Morale in the country of Oasis has never been worse. The Earthers, a tree-hugging sect, fall on their knees at the name of the Earth Mother and beg forgiveness for their crimes against twigs and weeds. The Godlies preach penitence, suffering, and stifling self-righteousness and inspire their followers into submission with terrifying images of an afterlife spent being chased by a fire-breathing dragon.Most Oasans are more concerned about this life. They all fear the dragon in the swamp at the country's edge, but they don't know that he fears them, too. Druid, whose greatest talent is for putting out fires, steams up when he learns that a cunning opportunist intends to exploit dragonphobia and call for a communal dragon hunt so that he can level the swamp for suburban housing.Tara, a kitten with charisma, becomes Druid's ally. She'll need all her charm to enchant Serazina. This young human woman hides her ability to read emotions in order to avoid a stay in the Ward for the Chronically Crazy. Serazina gets into greater trouble when Phileas, Guardian of the troubled land, discovers that she can read minds, too, and targets her to be the mother of the heir he so badly needs.Phileas has more immediate problems. The would-be real estate mogul is spreading rumors that the Guardian is soft on dragons. His follow-up plan involves assassination. Dead dragons, dead Guardians: It's all one to a megalomaniac who dreams of domination.Somehow these four must overcome communication difficulties, mutual mistrust, and delusions of human superiority to save the country. Otherwise, even though Druid doesn't breathe fire, Oasis will be toast.From the Book:Orion stood on a ridge overlooking the city. As he swayed, exhausted and hungry, the threads of its winding, dirty streets seemed to tighten around his neck in a noose that limited both breath and freedom.His sister, Sekhmet, nuzzled him with her black nose. Lost in thought?Wishing you’d waited a year or so to haul me away from the good life.We thought we’d better get on the road before you wore out your equipment, Mr. Tomcat Stud.Orion’s other sister, Bast, trotted toward them, her white fur gleaming in starlight. We’ve come to the right place. The pull is strong.Praise the Many-Taloned One, Sekhmet said. My paws are killing me.The lights of the city flickered in eye-burning imitation of the starry sky. It’s not going to be easy, Orion said. The smell alone makes me gag. It’s not just the physical stench, but also the foul odor of self-righteousness and fear. And some of the fear is mine. I’ve never failed before.Big Dragons Don't Cry highlights the separation between humans and the rest of life that allows ecological disasters to unfold.I used the medium of fantasy to imagine new possibilities:What would the world be like if humans and animals understood and respected each other?What could humans learn if we no longer saw ourselves as apart from nature but entered wholeheartedly into the dance of life? We might trip over our feet at first, but practice makes improvement.

A depressed dragon, impudent kitten, and frightened young woman make an unlikely trio to save the dragon's swamp and lead humans to wholeness. They need the help of the country's leader, but he ignores animals, fears the dragon, and wants the young woman to be the mother of the heir he so desperately needs. Only a crisis that threatens his country can persuade him to lose his mind, find his heart, and save his people.

“Food for the soul.” —CBS Mornings A thought-provoking journey of companionship, courage, tenderness, and tea. Big Panda and Tiny Dragon embark on a journey through the seasons of the year together. They get lost, as many of us do. But while lost, they discover many beautiful sights they'd never have found had they gone the right way. Told through a series of beautiful drawings and quiet, sometimes silly, conversations, the panda and the dragon explore the thoughts and emotions, hardships and happiness that connect us all. In nature, they learn how to live in the moment, how to be at peace with uncertainty, and how to find the strength to overcome life's obstacles together. Inspired by Buddhist philosophy and spirituality, British author and artist James Norbury created the adventures of Big Panda and Tiny Dragon to share ideas that have helped him through difficult times. The book’s series of vignettes can be read cover to cover or dipped into whenever inspiration is needed. James hopes the book’s words and images will inspire others to pause, enjoy the stillness, and look at life in a positive new way. WORDS OF WISDOM: The seemingly simple, and often silly, conversations between Big Panda and Tiny Dragon reveal meaningful insights on friendship, inner wisdom, and self-acceptance. INSPIRING IMAGES: Depicted in bold brush strokes reminiscent of calligraphy, big, fluffy Panda and tiny, wiry Dragon journey through rolling hills, wooded forests, and blooming meadows in more than 120 elegant black-and-white and full-color scenes. FOR READERS OF ALL AGES: From youngsters at story time to new graduates with the world ahead of them to adults in moments of challenge or transition, Big Panda and Tiny Dragon offer comfort, inspiration, and a wry smile for every reader. WORK OF ART: Featuring a beautiful cover and a collection of stunning illustrations, each one more beautiful than the next, every page in this book is worthy of framing. HEARTFELT GIFT: Full of wisdom and touching humor, Big Panda and Tiny Dragon makes a thoughtful gift to be treasured.

