In this illustrated chapter book retelling of a folk tale from Cambodia, cunning Dara uses her expertise as an engineer to foil a wicked plot and save her husband. Available individually and as part of the Stories from around the World: 4 Tales of Problem-Solving & Wit set. AGES: 6 to 10 AUTHOR: Liz Flanagan, PhD, runs a writing and retreat center in West Yorkshire and holds her degree in Creative Writing. She loves spending time outside, exploring the steep hills and woods near her home. When she isn’t telling stories, she often curls up by the fire with a pile of good books.
Martina Peluso has wanted to be an illustrator ever since she read The BFG by Ronald Dahl when she was young. After growing up in Tuscany and Naples, Italy, she studied Art of Printing at the Institute of Art in Naples and has frequented illustration courses at Sarmede and Pavia. She has worked in all areas of illustration, including advertising, packaging, editorial and design; her artwork has been exhibited throughout the world. She has illustrated several children’s books, including The Princess of the Springs (Barefoot Books, 2014; republished as The Ruler of the Springs in 2019). She lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. SELLING POINTS: .
Complex, exciting plots and immersive, full-colour artwork empower children who are just beginning to enjoy chapter books to grasp more advanced vocabulary and sentence structure. . Dara’s engineering skill enables her to defeat the scheming politicians through nonviolent means; engineering ultimately grants her political power, demonstrating the importance to children of understanding how things work. . Dara and her architect husband are professionals and colleagues, and Dara rescues him with the help of a female friend.