Fables and Fairy Tales Books

I have had this book for YEARS, recently re-covered it in a bookbinding workshop and LOVE IT! The stories are not sappy or sticky like that of the Disney versions and not dark and scary like that of the Grimm Brothers style. Their just a little scary and still have an amusing yet pleasant ending. I have been reading these stories to my kindergarten students for years and they truly enjoy them - often using "advanced" reading skills (predicting, applying themes and ideas etc...) while I do read aloud. Many of the tales are classics (Rapunzel, The Fisherman and His Wife), but the two that stand out are Cinderella (3 balls, a GOLDEN slipper and pitch...) and The Six Servants (many subtle references to the trinity with it's multiples of three in the story line - early "Christian" propaganda). The language is rich, vibrant, alive and classic - just classic enough for excellent questioning. I highly and strongly recommend this book to collector's as well as teachers, and parents alike. I have a lengthy background in children's literature and this is in my top 10 list...If you find it - buy it!

We have such a great time- I read a chapter every other night or so. The kids really love the characters. So do I. This would be a great present for anyone with children.

Fun Chinese stories for kids to read--"The Cricket", "The Girl in Green", more. Good book for raising cultural awareness.

I am way above the recommended age for this book, I picked this up on a whim. My childhood's first memories is reading Andersen fairy tales. They were always the oddball stories that didn't conform to any typical mode: most of them included death (Matchgirl, Little Mermaid), had unconventional heroes (Tin Soldier - what kind of hero has one leg?) weren't all sugar-spice-n-everything-nice, and whimsical in the right place. They were inscrutable and strange to a child, but because of or in spite of that, they stuck with you.

I'm moved to write a review for this children's book for one reason only: the annotation is superb! I never knew that Andersen worked with toy theatre, or there were parallels in his life and The Ugly Duckling, that he came from poverty and never completely overcame the inferiority complex from his low birth. He was the first to adopt a conversational voice in his story-telling, also the first to give human characteristics and voice to inanimate objects. The details with which he embelished his stories is genius and brilliant; re-reading the description of the Little Mermaid's undersea world confirms that. His fairy tales have a literary element: the details, the drama, the dissonance, the untidiness of real life. I don't think I understood all that when I was 8 or 9, but I wish someone had read this book with me when I was 8 or 9, and explained to me the vanguard genius of Andersen.

The stories are beautifully translated, the illustration is fetching, although I don't get the drama-set vibes. There is annotation preceding every tale, and it takes an adult to read and explain this to a young reader. For example, preceding The Little Mermaid, there is a small paragraph dealing with the soul. Young readers will need help with the concept and vocab. I'm happy to have re-discovered Andersen fairy tales through this book, and I heartily recommend it to anyone who grew up with the inscrutable Andersen, adult or child. A great book for the future lit studies post-doc, and his/her lit studies post-doc parents.

After reading the mythos of several different countries, to include Egypt, China, and Japan, I've come to the conclusion that the Mythos of the Norsemen is perhaps, the most fun and enjoyable to read. I especially enjoyed the tale of why there are so many bad poets in the world. Irony, you got it. Symbolism, that too. Recommend to anyone who is just interested or who is interested in myth. The stories have a life on to themselves.

Cheers!

This is our third in the series and we thoroughly enjoyed it!! This volume of Legends of the World find us in Africa, spending time with Jumaani, the farmer who is out to harvest and sell his crops for the year! As he is harvesting, he comes to his yams, which he notes he neglected to tend...he never did weed them this season and they are choked with vines and weeds. Never mind that, he decides, they are a fine color and look like they'll fetch a fine price at market. Just then, the Yam speaks up...what happens from there on is quite interesting and humorous!

What I like about this series is that the language is simple and straightforward, even if the point is a bit sometimes ambiguous...and the illustrations are a riot of color, giving the story a rich and vibrant feel! We enjoyed this tale and I would recommend this book without hesitation!

Overall, I think this series is a great basic introduction to a wide array of stories from many cultures the world over...a jumping off point also for kids to research more into the culture and mythology of any given place. I'd recommend this for introducing young children to mythology and folklore. The age range cited is 9-12 which is probably the range of kids who would most appreciate and benefit from the story and additional information provided...but even younger kids (say 5-8) will love the stories and vivid, colorful illustrations...the stores aren't so complex or long that they will lose interest in them. I would definitely buy this for my permanent collection and hope to read more from this series soon! I give it a solid A...kids of all ages can enjoy this tale!

