Fables and Fairy Tales Books

Fans of artistic photo books for kids will find this an intriguing contemporary treatment of the Red Riding Hood classic. Here a little country girl faces urban and rural threats on her way to grandmother's house, only to find her grandmother has been replaced by an evil wolf. The sad ending for Riding Hood is dramatic and revealing, providing a realistic twist on the fairy tale.

I enjoyed the story as Perrault wrote it, not as yet another alternate version with yet another happy ending. Red Riding Hood, also available in French as Le Petit Rouge, contains marvelous photos by Sarah Moon which lend an eerie, appropriately menacing mood to an already dark tale. It should be said, however, that this book is unsettling and is undoubtedly not one to share with your child as a bedtime story.

I think that Little Red is a wonderful, well written story. Sarah Ferguson really knows how to reach small children with her writings.
I would recommend this and the other Little Red books in the series.

Christmas Eve has arrived at Buttercup Cottage, and Little Red and her wonderful friends have set off on their yearly trip to Christmas Tree Wood, where they plan on bringing their favorite fir tree home for the holidays. Along their way, they work together on delivering shortbread to the robins, and sugary cinnamon sticks to the mouse family. However, as they approach Christmas Tree Wood, Little Red is shocked to find her very good friend, Santa Claus, with a big problem: One of his reindeers is sick, and now he only has seven to pull the sleigh! But with Little Red's wonderful thinking cap, and a bit of help from Roany the Pony, Little Blue, and the rest of her friend's, all of the children in the world will be able to get exactly what they wanted for the holiday, and Little Red will make it back to Buttercup Cottage in order to spend the rest of the holiday with her fantastic friends!

Sarah Ferguson has done an amazing job of creating a character such as Little Red who is utterly adorable, while at the same time sweeter than pie. The wonderful prose featured within LITTLE RED'S CHRISTMAS STORY is lovely, while the illustrations by Sam Williams, couldn't be cuter. This is a wonderful Christmas story that will live on in the hearts of readers for years and years to come.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

Well, step inside this most lovely little book and say hello to a remarkable menagerie of silly and adorable creatures! This book is bursting to be read, chanted, laughed over, and remembered. A fun and wonderful story with fabulous pictures for everyone to love and enjoy. Here is a book for adults to share with children -- and for children to share with adults and with each other. I shared this with my Grandbabies and they loved it. There's a `just right' quality to the words that makes it a pleasure to read aloud. The story flows with seamless craftsmanship and rewards listeners with humor, imagination, and occasional poignancy.... Because it appeals on so many levels, this is one book that won't sit on the shelf for long. I thorougly enjoyed reading "Lovely Little Lamb".

Lovely Little Lamb is a sweet and adorable childrens book. Great for a wide range of ages. I enjoyed reading it to my daughter and she loves it when I read it to her. We look forward to reading more from this author!

I really loved this book. There aren't many kids picture books with both a hero and a heroine. Lucy and the Pirates is one of those. The illustrations are incredible! I love pirates and sea stories, and this one takes place in the 17th century. Perfect. I found this book at the Mystic Seaport Bookstore in Connecticut and boy was I pleased to see it on Amazon.com because it's a British book and not easily available in America.

Our Six year Daughter loved it! Its one of the few books we have seen with female main character on an exiting adventure! The illustrations are marvoulous.

It is certainly 'a fairy tale for all ages' (as per the subtitle). Josephine is both artist and storyteller and does both beautifully well: some gorgeous colour collages and a magical story about a young girl Polly and her adventures in the 'after life'. Polly's teachers are a group of wonderfully wise and loving snowmen who gently give Polly and her friends lessons on reincarnation, karma and soul purpose and who speak of the black dragon (created out of humanity's selfishness and greed and who - according to the snowmen - can be vanquished through sharing). This book leads on to a sequel: 'The Magic Bird's Nest' in which Polly's adventures continue after being reborn in New Zealand.

Written and illustrated by Josephine Chaudoin Harrison, The Magical Master Snowman And The Black Dragon is an original, absorbing and imaginative fairytale, deftly broaching the subject of a child's death and the destiny of the soul. Enchanting black-and-white crosshatch illustrations as well as an inset selection of color plates enhance this moving parable which is highly recommended reading and appropriate for all ages.

