Pick a shelf.
Find a story.
A little wonder, a new word, a story to share. Explore tales and original reading companions for children, families, and classrooms.
13 story shelvesWhat kind of tale today?
Open a shelf to explore its collection, or search every title below.
Find a story to share.
“Read story” opens a tale on The Curiosi. “Open guide” offers original activities alongside your own copy of the named book.
Little Red Riding Hood
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →
Honesty is the Best Policy
When Arun finds a purse at the market, one honest choice helps a whole village find something more valuable than coins.
Read story →Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock
Bring your copy and explore repeated patterns, careful observation, and the difference between a clever idea and a fair choice.
Open guide →The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Bring your copy and explore counting, time words, and the changes a picture can help you notice.
Open guide →The Rainbow Fish
Bring a family or library copy and explore friendship, choices, and sharing together.
Open guide →The Little Engine That Could
Read your copy, then explore effort, helpful support, and trying another approach.
Open guide →Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Read your copy and explore an imaginary rule, its consequences, and clues in the illustrations.
Open guide →Love You Forever
Read your copy and talk about growing, caring, and the small ways people show love.
Open guide →The Magic Tree House series
Start with Dinosaurs Before Dark and explore curiosity, evidence, and the boundary between facts and imagination.
Open guide →Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Share your copy and explore a narrator’s viewpoint, words for feelings, and small helpful responses to frustration.
Open guide →Grandma's Bag of Stories
Choose one tale from Sudha Murty’s collection and explore a storyteller’s voice, meaningful details, and the questions a story leaves behind.
Open guide →Fin and Oonagh’s Clever Plan
Oonagh uses a surprising disguise to unsettle a powerful visitor.
Read story →The Curious Cat
A missing toy sends Piku the kitten looking everywhere. Tara learns to slow down, notice the clues, and check a guess with Grandpa.
Read story →The Three Little Pigs
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Golden Touch
A king wishes everything he touches would turn to gold—and discovers that the things he needs most cannot be measured in treasure.
Read story →Momotaro the Peach Boy
A boy from a peach sets out with three remarkable animal companions.
Read story →The Gruffalo
Read your copy and talk about clues, expectations, and how different characters understand a situation.
Open guide →The Giving Tree
Read your copy together, then make space for different thoughts about care, gratitude, and needs.
Open guide →The Lion Who Wouldn't Eat Strawberries
Leo does not want the strawberries at the meadow gathering. Can his friends make room for a different way to join?
Read story →The Day the Crayons Quit
Use your copy to explore different voices, reasons for a request, and creative ways to respond.
Open guide →The Runaway Bunny
Bring your copy and explore imagination, picture clues, and reassuring conversations.
Open guide →Strega Nona
Bring your copy and explore careful listening, character choices, and how one action can lead to another.
Open guide →The Berenstain Bears series
Begin with The Big Honey Hunt and explore plans, picture clues, and what a character can learn when an idea changes.
Open guide →The Kite in Grandma’s Notebook
An old drawing brings back Grandma’s first red kite—and the friend who helped her see a small tear differently.
Read story →The Dragon After His Winter Sleep
A scholar’s unexpected visitor grows from a tiny glow into a dragon of the storm.
Read story →The Child Who Asked Why
Tiny drops appear outside Ria’s cool water cup. With her father, she compares two cups and discovers how one question can lead to another.
Read story →Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Honest Woodcutter
When a woodcutter loses his only axe, a river guardian offers him a choice between glittering treasure and a simple truth.
Read story →The Legend of the Blue Bonnet
Read Tomie dePaola’s The Legend of the Bluebonnet with your copy nearby, and discuss care, belonging, and the choices of a storyteller.
Open guide →Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Share your copy and explore colour words, repeated patterns, and the details you notice around you.
Open guide →Horton Hears a Who!
Use your copy to explore kindness, careful listening, and making room for every voice.
Open guide →Ira Sleeps Over
Use your copy to talk about new experiences, comfort, and listening without teasing.
Open guide →Amelia Bedelia stories
Bring the first Amelia Bedelia book and explore word meanings, picture clues, and clearer instructions.
Open guide →Mama, Do You Love Me?
Bring your copy and explore questions, caring answers, and clues about a story’s setting.
Open guide →The Polar Express
Share your copy and explore atmosphere, sensory details, and the different meanings readers can find.
