Fables and Fairy Tales Books

We had the privilege of seeing this story live at the Broward Center for Performing Arts, and my four year old loved it! I had to buy him the book and now we read it at home and he still loves it! It's a great classic story, and teaches about sharing, friendship and caring for others.

Received the book on time and in great condition. My students enjoyed it. Thank you.

This is a timeless story that I have told to firstly my children, and now my grandchildren. We cook 'stone soup' on many occasions,and even finicky eaters cannot resist the soup after they know the story. My eldest grandson (13) has his favourite stone that has served as the basis for the soup in recent times. He takes great delight in serving stone soup to his friends and showing them his 'stone'. The story I heard as a child was of a French soldier returning home after a Napolionic War where the village he entered was devestated by war etc. The underlying context of shared co-operation is wonderful example of how we can all get along together if we all put in something....

It's hard to read aloud to a group and show the pictures because of its smaller size.

"Three soldiers trudged down a road in a strange country. They were on their way home from the wars. Besides being tired, they were hungry. In fact, they hadn't eaten nothing for two days."

Follow how three soldiers make a delicious soup "fit for a king" with a stone.

Try reading this book with your child and make some stone soup together for lunch or dinner. Supervise carefully.

This was a book I bought on recommendation from a reading list. It was well illustrated, but definately not a "happy" type book. It doesn't teach as much as it illustrates, and it was too far removed from my kindergartner's level of understanding int he story line. Maybe for older kids? I just thought it was OK.

My three year old son gets as much joy out of this classic story as I did as a child (according to my mother). He identifies with the little boy as well as with the giant - and he asks for it over and over - the enclosed CD allows me to read to him or to let this be independent play as I need to.

Got this book from a used book store when our kid was 2 years old. It's had a magical effect on her even today, a year later. She has imitated the Abiyoyo character, begs me to make up Abiyoyo stories, tells me he's her friend, etc. We've read it at least 200 times. The monster is a real, significant presence in our daughter's life.

Perhaps because its phrasing comes from a song, the lines are memorable. Our child has memorized whole pages, and "sings" along when we read it to her. There's not a single word that can be deleted, it's that finely edited.

Definitely in the top 10 in our library.

The book was received in a timely manner. It took about a week for me to receive it after placing my order. The book was in new condition. I would definitely order from this seller again.

Illustarations excellent..story in the book and on dvd are a favortie of my grandchildren...must confess, even though I am 67, I enjoyed it too.

Aseops Fables arent the only books with lessons. I got this book for my two nephews and they loved it. It taught them to see all sides of a person/situation. IT IS GREAT!

Ed Young brings simple truths to preschoolders and young children as he retells a favorite story about the Blind Man and the Elephant using 7 blind mice to show that each point of view, just like all the colors of the rainbow, come together to make the "whole" of the elephant and also equals white light, which is what all colors of the rainbow equal. Many teaching moments such as primary colors equal white when combined and looking at things from many points of view brings about a different understanding, can be shared with children as they are able to understand. Enjoy the simple story or the depths of the wonderful ideals illustrated simply and beautifully.

This is a beautiful book. I bought it for my children, who enjoyed it immensely. I also used it in a classroom of first graders. They were delighted with the book, and we all had fun with the illustrations and the story. I think it is a wonderful book, with beautiful illustrations and a great story.

This book is great for both of my kids and also as an introduction to mothers in Bible Study. I love it.

The whole truth is rarely found in the report of one, but the ideas of many bring a more enlightened view. Seven blind mice each report their own experience with various parts of an elephant. While the observations of each are correct, their conclusions are incorrect without considering all the reports together. This is a great life lesson!

I love retellings of classic tales; I thought Birdwing had an extremely interesting premise. However, I found the construction of the plot to be rather shoddy. Too many twists were thrown in with no clues except cryptic hints by seers that don't impress any reader of the fantasy genre anymore.

The characters were forgettable. The only character with much identifiable personality was Horse, who was rather endearing.

The writing, for the most part, was mediocre. Ardwin's angst was described, but not particularly felt. He comes off as just another mixed up emo kid who wants everything but not willing to commit to anything.

As another reviewer pointed out, this book is definitely NOT appropriate for 6-10 year olds, for sexual references and overall redability. They are small, but definitely not necessary for younger readers.

All in all, I'm glad I didn't buy this book at full price. $.50 at a second hand store was a waste of money.

I usually do not like reading but this book made me really want to!!! I started "Birdwing" and finished this 358 page book 12 days later, along with homework and tests...! I never wanted to put this book down, at 10 at night my mom had to finally tell me to stop reading and go to bed! If you like sci fi, animals, mideavel times, and/or fantasy you will like this book! five stars all the way!

