas sees a beautiful butterfly illuminated by the golden light of the afternoon sun. He is so taken with it that he wishes for the power to turn all things he touches into gold. But when a strange messenger arrives in a chariot and grants him this desire, King Midas soon comes to realize that there are some things in life more precious than gold.

All the magic of a faraway time and place are captured in this enchanting tale about a young rogue and the genie who helps him win the love of the Sultan's daughter. Actor John Hurt narrates an artful interpretation of Aladdin's quest, faithful to the classic story from 1,000 and One Nights that has been entertaining audiences for thousands of years.

This playful tale is one of the best known of Rudyard Kipling’s Just So stories. In this one, pride and arrogance prove to be the downfall of a lazy camel.

Rudyard Kipling's story of how the elephant got its trunk has always delighted children with its playful use of language and sense of high adventure. Never has there been a more satisfying rendering of Kipling's most beloved "Just So" story, which explains what the world was like "in the beginning of years when the world was new and all..." Ages five and up. Narrated by Jack Nicholson with musical accompaniment by Bobby McFerrin.

Actress Glenn Close narrates this story, accompanied by original music by Mark Isham. The Emperor and his court in ancient China discover a little grey bird with an enchanting song. But when the Emperor is presented with a jewel-encrusted, artificial singing bird, he banishes the nightingale from his court. Years later, he realizes that the song of the real nightingale is the true treasure.

Sassy, sassier, sassiest! That Brer Rabbit was the back-sassiest critter in 10 counties and it got so Brer Fox just couldn't bear it another second. So he stirred himself up a sticky, gooey Tar Baby and left it on a log for Brer Rabbit to run smack into.

Hidden deep in the blue forest of Norway, there live a peasant farmer and his family. In a fierce storm, a mysterious white bear arrives with a strange proposal to make them rich if their youngest daughter will go to live with him in his golden cavern. They agree, and for a time all goes well, but when the girl ignores the kindly bear's advice, she must travel to the castle that lies east of the sun and west of the moon to face the horrible Troll Queen.

"When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but really loves you, then you become real." First published in 1922, Margery Williams' enchanting story about a toy rabbit is a classic of children's literature. This gentle rendition comes alive through Meryl Streep's soothing narration and George Winston's beautiful music score. Ages four and up.

Actress Emma Thompson narrates this story, which is based on an 18th-century French fairy tale. In this magically romantic book, a young prince befriends an enchanted cat-queen. She provides him with the rarities requested by his father, in a series of increasingly difficult challenges to win his kingdom. Their affection for each other blossoms into love, and the prince helps break the spell that an evil gnome has cast over the white cat. Musical accompaniment is by Joe Jackson.

On a dark, wintry day, Eliza Grey receives a mysterious letter from her ailing Nana Mora begging her to come for a visit. This is an easy "Yes". Eliza has always preferred Nana Mora's beach cottage on St. Simons Island to the apartment she and her mom call home in the city. The island is a magical place where stories and legends grow as thick as the Spanish moss dangling in the trees. Now, Nana Mora's eyesight is fading, and there's something she wants to show Eliza before it’s totally gone: a mythical place locals refer to as Sirens Harbor.

Maya loves to cook with her grandmother - her Halmunee - to connect with the rich family history associated with each dish, a history Maya's mom would prefer stayed in the past. While cooking with Halmunee, something remarkable happens - the food creates such a strong memory that Maya and Halmunee are transported back in time through the memory itself. Halmunee explains that the women in her family have the gift of time travel through food and Maya can do it too, if she practices. 

Golden Globe nominee Scarlett Johansson ( Lost in Translation, Girl with a Pearl Earring) brings a palpable sense of joy and exuberance to her performance of Lewis Carroll's enduring classic Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The young and imaginative Alice grows weary of her storybook, one "without pictures or conversations", and follows a hasty hare underground - to come face to face with a host of strange and fantastic characters.

With all of the pluck and charm of its eponymous young hero, Rachel McAdams (The Notebook, Spotlight, Midnight in Paris) delivers a spectacular reading of Montgomery's beloved bildungsroman. In moments both funny and bittersweet, McAdams' voice is imbued with the spark that has made Anne a much-loved symbol of individualism and cheer for over a century.