This book is beautifully written and illustrated for children beginning to read chapter books. I was surprised that some of the other books in the series were out of print: Tashi and the Genie, Tashi and the Baba Yaga. I've bought some other Tashi books and look forward to reading these with my kids: Tashi and the Ghosts, Tashi and the Big Stinker, Tashi.

Dear Readers, I think this book is a very good book. Some of the stories are similar to some of Terry Jones' other books. Part of The reason I read this book was because I liked another book "Nicobobinus" so much. "Fantastic Stories" was very nicely written and Terry Jones' humor comes out often in this, along with his wildly spread and unusual imagination. Micheal Foreman's illustrations were excellent. I believe Terry Jones and Micheal Foreman make a good team. Together, the two individuals have created a very interesting and wonderful book. I would recommend it to anyone who loves fairy tales, especially those with a twist. sincerely, Michelle Barbara O'Loughlin

"A Thin Ghost and others" (1919) is the slimmest of M. R. James's (MRJ's) supernatural publications. Instead of purchasing this volume, you might want to consider one of his more complete collections. Ash-Tree Press's "A Pleasing Terror" (2001), contains the complete and heavily annotated supernatural writings of MRJ, and no true Monty fan should be without it.

The next best collection, "Casting the Runes and Other Stories" edited by Michael Cox, contains most of MRJ's supernatural stories and is quite a bit cheaper than "A Pleasing Terror."

The following stories are included in "A Thin Ghost and others":

"The Residence at Whitminster"--Dr. Ashton, Dean of Whitminster, himself childless, attempts to raise his wife's sister's orphaned son. He also takes in the Viscount Saul, the Earl of Kildonan's heir, who is a youth of rather morbid disposition. As the story opens, the orphaned Frank is dying of what appears to be brain fever, brought on by a great fright. Lord Saul is overtaken by a fit of laughter when he hears that Frank is dying. However, he does not laugh for long. Many years after the sudden deaths of Frank and Lord Saul, a new family takes residence in the prebendal house at Whitminster. Miss Oldys, niece to the family, discovers a scrying glass that once belonged to the sinister Viscount Saul.

"The Diary of Mr Poynter"--A book collector finds a sample of fabric in an old diary and decides to have it reproduced as curtains for his bedroom.

"An Episode of Cathedral History"--Mr. Lake is deputed to examine the archives of the Cathedral of Southminster, and is curious to see what the ancient building looks like at night. He hears the tale of a rather plain altar-tomb and what transpired when a Victorian Dean attempted to move it.

"The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance"--This is the only one of MRJ's stories that was specifically set over the Christmas holiday, even though he wrote many of his stories to be read at Christmas. The sudden, mysterious disappearance of his uncle forces a young man to cancel his previous holiday engagements and join the search that is in progress for his relative, who was a rather unlikeable rector. This story features a rather grisly Punch and Judy show, and an equally horrible Christmas service in the Rector's former church.

"Two Doctors"--Dr. Abell and Dr. Quinn (think 'Abel and Cain') both live and practice in the same parish. Dr. Abell appears to be a dabbler in the supernatural, and blames Dr. Quinn for the loss of his patients. Dr. Quinn begins to have horrible nightmares about a man who is struggling to break free of a chrysalis. He believes that the nightmares are brought about by his old bed linen, so he buys new linen that is "marked in thread with a coronet and a bird." When Dr. Quinn is found smothered in his bed, the ghastly origin of the new linen comes to light.

I HATE BRUCE COVILLE...well not really! However, since I
read his take on Norse legends, Thor's Wedding Day, I was
impressed with the novel. It had humor, it had bite and not just
for a young adult audience. He took its time getting this
production perfect. Now, his company Full Cast Audio put the work on CD(three cds2.45 minutes, unabridged multi cast production ,FullCastAudio)and I am green with envy that this production is BETTER than the book. That's right, MISTER Coville...BETTER than the book it came from! The multi cast production, directed by DanielBostick,is so well done I need to look in a dictionary to express how good this audio book is (and NO, they didn't bribe me in any way for saying how good this is). Okay, now the other multi cast audio productions have to raise the bar to reach this one...are you happy now, Bruce?

Bennet Pomerantz, AUDIOWORLD and Affaire De Coeur