The concept was a great concept, a retelling of a classic fairytale...what ever did happen to the last brother who was turned back into a human but had the wing of a swan?

I found the book to be a little dense and thought it might have done better as a trilogy. I'm not sure which age level the book is aimed at, at our daughter's bookfair, it was on the middle grade readers cart. Maybe it was placed there by mistake, its definitely a little heavy with the "coming of age," and "self discovery" themes.

If you have a middle grade reader, be aware it does have some mature YA themes in it, especially as Martin uses as a plot device the "betrayal" by the hero's best friends Stephen and Skye--They, unknown to the hero have a relationship together. The hero even has thoughts of desire towards Skye, however when Stephen and Skye sleep together the pain of that discovery forces the hero onward. As the hero goes onward in his journey of self discovery, there is exploration of what a friend is and ultimately, the hero discovers his bride.

Birdwing is an interesting story. It is based on the Brothers Grimm story The Six Swans. Six brothers are turned into swans. Their sister remains silent for six years to save them. When she does, the youngest brother's left arm remains a wing. That's where the Grimm story ends and Birdwing begins.

This is a story of adventure, self-realization and kindness. It moves at a steady pace with just the right amount of description. I enjoyed the fantastical elements such as the mechanical golden arm and the presence of talking animals. It really sent home the idea that this was a story about the human spirit, about imagination and freedom to be unique.

The character of Ardwin is completely endearing. We've all felt out of place once in awhile. Imagine always being the odd one out, the boy with a wing. He more than makes up for his differences with strength, courage and kindness. Many other characters endear themselves as well - the old wizard Belarius, Prince Alene and Horse to name a few.

The settings are beautifully described. In each place that we find Ardwin, the author makes us feel as if we are there. When Ardwin and his horse face rough snowy climes, we are there with them. When the sun rises on a spring day, you could almost feel the warmth. With an economy of words, Rafe Martin has created a real modern classic.

Ardwin leaves home when he feels that there is a threat to his wing. He endures many trials which nearly kill him. He meets up with the 'witch' who 'cursed' him in the beginning. Along the way and in the end, he learns much about himself and human nature.

At Amazon.com, this book is recommended for grades 6-10. I think this is an appropriate age group but probably not for anyone younger. For those who like books that include adventure, some elements of fantasy, romance and a story about the triumph of the human spirit - this book is for you. If you are hoping for complete fantasy, dragons, wizards, elves and what-not, mythological characters, etc - you may want to pass on this.

I bought this book for my 13-yr-old daughter who loves fantasy genre books. She pointed out passages to me that she felt uncomfortable with, including implied sexual contact and the main character asking for advice on how to undress a girl with one arm. I just wanted to give a heads-up to parents who may want to make an informed choice if this book would be appropriate for their beliefs and values.

This third volume in the excellent FABLES series is even better than the first two. The primary storyline picks up where Animal Farm left off, with Snow White recovering from her normally life-ending wound and Goldilocks on the run. All seems to be peaceful after the episode at the Farm, until a nosey journalist shows up threatening to reveal what he guesses to be the Fables' colony of vampires. From there, the pace of the story remains very intense, with accomplished and attempted murders, coerced and freely-given sex flings, and high drama throughout. There are also two background stories included in this volume: An explicit tale of Jack's exploits during the Civil War, and A more fairy tale-like story of the beginnings of Smalltown.

All of the stories presented here are very entertaining, making this book a hard one to put down. Only one high profile Fable is introduced here. Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty) plays a prominent role in the efforts to silence the misguided reporter, and is sure to have a place in future tales. Prince Charming plays a major role in this one, developing some surprisingly large ambitions that will unfold in upcoming issues. The title of this volume comes primarily from the strange relationship between Bigby and Snow, but could loosely connect with any of the individual stories within. My advice, take this one slowly to make it last. You'll be tempted to read it all in one sitting, but delaying gratification will prolong your experience and heighten your enjoyment. Remember, there are only 13 Fables titles to date, you don't want to rush through them too quickly.

A story focusing on the ramifications of the attack on Snow White by Goldilocks, in the main.

That main arc is bookended by two stand-alone issues, one of Jack Horner and his time from the civil war, and the last is Bigby Wolf recounting a story about little Fables and the quest for barleycorn girls.

The important story involves, Goldilocks, Bluebeard, Prince Charming, who is proving himself a bit of a spymaster, and a plot to have Bigby and Snow killed.

Quite good again, as Fables continues to be well done, particularly as the whole fair tale character thing is not something I am disposed to like in the main, but this urban transportation of these characters is good stuff.

For Big Bad Wolf fans, there is some gold awaiting.

