Multi-language stories
932514
Works well with students that are trying to increase their understanding of Spanish. Poor for those that are simply trying to enhance their translation skills.
4115778
The author and the stories are remarkable! However the book DOES NOT include the german version, only english text. You should make corrections on the description of the book. O bought it because I assumed a bilingual edition.
1717894
Not quite as ghostly as one would hope, "Once Upon a Time in Ghostly Japan" presents bilingual versions of tradition Japanese folk tales that would more properly be categorized as fairy tales than ghost stories.  All of the stories are illustrated with funny, cartoonish illustrations, with nothing scary going on at all.

The book collects;

 "The Gratitude of the Crane"

"The Snow Woman"

"The Sparrow's Tounge"

"The Tanuki Band of Shojoji"

"Earless Ho-ichi"

"Banbuku Teakettle"

"Baby Grandma"

"Leave Them and Go"

The stories are presented with the English and Japanese side by side, at about Jr. High reading level.  As such, the collection is great practice in reading authentic Japanese, where you can check your understanding instantly on the next page.  The kanji is furigana, with hiragana readings above the Chinese characters.

There are far more interesting and complete collections of Japanese folk tales available, such as Royall Tyler's "Japanese Tales," but having the chance to read them in Japanese is a treat.  One can get bored of text books, and Kodansha's bilingual series, especially "Once Upon a Time in Ghostly Japan," can provide a welcome and interesting change.
4499615
This is a collection of stories about a classic character found in stories from the Muslim world. It's got nice colorful bold illustrations and the stories are short and sweet, about 1-2 pages each. It is like an illustrated version of "Watermelon, walnuts, and the wisdom of Allah." This book is not overtly religious, as I feel it was designed to appeal to a wider, not necessarily Muslim, audience. Great for children. My 3.5 yo son likes to listen to the stories and look at the pictures.
3489684
I certainly agree with the mother who is letting her adopted child know about her heritage, and I too can not wait for my daughter to be old enough to hear these short stories. My favorites where Dog Steals & Rooster Crows, Clever Magistrate and Mr . Yeh's New Year.

Also what I would like to tell all readers is to be aware of the pronounciation guide, Glossary and the Source Guide as you read each story. They will help you with Chinese words you are unfamiliar with.
3183739
Great fun.  Found myself LOL at the protagonist's adventures in Berlin.  Klein serves up a perfect mix.... both as a vocabulary builder, and also introducing contemporary German idioms and insights into life today in Berlin.  English translation of key phrases are at the end of each short story as a safety net when you get stumped.

Great supplement to Rosetta Stone, helping to seat sentence structure and broaden your understanding and comprehension of German.  In Rosetta's 5-Level curriculum, IMO you can expect good comprehension of "Caf" if you have completed Level 2 or higher.

Tip:  You may wish to consider purchasing PONS Advanced German -> English Dictionary, which works very well on the Kindle to easily look up words that appear in the text which may not be included in each story's key-phrase translation.
1333016
This is an excellent collection of short stories all with a connection to the Philippines or Filipino people.  While I learned a great deal about Filipino culture reading IN THE COUNTRY the themes in these well crafted stories  are universal  and will resonate with most readers.  My favorite was the second entry in the book about a young Filipino woman trained as a special education teacher living with her husband an oil engineer in Bahrain.  She is hired by a wealthy Muslim woman to teach her severely impaired daughter,  This story has a lot to say about class system as well as giving a good portrait of what it is like to be a teacher/parent of students with significant needs.  All nine stories are well rendered with believable characters and settings.  I don't think you will find a better volume of themed short fiction published this year.
2626142
This book encompasses many reading skills within each story. Following each story are comprehension questions, word analysis, and vocabulary skills. Great book to use!
4569676
Two of the stories are very short poems, but their are a lot of good themes. It is fun to read, but the tempo can change if you try to read too fast, i.e  on Rhyme Tic Tommi.  I recommend this for a parent and child reading together for most of the stories.  The characters are great.

by Dr. Mamadou Coulibaly
4644328
Excellent selection of stories! Substantial volume of 450 pages! Precise and literal translations!