Open guide →Franklin the Turtle series
Begin with Franklin in the Dark and explore words for uncertainty, helpful listening, and choices that offer support.
Open guide →Grandma and the Market Map
Grandma remembers the way to a flower stall, but the market has changed. A picture map becomes the beginning of a small adventure together.
Read story →The Origin of Strawberries
A patch of new fruit gives two people a chance to find their way back to one another.
Read story →The Book That Knew Everything
A talking reference book is proud of its answers. Two curious readers help it discover the value of saying, “Let us check.”
Read story →Cinderella
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Two Friends and the Bear
Two travellers promise to look after each other. A sudden fright shows them that friendship needs more than brave words.
Read story →Tenali Rama and the Thieves
Two would-be thieves expect to find treasure in Tenali’s well. By morning, they have discovered a very different kind of reward for their work.
Read story →Where the Wild Things Are
Bring your copy and explore picture clues, changing feelings, and the spaces imagination can create.
Open guide →Corduroy
Bring your copy and explore belonging, noticing details, and welcoming a friend.
Open guide →Scaredy Squirrel
Bring your copy and explore predictions, helpful plans, and small steps toward something new.
Open guide →If You Give a Mouse a Cookie series
Use the first book to explore connected events, predictions, and how a story can form a loop.
Open guide →Owl Babies
Read together, notice different feelings, and make a gentle plan for waiting.
Open guide →James and the Giant Peach
Read across several sittings and explore friendship, inventive thinking, and the clues behind a character’s choices.
Open guide →Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling
Read: How the Camel Got His Hump — a newly worded version of Kipling’s imaginary animal tale.
Read story →The Jar of Almosts
Adi wants every drawing to be finished and right straight away. Grandma’s jar offers a place for ideas that need a little more time.
Read story →Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky
Water accepts an invitation—and brings far more guests than Sun and Moon expect.
Read story →The Laughing Classroom
A strange imaginary animal makes Class Three giggle. Their teacher helps them turn the fun into a way to explain, listen, and build ideas together.
Read story →Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Farmer and His Sons
Three brothers search their family vineyard for buried treasure. What they discover grows slowly, one careful day at a time.
Read story →Akbar and Birbal: The Wise Answer
Akbar asks Birbal to make a line shorter without touching it. A simple answer helps the whole court look at the problem differently.
Read story →Guess How Much I Love You
Read your copy and explore playful comparisons, gestures, and ways to express care.
Open guide →The Little Girl and the Stars
Mira loves the evening sky. When her little neighbour cannot join her usual star watching spot, she finds a way to bring the wonder closer.
Read story →Caps for Sale
Read your copy and explore repetition, character reactions, and patterns made with simple shapes.
Open guide →Goodnight Moon
Bring your copy and explore small details, gentle sounds, and the mood of a picture.
Open guide →Mary Poppins stories
Bring the first novel and explore unexpected details, changing viewpoints, and the meeting of everyday life and imagination.
Open guide →Aesop's Fables
Read: The Oak and the Reeds — a short retelling about strength, flexibility, and a powerful storm.
Read story →A Seat Beside Grandma
Nila expects a lively afternoon of stories. When Grandma prefers a quiet rest, they discover another way to enjoy a story together.
Read story →The Frog Who Held the Water
The animals try an unusual plan to bring water back—a gentle episode from an older recorded tale.
Read story →Grandma’s Spinning Wheel
A loose handful of cotton and Grandma’s spinning wheel give Meera a question: how can tiny fibres become a long, useful thread?
Read story →Hansel and Gretel
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →United We Stand, Divided We Fall
Three classmates each have a good idea for the school garden. Their fair begins to flourish when they learn to make room for one another.
Read story →The Clever Princess
Princess Ila is asked to settle a village argument about water. Her cleverest choice is to listen before she announces an answer.
Read story →The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Peter’s garden adventure becomes an anxious search for the way home.
Read story →The Boy Who Shared His Lunch
A spare lunch container gives Kabir a chance to help. First, he learns to ask what his classmate actually needs.
Read story →The Going to Bed Book
Read your copy and explore playful pictures, the order of events, and your own quiet routine.
Open guide →The Magic Tree
Four seasons grow on one extraordinary tree. When its music falls silent, Anu follows a small squirrel towards the missing note.
Read story →The Tree That Gave Everything
The village notices how many gifts one healthy tree provides. A hot festival day helps them remember that a giver needs care too.
