Once Upon a Time. There Was an Old Woman: A Tale about Hope

Discover the Chinese fairy tale about the woman and the water pots! This popular folktale teaches children to value their unique qualities. 

Introduce kids to the fascinating story of a popular myth about the woman who saw the good a leaking pot brings to the world. This emotions book for kids explores individuality, and how each of us brings something important to society.
 
Once Upon a Time… There was an Old Woman has a lively story that teaches children emotional intelligence. Inside, you’ll find:  

   • Beautiful, vibrant illustrations by Maja Andersen that bring the story to life.
   • Simple text that is ideal for reading aloud and for bedtime.
   • A reference section at the end of the book that explains the cultural history behind each story.

Each morning a very old woman picks up her two pots and collects water by the river. On her way home, she loses water because her one pot is leaking! The pot feels very bad about letting the woman down. But, she sees the good the leaking pot brings to the world. 

Illustrator Maja Andersen has beautifully crafted the images in this book to draw young children into the story and capture their imaginations. The tale of the old woman who carried the waterpots introduces children to a lesser-known myth and teaches them self-worth and self-love.

The magic of storytelling has been known to cultures since the dawn of time! Imagine children like your own huddled up to hear about the fascinating world around them and learn about life through storytelling. Other books in this series include Once Upon a Time... There was a Little Bird, Once Upon a Time... There was a Thirsty Frog and Once Upon a Time... There was a Greedy King.

Maja Andersen
Maja was born and raised in the U.S. to danish parents. After graduating from the Columbus College of Art and Design in Columbus, Ohio, Maja got a job at Hallmark Cards. Maja's illustration style is whimsical in subject matter and graphic in style. Maja takes inspiration from international folk art. Her interests include drawing on cocktail napkins, travelling, and flamenco dance lessons!

Maja Andresen was born and raised in the United States to Danish parents. After graduating from the Columbus College of Art and Design in Columbus, Ohio, Maja got a job at Hallmark Cards. Maja's illustration style is whimsical in subject matter and graphic in style. Maja takes inspiration from international folk art. Her interests include drawing on cocktail napkins, traveling, and flamenco dance.