The Fables story continues in this volume and it is a great read. The art continues to look great. This is the collection of issues #11-18.

In this volume Bluebeard has finally came up with a plan to rid himself of Bigby and Snow White involving Goldilocks, from Fables Vol. 2: Animal Farm , the two and up making it out much to Bluebeard's dismay and the volume ends with a nice twist. Very good volume from a great series.

This volume collects issues 11-16 of the monthly comics. The first and last issues each tell self-contained stories tangential to the main Fable world. The central two-thirds of this book moves the general story arc along with the precision of a physics lesson: as the pressures increase within this little community, the situations heat up.

Prince Charming is charming only in name - his womanizing takes a notably non-mythical turn. Goldilocks still dates out of her species (not that I have anything against other species, mind you, but I'm not sure I'd want my sister to marry one). Briar Rose takes a nap. Snow White and Bigby end up on a hot date - neither has memories from it, but one has something else.

The Fable mythos updates many of our childhood fairy tales, in a world of distant warfare and urban exile. If you've followed the story since volume 1 of the collections, you'll know that my plot hints say just about nothing - there's always another twist to the creativity that brings these characters to new life. The artwork doesn't blaze new trails and people looking for BamPow super heroes will find only a little, very little, to cling to. The art team is strong and competent, though, and the scripting creates characters that you really want to like (or to dislike, trust your judgement). Also - I'm not sure this is wholly a good thing - the series grows on you. I'll be back for more, and in proper story order for once in my life.

-- wiredweird

I worried a bit over the rating to give this volume in Bill Willingham's FABLES series. If judged by other volumes in the series, it would probably merit a 4 star rating. But judged by the vast majority of comics and graphic novels, it easily deserves 5 stars. So, 5 stars it is.

As other reviewers have noted, this collects four separate stories of unequal length. The longest by far gives the title to the book, "Storybook Love." This is a fun story entirely on its own merits, but it also sets up major changes in the books to come.

I can certainly recommend this book in the series, but I especially recommend the series as a whole. And it isn't just fun. I have read Grimms' Fairy Tales and much of Calvino's ITALIAN FOLKTALES, but I frequently find myself scurrying off to find out who this or that character in the story is. Definitely one of the finest comics series around.

I accidentally bumped into this book when I was in my 20s. Had no idea where it would lead me. Read it practically in one sitting. I was amazed that I understood what Cabell was driving at even tho I could not have explained it coherently to anyone.

Next I re-read it in my 50s. I never read books twice. Still amazed by it.

The book was buried in a box, after house moving many times. I re-discovered it last night. Now in my 80s I'm reading it all over again. Amazed as ever.

"I have finished Jurgen; a great and beautiful book, and the saddest book I ever read. I don't know why, exactly. The book hurts me -- tears me to small pieces -- but somehow it sets me free. It says the word that I've been trying to pronounce for so long. It tells me everything I am, and have been, and may be, unsparingly...I don't know why I cry over it so much. It's too -- something-or-other -- to stand. I've been sitting here tonight, reading it aloud, with the tears streaming down my face..." -- Deems Taylor, in a letter dated December 12, 1920.

What can I add to that? Jurgen is on my short list of very favorite books. It wrestles, in its odd way, with the fundamental tragedy of human life in general and male life in particular: We are doomed to age and die; meanwhile happiness will prove elusive. Wow, I'm making this sound awfully depressing, aren't I? But that's not right. Jurgen is humorous and fun and weirdly uplifting. Jurgen's strange adventures manage to represent all that a man may pursue and aspire to. The tale burns, but in a wonderfully brilliant way. (I made that comment about the tragedy of "male life" because Jurgen is, among other things, the quintessential rogue. His notion of how happiness might be ideally pursued differs somewhat from the ideas of the females he holds discourse with. Thus does Cabell illustrate a reality that we can either acknowledge or deny; take your choice. Enlightened people will prefer the latter.)

Jurgen isn't for everyone. Some will "get it" and some won't. I once handed a copy to a person who returned it with the comment that he wasn't a fan of the S&S ("swords & sorcery") genre. This surprised me; the book can only be described as S&S by someone who does not look below the surface. I mention this not to mock but to warn. Jurgen may be better appreciated by those who are stirred by symbol and metaphor. We may not be prancing through a magical world as Jurgen does, but some of us will see echoes of our own dreams and nightmares in his story. If you're such a person, then Jurgen may hit you like a ton of bricks. Otherwise you'll chuck the manuscript against the wall.

It's worth noting that Jurgen, in its circumspect way, managed to offend the contemporary powers-that-be. The book is obscurely suggestive without being explicit; it went over the heads of some, but others saw what was going on, and they either guffawed or objected vigorously. There were serious attempts to suppress it, which of course only made the text notorious. It was (and still is) politically incorrect, and it garnered something of a counter-cultural following for all the wrong reasons. Well, so be it. The book is great, and that's all there is to say.

