Artists’ Ensemble Theater presents Tall Tales, Small Tales, a free children’s theater tour in July. With help from a grant from the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois, four teens perform a series of wildly imaginative stories that will delight children. Performance partners include the Rockford Park District, the Boys & Girls Club, and the Rockford Police Department.

Stories include the tale of a duck that outwits a treacherous king, a confused baron who can’t master putting on pants, and a clever soldier’s recipe for magical Stone Soup.