Fables and Fairy Tales Books

Hans Christian Anderson original fantastic prose is kept to its sparkling perfection in this book as Jerry Pinkney happily puts in his charming and almost dream-like illustrations. Fantastic edition.

(This review is about the story and not about the specific content of the book)

Luis Mejia (son) - As a fan of more classic readings, I personaly got to appreciate Hans Christen Andersen as one of my favourite writters, not only because his beautiful, gorgeous tales are brought up for a sleepy kid who likes to hear a story from his dad, as he finally gets asleep with a smile, its because among all of his works, some may be totally written for putting on paper a story full of fantastic moments but without an implicit meaning, but in its underlying words, it can teach a lot about values, just like The Little Mermaid tales a great value and a deep, underlying meaning of true love, making hard decissions toward the theme, the beauty of love an its unreachable boundaries, but, among all of Andersen's writtigs, The Ugly Duckling is one of his two that makes me cry. Its heartful, touchy story about a little duck, who, like every alive creature in the world, even a real duck, just want to be accepted as a normal duck who wants to learn about the experience of life, even when he doesn't knows that, unfortunately, this doesn't go that way, his brothers and other mates would constantly pick on him, bothering him, making the poor duck cry, even his mother felt embarassed about having such an ugly duck, what's the meaning in this part of the story? When you are an adult, or a mature adolescent one gets it quickly, even its meaning about rejecting/bullying others because of any condition (as this is not focused on beauty, is focused on any aspect that it could be found) can be seen in modern society, and, as it later reflects on the ongoing story, it can have very sad effects. The duck, all alone even at his early life, goes onto a journey of searching his place or at least some love, and he fails a couple of times, here the meaning is another very deep one, life is about risks and chances, and nothing is sure, anyone can make mistakes in any moment of his life, even when they are sadder. And when, finally, he discovers a place where he wished he could live, he felt deeply attracted by this place and its animals, and, when these attractive animals come closer, the little ugly duckling was already been hurted, so he was even more scared, as these animals he was seeing where something really special, to the point of even thinking "It doesn't matter now, I would prefer to dye here, beside this beautiful creatures, even if they kill me, or I dye in the cold, instead of all alone outside" (it really says this) this part really touches my heart. But instead of finding strong rejection, he founds comprehension and acceptance, he is even regarded as one of those beautiful animals which he dreamed about!

For children, there's no way to search for a meaning here, as it may stay as a simple, short story, attractive because of talking animals and light emotions, and a very good one for putting to sleep a children, but for adults, this story is much more than that, the story coul've been made up to even 500 pages, although here the parts are clear, main rejection, something general instead of specific, a search for a true home, a couple of places with searched with failure, and his final transformation. So, the values that this story teaches are amazing and pretty recognizables, values like those of patience, love, comprehension, although the story's main point is clear: even in our hardest situations in life, at any age, at any time, we should always be hopeful and faithful, we'll have to start our journey for finding our place, as the duck did, we shall never give up, don't be the duck that dies in the cold or loses every hope, we'll make a lot of mistakes, go through many situations that gets us down in the road, but without giving up, as the duck who finds two places where he didn't fit as well (as well as it could've been a thousand places), and, even if the road seems eternal and unreachable, even if we've been through a lot of sad stories, even if we're all alone within any situation, we'll find our true home, the true love, our deeply desired place, we'll finally discover ourselves, and have a happy ending, living happy forever.

Plus, the gorgeous illustrations and sensitive way of telling the story in the book, makes it a really fantastic, pretty edition.

This book was absolutely wonderful, especially the illustrations. My children loved it. It was not just about being ugly, it was about knowing who you are, your roots, etc - self awareness and self-confidence. The poor duckling "thought" that he was ugly because he didn't know who he really was [a swan]. ...Because he was different from everyone around him, he believed that he was what everyone said he was -- ugly and worthless. The others picked on him because he was different. Once he discovered the truth of who he really was is when he was set free from the bondage of all the untruth that he heard. He discovered who he really was and flourished.

A beautiful picture book on the Hans Christian Anderson tale. The Ugly Duckling is one of the world's most passionate childrens' stories of becoming. A wonderful book to read to remind a child what's possible no matter what. It's always a good thing to know one really is a swan ...underneath it all.