On a mythical island alone in the vast sea, there lived dragons. These mystical beings lived alone in peace until a vicious lone dragon arrived to their island, took over and enslaved them all. It's not until the bravery of a young dragon, Midnight, who finds the strength within to try and defeat the evil dragon and save the last of the dragons.

Over the last decade China has undergone a transformation. After the dark days of the Cultural Revolution, it has emerged as one of the twenty-first century's most powerful economies, with millions of citizens now entering the middle class. Yet, despite these rapid changes, China's human rights record remains abysmal, and a heavy shroud of secrecy protects the one-party system from accountability. In In the Shadow of the Rising Dragon, Chinese citizens from all walks of life share their stories of brutality and oppression. While inconceivable in the West, public beatings, grueling official questioning, unexplained detentions, and house arrest have become common-place occurrences, requiring only a minor infraction to set into motion. Those that dare to push the boundaries of the totalitarian regime, including one essayist's visit to the human rights activist Chen Guangcheng, are sentenced to life-long imprisonment, subjected to physical and psychological torture, and, frighteningly, made to "disappear." What emerges is a pattern of harassment directed, not at opposition figures, but ordinary citizens who live in crippling uncertainty of their future. Edited by two Chinese scholars, both of whom have experienced surveillance, control, abduction, and detention, this is a probing and revealing look at life under the police state of the world's most populous country.

Good Press presents to you collection of fairy tales, formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. Table of Contents: Complete Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen Complete Fairy Tales of Brothers Grimm Complete Fairy Books of Andrew Lang Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens (J. M. Barrie) Peter and Wendy (J. M. Barrie) Five Children and It (E. Nesbit) The Phoenix and the Carpet (E. Nesbit) The Story of the Amulet (E. Nesbit) The Enchanted Castle (E. Nesbit) Alice in Wonderland (Lewis Carroll) Through the Looking Glass (Lewis Carroll) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Collection (L. Frank Baum): The Wonderful Wizard of Oz The Marvelous Land of Oz The Woggle-Bug Book Ozma of Oz Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz The Road to Oz The Emerald City of Oz The Patchwork Girl of Oz Little Wizard Stories of Oz Tik-Tok of Oz The Scarecrow of Oz Rinkitink in Oz The Lost Princess of Oz The Tin Woodman of Oz The Magic of Oz Glinda of Oz At the Back of the North Wind (George MacDonald) The Princess and the Goblin (George MacDonald) The Princess and Curdie (George MacDonald) Wonder Book (Nathaniel Hawthorne) Tanglewood Tales (Nathaniel Hawthorne) The Happy Prince and Other Tales (Oscar Wilde) A House of Pomegranates (Oscar Wilde) All the Way to Fairyland (Evelyn Sharp) The Blue Bird for Children (Maurice Maeterlinck and Georgette Leblanc) The King of the Golden River (John Ruskin) Rootabaga Stories (Carl Sandburg) Knock Three Times! (Marion St. John Webb) The Cuckoo Clock (Mary Louisa Molesworth) Friendly Fairies (Johnny Gruelle) Raggedy Ann Stories (Johnny Gruelle) Raggedy Andy Stories (Johnny Gruelle) Russian Fairy Tales From the Skazki of Polevoi Old Peter's Russian Tales