Read story →Grandma’s Rainy-Day Puppy
Grandma remembers bringing a puppy home as a child. She wanted an instant playmate, but the puppy needed time to explore and settle in.
Read story →Lord Ganesha and the Moon
A short traditional tale about mockery, regret, and mercy.
Read story →Sleeping Beauty
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Selfish Giant
A giant closes his garden to everyone—and discovers that the warmth he misses begins with opening his gate.
Read story →The Foolish Brahmin
A scholar imagines a wonderful future for his pot of grain. One careless moment reminds him that a dream needs attention and a practical plan.
Read story →The Cat in the Hat
Read your copy and explore rhyme, character choices, and how pictures help explain a busy scene.
Open guide →The Kind King
A king plans a grand gift for his town. A child and a water carrier help him discover a smaller change that people will use every day.
Read story →Time for Bed
Use your copy to listen for patterns, look at gentle pictures, and explore a calm reading voice.
Open guide →The Talking Doll
Tara’s handmade doll asks one surprising question. When the school puppet show goes wrong, Tara discovers she can find the next line herself.
Read story →The Mountain and the Squirrel
A mountain can see the whole valley, while a squirrel notices what is hidden close to the ground. A small stream needs both kinds of attention.
Read story →The Day the Chalk Rolled Away
Grandma remembers a piece of chalk that interrupted a lesson. A little classroom mystery becomes a story everyone can laugh about together.
Read story →Krishna and the Butter Pot
In a household full of butter-making and busy mornings, little Krishna’s mischief becomes a tender story of Yashoda’s love.
Read story →Jack and the Beanstalk
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Donkey and the Load of Salt
A donkey discovers a shortcut that makes his sacks lighter. When he tries the same trick with a different load, he learns to think beyond the easy answer.
Read story →The Pot of Gold
Two farmers each insist that a buried treasure belongs to the other. Their generous disagreement grows into something the village can share.
Read story →Charlotte’s Web
Read across several sittings and explore friendship, the power of words, and evidence for a character’s feelings.
Open guide →The New Friend
Nila has planned every part of her chalk town. A new classmate helps her discover that a shared game needs more than an invitation.
Read story →Hush, Little Baby
Mira discovers that a small, familiar sound can be a lovely gift.
Read story →The Flying Carpet
A patched carpet carries Sami and Lila into the clouds. To find the way home, they must help a small cloud that has lost its flock.
Read story →The River's Journey
A small stream discovers that a journey can change its shape, its speed, and the lives it touches along the way.
Read story →The Lantern on Great-Grandpa’s Porch
A light on the porch seems like a perfect welcome. Young Grandma helps Great-Grandpa find what a visiting friend actually needs to reach it.
Read story →Hanuman and the Sun
A hungry young Hanuman mistakes the rising sun for a fruit, beginning an extraordinary childhood adventure.
Read story →Puss in Boots
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Old Man and His Three Sons
An old man uses a bundle of twigs to show his three grown sons how shared effort can be stronger than endless arguments.
Read story →The Royal Barber
A hurried king asks his barber for a perfect haircut. The most useful thing the barber offers is a moment to stop and listen.
Read story →Winnie-the-Pooh stories
Read a story from the first Winnie-the-Pooh collection and explore friendship, misunderstandings, and the clues behind an idea.
Open guide →The Little Sparrow’s Gift
A sparrow drops a strand of grass beside Leela’s pot. The tiny surprise gives her an idea for the people who share her garden.
Read story →Can't You Sleep, Little Bear?
Read your copy and explore listening, reassurance, and the mood created by light and colour.
Open guide →The Invisible Ring
Ishan borrows a ring that makes him disappear. A picnic and a worried friend help him see that being unseen does not make his choices disappear too.
Read story →The Flower and the Bee
An apple blossom wonders why the bee never stays long. A visit between rain showers reveals how much can happen in a brief meeting.
Read story →Grandma’s First Clay Bowl
At her first pottery lesson, Grandma becomes the beginner. Her granddaughter discovers that asking for help belongs to learning at every age.
Read story →Sudama’s Gift to Krishna
Sudama carries a small cloth bundle to visit his childhood friend. Krishna’s welcome shows how much love can be held in a simple gift.