"The Ugly Duckling" is one of those rare examples of the triumph of image over story. Anyone who's ever read, heard, or seen performed this story knows that there are elements to it that can make you feel a hair uncomfortable. After all, the moral of the tale is that it doesn't matter how awful your life has been just so long as you're beautiful and look like all the pretty people in the end. Even if we dislike what "The Ugly Duckling" is trying to say, though, it's hard not to be compelled by its striking images. The cygnet amongst the ducklings. The resentment directed at him by both the animal kingdom and humankind. And then, the slow realization that he is in fact the most beautiful creature in the entire world. If this story were a Grimm Brothers tale it would probably end with the duckling rubbing his newfound good looks in his siblings' faces. Fortunately, we're in Hans Christian Andersen territory here, and (more specifically) Jerry Pinkney territory as well. Mr. Pinkney has taken Andersen's original wordy version and pared it down to the point where contemporary children will understand and identify with it better. He's even changed the moral of the tale oh-so-slightly so that it's less lotsa-pain-equals-more-physical-beauty and more hard-work-will-lead-to-happiness-in-the-end. I'm not personally buying it, but that's the fault of Andersen. Not Pinkney.

In case you are not familiar with the original Andersen version (and isn't it remarkable that there isn't a Disney version out there somewhere?) here's the lowdown. One day a mother duck finds that one of her eggs is different from the others. No explanation of this is ever given. Pity. When the eggs hatch the largest/different one takes a long time to crack open and when it does it exhibits a large ugly grey "duckling". Immediately, trouble starts. Other ducks bite the duckling's head and its brothers and sisters join in. It gets so depressed that when a dog passes it over as a meal it can only think, "I am too ugly even for a dog to eat". A woman, a cat, and a chicken all find the duckling to be utterly useless. It freezes in a pond and flees the nice man that frees it. Finally after multiple trials and countless tribulations the duckling turns into a swan, meets up with its brethren, and discovers the beauty of ... um... beauty.

No deep insights in this one. Now normally I don't much care for Jerry Pinkney's illustrations. I found his "John Henry" to be a bit slapdash and his "Noah's Ark" lacking. For some reason though, "The Ugly Duckling" works. When you consider that I don't usually like the story and I don't usually like the illustrator, the fact that I like the two when combined is just plum weird. It's not that the story has improved much. But under Pinkney's hand it becomes tolerable. Sure, it's still mighty depressing to see the poor little duckling bitten, screamed at, and teased. But when he's beautiful, there's no arguing with his looks.

In the end, I tip my hat to Pinkney's guts. Some people will pooh-pooh this review because they feel I'm criticizing the story and not the edition itself. Blarney. You can't separate this book from the tale on which it's based. I'm still not a fan of "The Ugly Duckling". I think it teaches the wrong lessons in a clumsy way. But Jerry Pinkney has given us perhaps the only edition of the original story that's readable in this day and age. For that reason alone the book deserves its Caldecott Honor.

basic plot outline (so if you'd wish to remain oblivious please skip over the first paragraph)-

this is the story about a girl who is sent by her step mother to the evil witch in the woods to borrow a light. it starts off like the cinderella story with the father remarrying a woman with two daughters and then dying, leaving his daughter to be mistreated by the stepmother and stepsisters. the stepmother is jealous of the girl's beauty and sweet disposition in comparison with her own daughters so she sends the girl out into the woods to seek out the evil baba yaga to ask for a light. the thing about the witch is that very few people who meet her live to tell about it. the witch eats people and has a house built out of their bones. so the girl goes obediently to the witch and she takes with her a doll her mother made her before she died, and the doll is magical, because it was made with her mother's love. so when she gets to the witch and asks for a light the witch agrees to give her a light if she can complete the tasks set before her, which are to cook huge meals and clean everything. the baba yaga leaves and the girl frets over what to do and then her doll comes alive and does most of the chores for her. the witch is satisfied and gives the girl one of her lights which when she presents to her stepmother, burns the stepmother alive. at this point, though she wasn't the strongest heroine ever, i'm hopeful for a strong ending, thinking maybe she won't need to get married at the end of the book to justify the plot... but she does, and it's not a bad thing, i'm just getting a bit bored with the same ending over and over (in both adult and children's stories).