The tale incorporates supporting characters and environments rummaged from myth and history. You won't need to know all these background details to understand or enjoy the plot; however if you should want to follow up, some rabid fans (of which there were many) put together a collection of footnotes way back in 1928. It's long out of print, but you'll find an Amazon listing on it (Amazon lists everything!); search Amazon books for ASIN=B00085DJ0A. A copy of the notes is also posted online; search the web on the phrase "Notes on Jurgen".

If you buy the book, you'll want the Dover paperback edition (ISBN=0486235076), which is a trade paperback and includes the wonderful old illustrations. Holding this edition in my hands just feels right. There's also a great unabridged audio cassette (ISBN=1574534505), rendered by a troupe of actors. They do a very nice job, switching to the most appropriate character to read the text as the book progresses.

Cabell was a prolific author, with "Jurgen" being his best-known (and probably his greatest) work. If you're unfamiliar with Cabell, "Jurgen" is the book to start with. If you want to follow up, look for "Figures of Earth".

I read this 1921 book because H.L. Mencken, my guide when it comes to literature, thought so highly of it. It is perhaps most difficult to read because it is a fable and fables of course, do not consist of characters and actions which are based in reality. The book is a little hard to follow at the beginning. It is rather hard to explain what the story is about.

When the book starts, Jurgen is a pawnbroker in a mythical kingdom. Knowing what actions will please an elderly sorceress, he elicits from her the privillege of living as a young nobleman in several different kingdoms over the course of a year, all under different names and noble titles. Cabell writes in a slightly tongue in cheek tone as he describes Jurgen's vanity, and most explicitly his penchant for the ladies. The most common phrases Cabell uses to describe Jurgen's sexual exploits are that Jurgen "intended to deal fairly" with a particular lady and to the effect that when Jurgen retired to a lovemaking place with the lady, the place therein was dark and nobody can see anything in the dark. Because of the darkness the old sorceress, whose shadow followed Jurden, did not see Jurgen engage in sex acts which would have displeased her. Probably my favorite part of the book is where Cabell tongue in cheek uses evasive language to describe Jurgen's sexual actions, such as on page 140. At that point in the book Jurgen is married to the Queen Anaitis. Anaitis catches Jurgen and a lady at court, a resident expert on the Kama Sutra, involved in a "philosophical experiment, necessarily performed in the dark." Stella had asserted that a certain sexual position could only be performed in the dark and asserted that "in simple equity," she was entitled to prove her assertions. "So Jurgen proceeded to deal fairly with her," i.e. peformed the sex act with her. It is when he leaves the kingdome of Guenevere's father and goesto live with Anaitis that the book gets really good. Jurgen also goes to live on the outskirts of the kingdom of Pseudopolis, getting married to a tree dweller and livining in a tree. He invades the home of Queen Helen of Troy in Pseudopolis and observes her sleeping. He goes to Hell and gets married to a female vampire and has an affair with Satan's wife.

The prose in this book is really quite beautiful.

A strong theme of this book is how reality is so covered up by our illusions about ourselves. We think that there is a God or a Devil that watches our every move, looking for virtue or sin. We think we are that important even though we are a tiny speck in the universe. Another theme relates to Jurgen never being able to find happiness, despite the sorceress granting him the privillege of living out all his longstanding dreams of being a king and nobleman and husband of some of the most beautiful women on earth. He discovers at the end of the story that he prefers to go back where he was before the sorceress granted him all his illusions.

I found it a somewhat difficult book. Particulary in the beginning of the book, Jurgen jumps from situation to situation without a certain logic that would make it easy for the reader to understand. Of course, the book is a fable and fables are not meant to be logical. The characters speak their dialogue in very beautiful language, though sometimes the meaning of the sentences are opaque.

However, I think it is easy to understand the book, if you just keep reading, you can understand everything eventually if you don't worry.

Cabell also constructs a phony introduction to the book written by some make believe bookish verbose academic or book reviewer. He also places some unintelliglbe blurbs after the title page, written by imaginary verbose, bookish book reviewer critics. This was all pretty funny.