Read story →The Frog Prince
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Proud Rose
Rose is certain that beauty makes her the most important plant in the garden. A dry week helps her notice the quiet strengths growing beside her.
Read story →The King and the Drum
A king places a drum at his gate so anyone can ask to be heard. An elderly gardener helps him understand that listening must lead to action.
Read story →The Jungle Book stories
Read: How Mowgli Joined the Wolf Pack — a gentle retelling of the opening episode of “Mowgli’s Brothers.”
Read story →Helping the Blind Man
When Anya meets Mr Sen on a changed garden path, she learns that useful help begins with a question and the other person’s directions.
Read story →The Wishing Well
Nila wants her kite to fly without waiting for the wind. A wishing well grants exactly what she asks—and gives her a reason to think about the next wish.
Read story →The Lost Seed
A dandelion seed drifts far from the place it knows. After several uncertain landings, a small patch of soil offers the beginning of something new.
Read story →The Celebration with Extra Chairs
Arun wants the family’s garden gathering to look perfect. Grandma helps him make a plan that has room for the people who are coming.
Read story →The Birth of Lord Rama
A long-held prayer brings joy to Ayodhya as Dasharatha’s family welcomes four princes.
Read story →Rapunzel
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Tortoise and the Hare
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Witty Merchant
A soup seller demands payment for a delicious smell. A travelling merchant answers with something equally difficult to put in a bowl.
Read story →The Clever Fox
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Girl Who Gave a Smile
Asha’s cheerful greeting does not make a quiet classmate smile. She learns to offer company and leave space for his feelings.
Read story →The Sleeping Giant
A giant’s snores send the village hats sailing. Mina and her brother discover that a familiar tune may be more useful than the loudest shout.
Read story →The Seasons' Secret
Grandmother gives Ria a box with four ribbons and a secret to discover. The garden helps her find the answer one visit at a time.
Read story →The Backyard Council
A rain puddle becomes a meeting place for three talking animals. Ina discovers that the same patch of garden can matter in very different ways.
Read story →The Story of Prahlada
A young devotee holds fast to Vishnu with a gentle heart, even when a powerful king refuses to listen.
Read story →The Little Mermaid
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Lion and the Mouse
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Talking Parrot
A gardener makes a generous promise about his mangoes. A green parrot remembers every word—even when the gardener becomes busy counting baskets.
Read story →The Monkey and the Crocodile
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Generous Tree
A woodland gathering needs a cheerful place to meet. The generous tree offers its shade, while asking friends to keep one small corner quiet.
Read story →The Magic Pencil
Pavi’s pencil turns drawings into drifting light. When her room fills with too many shining shapes, she must find a thoughtful place for her imagination.
Read story →The Wind and the Sun
Wind and Sun set themselves a challenge involving a traveller’s coat. Their different approaches reveal why greater force does not always bring the wanted result.
Read story →The Planet with Two Mornings
Ravi’s imaginary visit to a planet with two suns begins with a missed meeting. He learns to ask how his new friends tell the time.
Read story →The Churning of the Ocean
A mountain, a great serpent, and Vishnu’s tortoise form take part in a vast quest for the nectar of immortality.
Read story →The Ugly Duckling
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Boy Who Cried Wolf
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Mongoose and the Baby
A worried mother sees a red stain and fears the worst. Pausing to look more closely changes what happens next.
Read story →The Greedy Dog
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Sharing Monkey
Monu counts equal mango pieces for a picnic, then discovers that sharing also means asking when and how friends can join.
Read story →The Cloud Kingdom
Rohit’s paper aeroplane finds a kingdom that has forgotten how to be playful. One accidental bubble begins to change the afternoon.
Read story →The Little Drop of Water
A little drop travels through rain, soil, and a leaf, discovering that changing form can open a new part of the journey.
Read story →Mira and the Paper Wings
Mira can fly inside the world of her notebook. A paper bird helps her discover that seeing from above is only one way to understand a place.
Read story →Ganga’s Descent to Earth
Bhagiratha’s prayer brings a sacred river towards the earth, with Shiva’s help to receive its mighty waters.
Read story →The Princess and the Pea
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Ant and the Grasshopper
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Brahmin and the Goat
Three strangers repeat the same false claim until a scholar doubts what he can see. A simple check helps him find his confidence again.
Read story →The Crow and the Snake
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Elephant’s Promise
A muddy path interrupts Esha’s plan to meet her friend. Keeping her promise will take an honest message and a safer way round.