this story had more of a classical fairy tale feel to it. it had a dark atmosphere to it with the beautiful illustrations, which at some points i could see very small children being afraid, of the baba yaga for example, but for the most part i felt they kept the story pretty clean. it could have definitely been very much more graphic, which i would have loved, but this is a children's book. what i enjoyed about this book was that things had to be a certain way, things HAD to get done, like in older stories. even though the stepmother treats her very poorly, the girl still obeys her and minds her, and from a feminist perspective this can be seen in a very bad light. a submissive girl with no back bone and no will of her own, an abusive relationship in essence. but, if you look at it as something produced a time long ago, when morals were different, and from a fairy tale perspective, where (if you know your mythology) everything has rules, very strict rules that must be followed, as the sequence is almost as important, if not more so, than the final product, it's more fanciful and exciting and much more archetypal, like the an old fairy tale. in most of today's stories we tell kids that nothing binds them and they can do whatever they want, and while it is good to leave an abusive relationship and all kids must learn that this is a good thing, people will always be bound by something, something that stays their hand or forces action, maybe sometimes against their will, and a lot of children today (myself included) don't really grasp this concept because all our lives we've been fed the fairy tale that we control our own destiny and what i say goes.. but that's not always the reality. lessons like this can be learned from fairy tales of this nature.

cratf's illustrations (as i think i've said already) are absolutely gorgeous and i wish there were more of them in this book. the subject matter had the potential to be scary, so i think the scenes depicted were selected carefully and on some pages only a small picture was provided in the corner... but this illustrator is so good that anything she does is magnificent. i wish the whole book was full pages of her illustrations. the prose was good as well though. it had a decent flow and was over all pretty well done.

This is a beautiful story, beautifully illustrated. The story is about how a mother's love can carry her daughter through the most dire situation. My daughters and I love this story, and although I've read the story again and again, it's still fresh and beautiful. I've decided to give it as a card with an inscription as one of my daughter's H.S. graduation gift. I know she'll read it again and again.

This was a gorgeously illustrated wonderful Russian Fairy Tale. We enjoyed it thoroughly.

I've enjoyed this story since I was a child and was very excited to find a book with the artistry to go with the story I loved so much. I read this book as soon as it arrived. The pictures are incredible, beautiful, and perfectly portray the story. And the characters are exactly as I had seen them in my mind's eye as a kid. However, the story itself was poorly written. There was no life or beauty in the words. It should never have been re-told in such a boring, bland manner. If you want a beautiful, perfectly written version (that doesn't even need pictures) look up author Post Wheeler's "Russian Wonder Tales", New York: The Century Company, 1912. Copyright has long expired, so you can find it online easily. The title of this story in his book is "Vasilisa the Beautiful". I've printed it out and put it inside this book. I'll use K.Y. Craft's artisty to look at while I read Wheeler's version of the story.

Anyone who has ever read "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle would likely appreciate this book. Although the heroine, Vasilisa, never denies her grief and despair, she graciously accepts whatever Life presents her with; as a result, she is richly rewarded. Near the end, she is perfectly happy and content with a life situation that is hardly glamorous. She is truly a light in the world and the most spiritual heroine I've ever encountered in a story for children. I've never seen my daughter so drawn to a character in a book. Vasilisa's strength comes from within and the message in this story is timeless. The doll is a beautiful symbol of the power of a quiet yet powerful love. Unlike most fairy tales the doll is always with Vasilisa as a constant reminder of her deceased mother's love and is actively engaged as a guiding force in her life. This book could be helpful to a child who has lost a mother. My daughter was not scared by the story or the illustrations. Recently, I purchased a book "coincidentally" from Amazon by Kris Waldherr, "Embracing the Goddess Within". Waldherr says that Baba Yaga, who is often presented in Russian fairy tales as an evil witch who eats children, was originally a goddess who represented the life cycle, from birth to death. I don't know how Amazon does it (and I don't want to know; I'm content to keep it as a mystery) but they manage to bring my attention to books that are perfect companions to ones I've already bought or previewed.
Last but not least, Mayer and Craft are a dynamic duo. This book is a work of art and thank goodness they are out there writing and illustrating such exquisite books for children.