Stumbled across this writer while researching something else. James Branch Cabell is wonderful, and JURGEN is one of those books that delivers just what you hope it will. The hero is an aging pawnbroker who has lost his belligerent wife and sets out to find her as a matter of propriety more than will. Managing to regain his youth, he begins a year long journey that takes him to various worlds including heaven and hell. Jurgen takes up with many brilliant and pretty women along the way, but somehow is never satisfied. Then, he meets his wife Lisa again.. This was a publishing sensation in the 1920s and deserves to be again. It is funny, poetic, witty, and sometimes poignant. Cabell writes about youth, the loss of innocence, maturity and love in a uniquely refreshing and poetic way. I liked the sound of Cabell's 'THERE WERE TWO PIRATES..' so I also bought it and enjoyed it. I am currently reading his AS I REMEMBER IT, a memoir mostly of his wife, which reveals the brilliance and humanity of a real Southern gentleman of letters as much as it does the woman behind him.

After the fervent reviews of other readers -- which prompted me to buy the book in the first place -- I have been reading along waiting for the moment of illumination that would make me find something redeeming about this book. I am halfway through and about to throw in the towel. In this plotless ramble of Victorian soft porn (there are only so many conversations about one's "big lance" that a reader can take) I just don't see rhyme, reason, or much in the way of entertainment, much less profound statements on the human condition. Jurgen sleeps his way through a dozen fairylands. Yawn. Next book.

The recipient of this gift (book) was very pleased with it! Very good purchase. Thank you.

This is a beautiful book on the magical, scary, enchanting and
wonderful world of the fairy tale! Marie Tatar a Harvard German professor has done a superb job in putting this book together!
The stories range from the classics of the borthers Grimm, Perrault and Hans Christen Anderson. Fairy tales from several cultures are included from Great Britain, Germany, France, Russia
and Denmark.
The volume is beautifully illustrated with the illustrations from such giants as Cruikshank, Rackham, Parrish and several others.
This work is a beautiful way to share story time with one's
children or grandchildren. If you are going to buy one book of fairy tales appealing to both children and adults then this is the lavish lifetime volume for you!
Excellent!

I'm a big fan of fairy tales and a big fan of the "annotated" series. This one has some unusual features that make it a bit more interesting. First of all, these stories are a decent collection of the well-known and not-so-well-known, so the reader can choose to indulge in something familiar like The Three Little Pigs, or maybe something less familiar, like The Juniper Tree. The original illustrations are largely in color and scattered throughout the text, bringing the stories a particular flair and bearing. What sets this book apart are the sections set aside for author and illustrator biographies. Although the kiddies may not appreciate them that much, they are very interesting for the adult reader and again, they add a lot to the enjoyment of the stories. As with the other books in the series (if one can call it that) the dust jacket is very eye-appealing and this really looks good sitting on the shelf with the others, like The Annotated Hans Christian Andersen and The Annotated Brothers Grimm.

I have been getting annotated books each year for my step-daughter Lacey. She loves em and I'm a hero. These are terrific books!

interesting, well documented, with marvelous illustrations.Definitely a good buy for adults who still dream of fairy tales characters. It is a pity that the collection does not include stories from "One thousand and one nights". Otherwise it will be perfect and complete.

If your into Dragons this is a good book to read and has some very good illustrations in it. The Larghe's

While Graeme Base has recieved much acclaim over other books like Animalia this is really the greatest thing he's written. The book is loaded with Australian humor that must be read several times for the jokes to be understood. The book is divided into 3 sections chronicling 3 famous serpentologists(someone who studies dragons). Each section has 4 letters written by that serpentologist with a massive picture of the dragon in question. There is two reasons why I haven't given this 5 stars. One because it should be formatted less as a story and more factual and two because the 18 dollar price tag is outrageous. Base should really write more about this subject because he's really in his element here.
NOTE: While this is considered a 'picture book' it is not for anyone under 10 years old(and not many 10 year olds will get it either).

i already wrote a review on here that gave this book something of a bad name.Recently I have started to enjoy some of the smaller details of this book.For example even though the book deals a lot about dragons comments can be found written by mr. greasebeam.These comments include slight mentions of greasebeam's rival marty fibblewitz and it proves as an interesting side story.But the book itself is very enjoyable.Mr. Base has written several other books about animals but he treats the dragons as a real species.On nearly every page there is a letter,an editors note and a small info section about the certain dragon.There is also a large painting depicting the dragon a map showing where it lives and a scale comparison of the dragon to everyday animals.Also at the bottom of every page is a "comic strip" drawing out what was explained in that letter.A good book.However at my local bookstore it cost $19 and was located in the childrens section.Both of these details are the only thing keeping me from giving this book 5 stars.Anyhow I very wish there was a companion to this book(the calendar is out of print).I wouldn't count on it though this book is 9 years old.

This is the kind of book you leave on a coffee table for visitors to peruse. It has beautiful large color plates of dragons on every left-side page and amusing anecdotes on each facing page.