Obviously this bilingual anthology will be of greatest interest to persons who lack confidence in their ability to read German fluently. However, German speakers with the same sense of shortcoming in English could make use of it just as well. Most of the prose is too advanced for beginner/intermediate language students. For the more advanced learner, what I'd recommend is to read the whole story in your first language, and then to read it in the other language with as much inductive behavior and as little hopping to the other page as possible.

But the stories in themselves are the reward. Even if you can't read a word of German, this selection is a fine introduction to "Deutsche Erzhlungen" - German stories and novellas. Most American readers have heard of Goethe, and perhaps have read Mann or Kafka in translation, but the names Kleist and Stifter are effectively unknown to "us." Kleist's story "Das Erdbeben in Chile-An Earthquake in Chile" would be my choice to read first; it's compelling, the language is not too high-faluting, it will propel you into reading more of Kleist in whatever language.
3541307
Burnt Water (1980) is an eclectic collection of short stories from recently deceased Mexican author Carlos Fuentes. There are several different types of stories, but Mexico City plays a major role in most of them. Not matter the genre, Fuentes does an excellent job of creating that particular world and believable characters who feel true-to-life. It starts out with a gothic tale of the supernatural, Chac-Mool. That is followed by a magic realist tale, In A Flemish Garden. Mothers Day is a three generational tale about one familys legacy that might possible be a metaphor for the legacy of Mexico itself. The Two Elenas is a more conventional short story that tells the story of a man in love with an independent, modern woman in the 60s, whilst he is truly wishing for a conventional woman and relationship. I was reminded of Mario Vargas Llosas novel, The Bad Girl, as I read A Pure Love about an exile, who has love affair with an European woman. Both works feel very cosmopolitan in their outlook and focus on love affairs that are essentially impossible in nature. Another favorite story was These Were Palaces about a lonely old woman and a boy who are isolated in Mexico City and search out ways to assert themselves in their loneliness: the woman by looking after the stray dogs and the boy through his imagination of the colonial buildings of the past he lives amongst. The last story, The Son of Andres Aparicio, about a humble son of a once prosperous family that became a political thug was among the best stories in the book. I also liked The Cost of Living about exploited teachers in Mexico City. Other stories include, The Doll Queen and The Old Morality. Overall, it is a strong collection of disparate short stories mostly set in Mexico City that show Fuentes range and breath of storytelling.
2964925
Beautiful story.  Very well told. Engages young listeners and readers from the very young to seniors.  Love the multilingual dialogue! Habe bought multiple copies to gift.
3423199
Be happy I responded :-) . Sometimes I simply enjoy a story for the stories sake. I entered the required number of words :-/
18715
I enjoy the tales Allingham weaves and  descriptions of English ethnic populations with their tell-tale linguistic styles of speech.
3623758
Personal stories from around the world.  Insightful and charming, the well-written stories will keep the reader entertained. Among the pages one can learn a lot about customs and traditions from various countries. The power of family and friends is a common theme throughout the stories.
1694549
These are really great stories. They prompt questions about vocabulary and geography. I like that there are three books in one, so its great to take on a trip. It is also very good value for money.
977797
Although set primarily in India, and concerning Indian cultural and historical themes, these well-written stories have a universal application, exploring as they often do family and personal relationships. The author is a perceptive writer, with a keen eye for the small details that go to make up daily life and which so often define a person or situation. The stories give an insight into another culture whilst at the same time having a general and very human resonance. Two stories in particular struck me, one being the title story about female infanticide, which is very moving indeed, and the other about a grandmother unwillingly forced into a care home. Often deceptively simple, the stories work on many levels and add up to a heart-warming and compelling picture of Indian life.