The story begins at home in London during The Blitz, and Mary Darling is planning to evacuate her children to the countryside. However, her plans take an unexpected turn when a familiar face from her childhood returns...the one and only Peter Pan, the mysterious boy from Kensington Gardens. Intrigued by their mother’s friend, Wendy, Michael and John seek Peter Pan out, resulting in them being whisked off to Neverland and setting up home with Peter, Tinker Bell and the Lost Boys.

In A Case of the Meanies, mean boy Joshua continues to plague Stella when he decides to have a birthday party at her parent's candy store. He invites everyone in the class except her! Stella has to figure out how to be a pleasant hostess when she's not on the guest list. It's just another day in the life of Stella Batts!

Poor orphan girl Cinderella longs to go to the grand royal ball, but her cruel stepmother and stepsisters won't allow it. Can her fairy godmother help make her dreams come true? A magical retelling of the classic tale, read by Tamsin Greig.

Eve looks like an ordinary 12-year-old girl, but there’s nothing ordinary about her. She has no last name. No parents or guardian. She’s on the run from a dangerous and secretive organization that will stop at nothing to track her down. And most astonishing of all: she’s a robot, a product of Eden Laboratories. When Eve discovers the truth, she realizes everything she thought she knew about herself is a lie. Eve manages to escape, fleeing the lab, the only home she’s ever known.

Meet Stella Batts. She is eight-years old and she loves to write. She loves to write lists; like her favorite things and kids in her class. And she's writing her autobiography. Stella's favorite color is yellow and she LOVES fudge. As a matter of fact, there is a special fudge counter at her family's candy store because fudge is one of her favorite things to eat! But Stella has just one problem - her name. A boy from her class keeps calling her 'Smella' after she trips on their class nature walk.

In Superstar, Stella gets the chance to audition for her favorite television show, Superstar Sam, after a casting director spots Stella out for dinner with her family. He said she is perfect for the role. Stella rehearses her lines until she knows the part by heart. Her little sister, Penny, is jealous, but sometimes older sisters get to do things little sisters can't. But the audition doesn't go as planned. Stella was sure she had the part. Now, will she ever get a chance to show her acting skills and meet her favorite actress?

There are few characters in literature more iconic than J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up. Originally introduced in 1902 in another Barrie novel (The Little White Bird), Peter's story was expanded as a standalone novel in 1911 and since then has been memorably adapted for the movies, for television, and for stage.

Now, actress Lily Collins (The Blind Side, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones) brings new, youthful energy to Peter's magical adventures.

What do you get when you add up one middle school bully, two bank robbers, 57 puppy-mill dogs, 4,000 missing dollars, and five daring troublemakers led by the incomparable Riley Mack? One crazy caper! In this merry, mischievous romp, master storyteller Chris Grabenstein, the award-winning author of Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library, teams with a full-cast of audio talent to introduce Riley Mack, a one-of-a-kind 12-year-old hometown hero.

In Who's in Charge, Stella gets a lesson in responsibility when she volunteers to watch her best friend's dog, Bella, for a few days. The only problem with this plan is that Stella didn’t ask her mother for permission. With new baby Marco at home, Stella's mom already has her hands full. But Grandma agrees it's good for Stella to have some responsibility as she's getting older. It looks as though Stella has things under control. It's only for a few days - what could go wrong?

Steve likes to spend his mornings in the NCP village and trade his wheat for emeralds, armor, books, swords, and food. One morning, he finds that Zombies have attacked the villagers. The Zombies have also turned the village blacksmith into a Zombie, leaving Steve without a place to get swords. To protect himself and the few villagers that remain, Steve goes on a quest to mine for 40 diamonds, which are the most powerful mineral in the Overworld.

One of the best things about having parents who own a candy store is getting to be an official taste-tester. When her dad brings home Magical Glow-in-the-Dark Chewing Gum, Stella can’t wait to try it out - especially since her younger sister is already blowing bubbles and making magic-gum wishes that come true. Except the gum seems to bring Stella bad luck. First she can’t even blow a bubble, and then she falls asleep chewing a piece of gum that ends up wadded in her hair, resulting in a drastic haircut. And now her best friend, Willa, announces she’s moving clear across the country!