This work is a fantasy children's novel that explores the concept of immortality and the reasons why it might not be as desirable as it appears to be. Doomed to -- or blessed with -- eternal life after drinking from a magic spring, the Tuck family wanders about trying to live as inconspicuously and comfortably as they can. When ten-year-old Winnie Foster stumbles on their secret, the Tucks take her home and explain why living forever at one age is...

This folktale explains why Chinese people no longer choose long names for their children.

Strega Nona: When Strega Nona leaves him alone with her magic pasta pot, Big Anthony is determined to show the townspeople how it works. Tikki Tikki Tembo: When the eldest son fell in the well and most of the time getting help was spent pronouncing the name of the one in trouble, the Chinese, according to legend, decided to give all their children short names. Why mosquitoes buzz in people's ears: Retells a West African tale which explains why the...