The author is presuming to be an authority on "the discovery of dragons" and in a tongue-in-cheek narrative is trying to professionally prove the disclaimers of his "one time colleague Marty Fibblewitz" who has now "chosen to side with the doubters." THE DISCOVERY OF DRAGONS is divided into three sections of nine pages each: The Discovery of European Dragons, The Discovery of Asiatic Dragons, and The Discovery of Tropical Dragons. The first page of each section is an introduction to the section that describes the distinctive qualities of the dragons of said region, introduces the adventurer who discovered those dragons, and throws pot-shots at 'Professor' Fibblewitz. The following eight pages of each subsection show the author's 'proof' of these discoveries.

European dragons, says the author, were discovered by Bjorn of Bromme, Viking, from A.D. 856 through A.D. 863. He discovered Great Snow Dragons in Greenland, an Emerald Dragon in Ireland, a Welsh Red Dragon sleeping on a horde of treasure, and the St. George Dragon (yes, that very same dragon). The author's proof comes in the way of letters found, scrawled penmanship on linen to his cousin Olaf back in Norway (who seems to be having his own problems Rampaging the countryside).

In The Discovery of Asiatic Dragons, we meet heroine Soong Mei Ying, faithful daughter of a thirteenth-century Chinese Silk trader, who--while taking her ailing father's silks to a far away market--discovers a pair of Mongolian Screamers, a Japanese Butterfly Lizard with medicinal qualities, and Eastern Temple Worm, and a Great Golden Worm.

Now, the Letters of Dr. E.F. Liebermann in The Discovery of Tropical Dragons might be just a tad funnier than those of Bjorn of Bromme (it's a close tie, actually). Dr. Liebermann went to Africa in 1847 searching for the African Frilled Frog. He never finds this frog, but along the way he discovers four kinds of dragon (Livingstone's Demon, the Crested Dipper, a monstrous Common Green Draak, and several deadly Spotted Marsh Draaks). He also invents the typewriter and figures out the theory of continental drift.

This is an adorable book! Each section has its own style, and the characters--illuminated by their letters home--are unique individuals with great quirks. Each page is laden with tiny details that enthralled this reader. The letters home all have subtle changes as the adventurer passes from one discovery into the next--some of them quite hilarious. There's footnotes and maps and scale diagrams and miniature picture story reels across the bottom of each page . . . all done in glorious and changing detail work. But the best part are the dragon plates themselves: these large color paintings are gorgeous. THE DISCOVERY OF DRAGONS is a real winner, the perfect gift choice for a true dragon connoisseur.

This book is the one of the most unique and exsquisite dragon books available! I received it only recently, but I am astounded at this spectacular selection.
It begins with the letters from Bjorn of Bromme, a 9th century viking. This section is the funniest one in the book. This humor is very hard to describe, you'll have to read it yourself to get the idea. Anyway, this viking travels to many countries for various (and often humorous) reasons. On the way, he discovers four different species of European dragons, while writing letters to his cousin Olaf the Grim about his incredible finds. What is unique about this section is that he loses men every time he finds another dragon!
The next section is my personal favorite. A 13th century girl named Soong Mei Ying had a sick father. In order to pay for her father's medical bills, she sets out to Kathmandu, in the hope of gaining money by selling her father's silks. Unfortunetly, the curageous girl's silks are destroyed by a pair of Mongolian Screamers (a kind of dragon she discovers). As she glumly returns home, she discovers a Japanese Butterfly Lizard (my favorite dragon in the book) that could heal her father. This discovery leads her on a fantastic adventure, in which she discovers two more dragons.
The final section in "Discovery of Dragons" tells of the adventures of Prussian cartographer Dr. E. F. Liebermann. He wants to prove the theory of continental drift and so travels from Africa to Madagascar to Tasmania in search of the rare African Frilled Frog that can prove his theory. Instead, however, he discovers four extremely bizarre dragon species. He types letters to his sweetheart on a typewriter he built himself and, unfortunetly, he meets a meets a tragic end.
You will love this very unique book. You'll be surprised by the Saint George Dragon, dazzled by the Japanese Butterfly Lizard, and repulsed by the "unique" Common Green Draak of Madagascar. This book seems to be a mix of a storybook and a zoology book. The illustrations, as mentioned before, are beautiful and detailed and there is one for every dragon. Look and read closely to find little things hidden in it. Sorry about the stereotypical phrase, but you won't be able to put this book down!

This was an excellent book. The view of relationships among siblings, and acceptance of each other's idiosyncracies, was accurate and positive. The adventures were imaginative and unexpected. There were many lessons to be learned relative to not repeating past mistakes, not jumping to conclusions, and not being judgmental of others. My only criticism was that in some areas, such as the beginning, the book moved a bit slowly for kids. Our 2nd grade Book Club chose this book to read, and it was a little hard to get my son to stick with the slower parts, to get to the exciting ones.