Read story →The Talking Mirror
Kavi expects an old mirror to show his face. Instead, it asks a question and reveals something he has almost forgotten to notice.
Read story →The Moon’s Reflection
Mina finds the moon in a shallow garden basin and wonders whether she can bring it indoors. A bowl of water helps her discover what she is really seeing.
Read story →The Rainbow Map
A rainbow in Grandma’s story becomes a shifting path of colour. Leela learns to change her map when a journey reveals something unexpected.
Read story →The Story of Bhakta Dhruva
A hurt young prince seeks Vishnu and discovers a devotion greater than the honour he first wanted.
Read story →Rumpelstiltskin
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Seven Sisters
Seven sisters each want their own idea to represent the family at the village fair. A patchwork quilt helps them tell a story that has room for every voice.
Read story →The Elephant and the Ant
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Little Fairy’s Adventure
Lumi must carry one drop of dew to a waiting moonflower. A gust, a puddle, and three garden neighbours turn a short flight into an adventure.
Read story →The Wise Plant
A young bean plant wants to grow as impressively as possible. An older rosemary plant helps it notice the conditions around it rather than racing against every neighbour.
Read story →The Midnight Toy Post
When the toys run a make-believe picture-post service, a mixed-up delivery teaches them to ask where a message is meant to go.
Read story →
Narada and the Farmer
A quiet lesson about devotion amid daily duties.
Read story →The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Clever Washerman
Two similar cloth bundles cause an angry misunderstanding. A washerman finds the answer in a tiny detail that everyone else has overlooked.
Read story →The Talkative Turtle
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Brave Little Tailor
A small tailor and a large giant test what it means to be impressive. A torn coat gives them a better question than who is strongest.
Read story →Arjuna’s Aim
During Drona’s archery test, Arjuna concentrates on one small part of a carefully prepared target.
Read story →Belling the Cat
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Farmer’s Clever Daughter
A king asks for something that grows when it is shared. A farmer’s daughter arrives with a simple cord and an answer everyone can try.
Read story →The Peacock and the Crane
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Hidden Treasure
A faded map changes when Leena hums an old tune. It leads her and Grandfather towards a treasure that cannot be counted in coins.
Read story →Kumbhakarna’s Sleep
Ravana needs his giant brother awake, but even a tremendous noise cannot easily break this enchanted sleep.
Read story →The Fox and the Grapes
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Gingerbread Man
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Wise Owl
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Wand of Wishes
Nadi wishes for a small adventure. The wand answers with a dragon no bigger than a teacup—and a problem that needs more than another wish.
Read story →The Squirrel and Lord Rama
A tiny helper brings sand to a mighty task and finds that sincere effort is seen.
Read story →The Crow and the Pitcher
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Little Red Hen
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Cow and the Tiger
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Dancing Shoes
Nina borrows shoes that remember a hundred dances. Before they can dance together, she has to help them listen to the music playing now.
Read story →Krishna Lifts the Govardhan Hill
When a storm falls over Vraja, Krishna lifts Govardhan to shelter the people and their animals. The traditional tale turns from pride towards protection and humility.
Read story →The Bundle of Sticks
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →Stone Soup
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Lion’s Share
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Curse of the Apsara
Anjana’s changed life becomes part of the story of her extraordinary son, Hanuman.
Read story →The Farmer and the Snake
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Mitten
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →Why the Sea is Salty
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →The Magic Pot
Open this story and explore its reading activities.
Read story →No titles match these filters. Try another word or clear the filters.
Pause, wonder,
and tell it your way.
Choose a comfortable pace. Notice a new word, talk about a character’s choice, or try an activity together.
A few helpful answers
Can I read the full story here?
Cards marked “Story” open tales on The Curiosi. Cards marked “Reading guide” offer original questions, vocabulary, and activities to use with a family or library copy of the book.
How do I find a particular title?
Search by title or topic, then narrow the results by category or format. Clear filters to return to the full library.
Are these suitable for reading together?
Families and teachers can choose a story that fits the reader’s interests and comfort. Read aloud, share turns, or explore an activity together. Book guides identify the copy or collection they support.
What can we do after reading?
Try the vocabulary, conversation prompts, and creative activities on the story or guide page. Let children point, draw, ask questions, or share ideas in their own words.