I like fantasies about princesses and British wizards as much as the next person, but it was wonderful to meet up with Magpie Gabbard and follow her breathlessly on her daisy chain of quests through the Kentucky mountains. Though you won't find the word "hillbilly" in the book, Magpie and her clan have a Hatfield-and-McCoy-worthy feud going on with the clan down the mountain. The feud is only one of a number of deftly intertwined plot lines--read this rollicking tale to learn about everything from the the spot on a time-traveling wild boar where the key must be inserted to procedures for handling goblins when they hang around on the porch at night like a bunch of supernatural gangbangers. And then there's the foot: you've got to love a book that starts out, "I mean to visit my brother Milo and give him back his foot." Author Sally Keehn draws on the American tall tale tradition as well as on fairy tale motifs such as the head in the well (who wants his hair combed) and the moon buried in a swamp by goblins. Did I mention that Gabbard honey has teeth-whitening properties, or that Granny Goforth has a prophesying kettle? Face it: we are living in a time when there's a real glut of fantasy on the children's literature market, and many of the books seem to blur together into one big blob of mediocre language and laborious plot construction. But not this book, fortunately--Magpie Gabbard is a standout.

This wonderful book starts with one Magpie Gabbard needing to get her brother's foot back to him. She knows she'll have to brave Goblins, the vicious Sizemores, and her mother's wrath. Not to mention a wild hog. This book grabs you from the beginning and NEVER LETS GO to the very end, which is surprisingly moving and completely satisfying. You will do well to buy a copy for every kid you know, and keep one for yourself.

A wonderful collection of fairy tales from throughout the ages. The Grimms of course are represented but many lesser known authors such as Isabel Bellerby,Lord Brabourne,and Netta Syrett. Many contemporary authors are also included,Tanith Lee, Robin McKinley, Jane Yolen. A good collection for anyone with a love of fairy tales, highly recommended.

This book was truly wonderful. It had Grimm and Anderson, but it also had L. Frank Baum, Robin McKinley (!), Charlotte Bronte, George Macdonald and a lot more. It had old fairy tales and new ones. It is out of print, unfortunately, but it is definately worth tracking down.

Manu is a wonderful book, alive with color and creativity. The simplicity of the story allows even a young child to go wherever he or she wants in every dreamy page, and the combination of fantasy and spirituality (applied with a very light hand) makes readers of any age feel good.

The quality of the illustrations alone makes the book worth reading. Arenson's collages are saturated with color and alive with an almost reckless freedom of form.

My three year old was captivated the first time we read Manu, and it remains one of her favorite books.

My daughter loved this book! We have read it together many times. The ancient fable comes to life with pictures filled with brilliant colors and images. The story leaves room for children's imagination, including the ending, where the author asks the reader about Manu. My daughter always has an answer! We have read other books illustrated by Roberta Arenson and think her artwork is terrific. Both my wife and daughter have begun using collage art media to create pictures. They show it to me and say "Look, it looks like pictures in Manu."

The Market Wedding is a charming story, that makes one think about priorities, materialist culture, and friendships. It is a well written book and great for reading aloud to the family or classroom. Market Wedding was chosen to be included in the Jewish Community Library of Los Angeles public radio production "One People Many Stories: Jewish Stories from Around the World." Anne Meara reads this surprise ending storybook on the Library's CD.

I picked up this book not for my kids but for me. The artwork is wonderful and the story is quite endearing. It's about a couple who work in Kensington market (in Toronto) around the 1920's. The story tells of how they meet, fall in love and have a grand wedding. But they are simple market shop owners of simple means. How do their friends react? Won't tell you how it ends but it's an uplifting tale.

I would recommend this selection to anyone who enjoyed "Something from nothing", (award winning book).

This book was really funny! The illustrations were really creative. The words are put right on the illustrations like a comic book so you feel really involved. I like tall tales, and this one is exceptional. The characters are very entertaining and they reminded me of people I know. Everyone should read Master Man -- even grownups!

Foolish Shadusa thinks he's the strongest man in the world and orders his wife to call him "master man". But his wise wife warns him: "Quit your foolish boasting. No matter how strong your are, there will always be someone stronger. And watch out, or someday you may meet him." But Shadusa doesn't listen and when he hears that another man in a nearby village also calls himself "master man", he sets off to confront this imposter and ends up learning his lesson the hard way..... Aaron Shepard and award winning illustrator, David Wisniewski have authored an inspired and creative version of this old Nigerian folktale. The story, told in comic book format, complete with dialogue bubbles, is full of expressive, action packed scenes and colorful, detailed collage artwork that becomes busier and bolder until it almost spills off the pages. The book includes an author's note at the end and youngsters will enjoy learning about the origins and history of this folktale. Perfect for children 4-8, Master Man is a terrific read-aloud story the whole family can share and will make a wonderful addition to all home libraries.