This is the first Half-Magic book I've read, and I loved it! My favorite character was Martha.

I was introduced to Edward Eager when I was a young teen by my next door neighbor. The only book I read was "Half Magic", which I thought was a fun little book. Now that I have a child of my own on the way, I've decided to start building a library of books that I can read aloud to my youngster. I bought "Half Magic" and decided to give a couple of other Edward Eager stories a try. "Magic by the Lake" is actually the sequel to "Half Magic", though I didn't know that when I bought it. Again, it's a fun story. It is a little dated, but I think that adds to the charm. For example, the girls turn flappers, a la the roaring 20's, at one point. When the time comes that I read this story, I'll be able to pull out a picture of my great-grandmother in her flapper garb and explain what that was all about.

All in all, I highly recommend Edward Eager for young readers. The stories are clean, fun, and full of adventure. I've heard others say that they are the Harry Potter books of yesterday. I don't know that I would agree with that statement. These are much lighter stories. Though I love Harry, his stories are way too dark to read to a young child.

I chose this book in school as an independent reading book since I had no clue what to chose and I found out I loved it! I had also noticed a few of my friends in my class (2nd grade) had also been reading it and had caught up to me and so we talked about it and we all loved it. And, now I have bought (with a year of my own allowance) all seven of Edward Eager's books about Magic. With the leftovers of my allowance I think I am going to buy some of his books that are not about magic.

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~ I just introduced my nieces, ages 8-11, to the Edward Eager books, when they ran out of Harry Potter to read. They love them, as I did when I read them 30 years ago.
The adventures of these independent and adventurous children are always amusing and fun. There is usually enough sense of danger in the magical adventures to make them suspenseful, without being too frightening. I always enjoyed the author's ability to describe realistic brother and sister relationships. Some of the arguments in his stories remind me so much of squabbles with my own brother!

~ I think "Magic by the Lake" was my favorite. The adventures were very imaginative and fun to read. I loved the chapter in which two sisters wish to be "grown up"- unfortunately, they get their wish, at least temporarily!
These books are wonderful because they are no less fun now, then 2 generations ago, when they were written. This author should be on all kid's bookshelves!

The Magic Circle is a re-visioning of the classic children's story Hansel and Gretel which seeks to entertain the reader by telling the story of how the child eating witch with the confectionary hut, isolated from the world came to be. Napoli's The Magic Circle is short (barely over 100 pages) but it manages to be powerful, poignant and more than a little bittersweet as she takes what were common beliefs of the time (medieval Europe) and weaves a story that feels like it could actually have happened. Further, this is the witches' story, not the story of Hansel and Gretel. Napoli's version dovetails nicely with the traditional telling that most of us are familiar with...it begins well before we ever meet Hansel and Gretel and ends just as their part of the story is taking off...and as such, in this book we never get to really know them at all...but we do get to know The Ugly One (as the witch is known by her community) and hear her story as she fights to be a good Christian and to do what she believes is right.

The protagonist here (The Ugly One) starts out as a simple midwife who enjoys her work and appreciates beautiful things in life (the beauty she will never have herself) and she works long and hard to support her daughter (who is beautiful where her mother is not). Through the somewhat deceptive nagging of her friend Bala, The Ugly One is tempted (through pride) to take on more varied types of healing work. As the story progresses she is transformed from a simple midwife and healer to a sorceress, working within a magic circle and controlling demons to perform her healing magic and she quite successful for 9 years...until she becomes tempted by an object she desires...tempted to break the magic circle and herein she becomes vulnerable to the revenge of the demons she previously controlled and used for her good purposes. In the last third of the story, her pride leads to her downfall...she transforms once again from Sorceress to Witch (as in the diabolic satanic child eating witch feared in medieval times) and details her struggles to withstand the temptations that torment her once she is transformed into a diabolic witch.

This story is all about temptation, personal pride, courage and ultimately redemption and readers will delight in the witch's story from humble beginning to demonic ending. My only complaint is that I KNOW this story wasn't about Hansel and Gretel, but they came so late in the story that we really never go to know them at all and it's hard to enjoy the ending without knowing them somewhat better than we get to here in this story. Overall, I give The Magic Circle 4 stars, it's a magnificently dark retelling of the classic Hansel and Gretel story that really draws the reader along, I know I couldn't put it down once I'd started it (read it in one sitting, which I have to admit was easy since it's so short). Highly enjoyable and I would definitely recommend it for young adult readers (ages 12 and up) and for adults who enjoy fairytale adaptations.

