Asia's Lost Legends

Renowned for his wisdom and sense of fairness, Justice Bao was a high-ranking magistrate during the Song dynasty in ancient China. In The Case of the Missing Coins, Justice Bao as to decide what to do when a merchant accuses a woodcutter of stealing his money. Should he take the word of the well-dressed merchant or believe the shabby woodcutter who can barely speak for himself?

The story of Tokoyo is one of Japan's lesser known legends, yet Tokoyo is widely recognised for her bravery and strength. Tokoyo grew up in a small fishing village as the daughter of a samurai. When her father is banished to the Oki Islands by his warlord, Tokoyo is left behind all alone. Through the strength of her love for her father, Tokoyo gives up everything she owns and travels far and wide to reach him. Yet one obstacle remains before father and daughter can be reunited: the fearsome Yofune Nushi - a sea serpent that terrorises the waters surrounding the Oki Islands.

Dewi had a very mean stepmother and a very lazy stepsister. She was blamed for her father's death and was treated badly. But everything changed on the day the earth shook. It was the day houses toppled and trees crashed to the ground. It was the day Dewi found her stepmother and stepsister trapped under the rubble. How could Dewi save them?

In a South Indian village, a girl named Savitri has a greedy brother who summons a mighty demon to work for him. The demon, Rakshasa, tells him he must be kept busy or he will eat the brother. Eventually, the brother runs out of tasks for Rakshasa, and Savitri must think of an impossible task to keep Rakshasa busy–she challenges the demon to straighten her curly hair.

In this latest instalment of the popular picture book series, Asia's Lost Legends, the story travels to the steppes of Mongolia, where lives a young fiddle player named Suho and his beloved horse, Khuur. The two friends are inseparable until a cruel king tries to tear them apart. But the bond between Suho and Khuur is so strong that it cannot be broken. Instead, it inspires the creation of Mongolia's national instrument.