Intriguing.
Although Amazon claims the book appropriate from grades 5-8, I recommend this book to adults as well. This book is interesting from the start. Set in 1046 England, in Fulworth, a dreary town where fog is present throughout the story, this book should engross almost anyone into reading more. Thorston, a cruel and selfish old man, is so enthralled with the notion of restoring his youth that he is willing to risk his servants' lives for himself. However, like always, there are the protagonists. Brother Wilfrid, Odo, Alfric, Damian, and more perfectly complement each other balancing the novel with humor as well as the darker truths of the story.
In the end, good triumphs over evil and the book teaches a powerful lesson as well as being quite entertaining.
A must-read for Avi fans.

Although I prefer first-person narratives that allow for a deeper understanding and connection to a character...this book made up for that in its poetic language filled with beautiful examples of the figurative language we try so hard to teach our students. If you are looking for a book to engage your students while "reading as a writer" this is it! It is a literary gem!

Have you ever wanted to find gold but you didn't know where to look?
Well that's what happened with Sybil in The Book without Words, a fantasy novel by Avi. With the help of Odo, a talking raven, Sybil searches all over her master's house in search of gold.
In the beginning of the book Odo tells Sybil that her master, Thorston, can make gold; however it is illegal in her town. While searching for the gold that Thorston made, Sybil and Odo come upon three green glowing stones which they later learn are magic stones which allow you to live forever. Soon after, Sybil runs into a monk named Brother Wilfrid, who gives her advice as the book goes on.
There are a few different features in the book which made me want to keep on reading. One interesting feature is that Avi puts sub chapters within the chapters so that the reader always knows when something new is going to be brought into action. Another remarkable feature is that the reader is always kept in suspense. Also, because the book takes place a long time ago, there are words which may be unknown to the reader, so there is a dictionary at the end of the book with the definitions of these words.
In conclusion, I think that The Book without Words is outstanding. Although it takes a few pages to get absorbed in the plot, I am sure that you will enjoy this book, especially if you are in sixth to eighth grade and like reading fantasy novels such as Harry Potter or Eragon. If you read this book, then you can also learn to read a magic book, without words.

Don't miss this book!

The Book Without Words by Avi is a wonderful magical tale that I would recommend to anybody who loves magic. Thortson practices dark magic. Sybil and Odo find someone actually cares for them when Thortson "dies" and no one can read the book. Before he dies he tells Sybil that only people with green eyes can read the book. She goes to the market and looks for green eyes. When she doesn't find them she asks around. Nobody answers her. Later on two boys with green eyes show upon her door step. Will they be able to read the book and tell sybil the secrets!?!
Sybil is Thortson's servant girl. In the book Sybil is described as big boned, skinny and has long tangled brown hair. She is very bossy ,yet highly caring. She feels lost, shy and sad. She is very thoughtful and scared. She will always take action. She was taken off the street by Thorson. Thorson was only concerned about her age , which is thirteen. Sybil is head strong. She hold herself true to what she says
and takes graet care for the boys when they show up.
This book is an amazing mythical story that leaves you content.

This children's book has an assortment of odd characters from medieval times in Northumbria, Angles' land. The story centers around Thorston, an alchemist who dies, but only after drinking a secret potion that will not only bring him back to life but make him live forever. Alot of greedy people will stop at nothing to get what they want and are after the secret formula. But that formula and others are in a book that can be read only by green eyes - black, blue or brown eyes see nothing. A priest named Brother Wilfrid who has green eyes is trying to retrieve the book because he knows of its inherent dangers.

Thorston has an ally in a servant named Sybil, who in turn has her own ally in the form of a talking raven named Odo. But they live in a house ruled by a Master Bashcroft, who holds a position in Northumbria similar to that of a shire reeve, and wields his power toward his goal of finding the hidden gold he believes Thorston conjured up.