Donna Jo Napoli takes the fairy tale stories we grew up with and brings them to a new level. "The Magic Circle" retells Hansel and Gretel from the "witch's" side. Like we are so often told, there are two sides to every story. Her style holds interest and keeps the pages turning. Her many books are a proud part of library. These are stories that will be shared with my children's children!

even though this book is short it is not for young children. if you are looking for a book with lots of suspense this is your kind of book! this book is very very very good. I only give it 4 stars because it gets very sad and depressing at the end.

Ugly One lives a simple existence with her daughter, Asa. She works as a midwife in effort to gain riches for Asa, whom she has to support on her own. Her helper, Bala, tells her that she should be a healer, but the Ugly one doesn't want to tempt her fate, knowing that devils are just on the edge of a healer's domain, attempting to seduce a healer to the dark ways. Ugly one knows she cannot turn to the dark ways, everything rests on her abilities and her faith in serving God. She knows that her position as midwife is tenuous at best --- most nobles are very superstitious and do not want an ugly, hunchbacked, deformed crone bringing their child into the world for fear her bad luck would rub off on the infant. But her skills prove that superstition is superfluous and she lives for many years in this manner, acquiring trinkets and candies to add to Asa's dowry and decorate their simple home.

Years later, after some usage of the magic circle to aid in her birthings, the Ugly one is tempted by a ring. When she picks it up the demons surge about and within her, and she is no longer a common midwife. From here things go down hill, she and Asa are pronounced witches, and they barely escape from a burning with their lives intact. Ugly one makes it after transforming, but the downside is that she can never see Asa again, and that her sleep is tinged with visits from the demons, not to mention horrible cravings for the flesh of children. But she is strong and manages for nine years to avoid eating flesh or rousing anymore demons... until a fateful day when two children named Hansel and Gretel happen upon her doorstep.

This is a very entertaining, albeit short read. Napoli deftly blends the story of "Hansel and Gretel" with the mythology of the supernatural to create a retelling worth reading. One feels compassion for the Ugly one who has already endured so much suffering, and there is much that can be read between the lines in this inventive adaptation. Fairy tale fans will not be disappointed.

Donna Jo Napoli's trademark technique of fleshing out a fairytale is in fine display in "The Magic Circle," her retelling of "Hansel and Gretel". Napoli's stories often reveal motivations behind some of the action that takes place in the traditional fairytales, reasoning out some of the fantastic elements and explaining the behaviour of the familiar characters; which usually results in the villain becoming more sympathetic and understandable. Such is certainly the case in "The Magic Circle", in which she explores the background of Hansel and Gretel's wicked witch.

The hunchback woman is known as the Ugly One by all her neighbours, but has the gift of healing which she uses to aid pregnant women and sick people in her medieval Europe community. She is the proud mother of a beautiful little girl called Asa, and enjoys her simple life as midwife in her country cottage. But her friend Bala has other ideas, getting her work with wealthy families and in researching demonic activity so that Ugly One may earn some more money - with much of the proceeds going to Bala of course.

Ugly One is unsure about extending her talents to exclude exorcisms, knowing the danger is extremely great, but as a devout Christian and a healer she feels compelled to comply with Bala's wishes - surely God will aid her, and no harm will come to her if she places herself within a magic circle that will protect her from the demons' tricks. After cleansing a little boy from a demon's influence, Ugly One knows that she has found her new calling in life.

But once several years pass, her confidence in her own abilities grow and in a mistake that will haunt her forever, she is careless with the protective magic circle. What follows is an escalating series of events that has her transformed into a witch by the vengeful demons and tied to a stake by the terrified villagers. Bartering with the demons for her daughter's life, Ugly One manages to use her newfound malevolent powers to escape and hide in the forest.

In Napoli's book the term `witch' is used in the traditional Christian sense, not the New Age one, so be prepared for a negative usage of the word (personally I found it quite refreshing this way - evil witches are so rare these days!) However, it's not so black and white, for though Ugly One can no longer shed tears, bleed or sleep, has demons whispering in her ears and an appetite for children, she is determined to not give in to her weaknesses. Living in isolation, she manages to keep the demons at bay - until she hears the voices of two lost children outside her home...

Napoli's story is poignant and thought-provoking, as she raises questions concerning the nature of evil, the will of God and the strength of the individual against temptation. Like all her other books, her spin on a traditional folktale is fascinating and will change your perception of "Hansel and Gretel" forever. Although her interpretation of the gingerbread house is a little weak and a revelation concerning Bala is raised only to be ignored, "The Magic Circle" is an intriguing little book. The demons and magical rituals mentioned are all based in real Biblical and Occult study (so you'll learn something practical alongside the retold fairytale!) and its length means you can probably finish it within a day. Though it is not my favourite Napoli novel (that would have to be "Zel" and "Spinners"), "The Magic Circle" is a great little read.