Is there gold hidden somewhere? And will Bashcroft find it? Will Thorston, who has died, come back to life to stop Bashcroft? Will Sybil and Odo be forced out to the cold? Will greed and evil triumph? In melodramatic fashion, they do not.

A bit of a silly book, it is entertaining nonetheless.

This is a great story, but this printing is a huge disappointment. The type is large, which is nice, but the book is cheaply made. I have another, older, paperback version that is so much nicer. Better yet, spend the money and buy the hardback.

Great Book. The book came quickly and was in great shape.

I have a vivid memory of reading this book when I was in the 2nd or 3rd grade. It is a great read, a colorful twist on the familiar Cinderella-story of a conventionally "poor" lady and her romance with a very wealthy male lead.

As a child, I gained confidence in reading something called a "chapter book" and I imagine that your children will appreciate that as well, without facing the daunting consequences of reading a chapter book beyond their capabilities.

For the very young, I would suggest reading with your child as I remember struggling with some of the words in "The King's Equal" when I was 9.

And as other reviewers have pointed out, this is a great book for its illustrations as well. I don't know if this version is the same that I read (I remember a teal cover) but if it is, check out the page where they display some of the belles of the ball. Those ones are the most fabulous throughout.

Generously illustrated and beautifully told, this story of companionship and cunning invites us to play with perspectives and the possibility that perhaps the greatest magic is the support of a friend.

I would recommend this book if only for the beautifully detailed illustrations. This is truly a wonderful book with a great message about the value of character and friendship rather than physical beauty and wealth. Not your typical fairy tale. Has a very positive, courageous girl character.

This fairytale of the Princess and the Pea is retold with expertise. It is true to the original tale by Hans Christian Andersen. The varying font--from normal typeset to italics to large bold print--make the actual reading quite interesting for the one reading. The paperdoll cutouts used for the characters bring a unique dimension to the artwork which is more than enjoyable--it is superb. The real life diorama backgrounds are detailed. With each reading -- and there will be many! --you see new facets to the artwork that were overlooked previously. This is a truly great edition and highly recommended.

I love her work and this is sooooo beautiful--it kills me! She is such an amazing artist. Have not yet read it to my kids but they will like it too and should appreciate the wonderful artwork.

THIS BOOK IS ALMOST FOR ADULTS. I HAVE TO PARAPHRASE IT SO MUCH FOR MY CHILD THAT, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHEN I'M THE MOST EXHAUSTED, THIS BOOK IS TOO MUCH WORK. MY CHILD ENJOYED THE PHOTO'S BUT YOU CAN'T READ IT WORD FOR WORD. IT'S VERY WORDY AND OVER KIDS' HEADS.

Great take on the classic story wtih really unique illustrations that are multi-media looking. However, best suited for older children or moms/dads may want to give a condensed version at bedtime as this version is long; probably more than what mom or dad want to read at bedtime...

I adore this book! I picked it up while shopping in Anthropologie a few months ago and it's been in frequent rotation at bedtime in my home since then. I have a daughter who is four and infatuated with princesses. This book offers her the glimpse of royal life that she loves, while at the same time letting me get lost in the beautiful illustrations and quirky dialogue. You can't help but read dramatically from this book! Speaking as an artist/designer, this book has amazing visual appeal. I especially enjoyed reading how the pictures and models were made. I would love to see more from this talented duo!

The author retales a Nordic fairy tale. I have not read the original story but loved this one. George captures the great story and brings the reader along the "young lass's" adventure through magical creatures and self discovery.

The writing was engaging with highlights of wit.

I recommend this to anyone.

This book is my favorite of all of Jessica Day George's books. It is a wonderful retelling of the fairy tale East O'the Sun, West O' the Moon. Through Jessica's masterful storytelling, decriptions and characters come to life.

My daughter loves it, too. If you are looking to lose yourself in an enjoyable book, I would recommend this one. It is fresh and interesting with a innovative cast of characters that you won't soon forget.

My favorite characters were the trolls.

I love books that are based on fairy tales because I like to see how the story can be expanded and deepened as well as how it can be reinterpreted and given new meaning. This book does all of that with a wonderful eye for detail and a marvelous sense of humor. The fairy tale is not one of those that has been made famous by Disney, so people may not recognize it, though it is similar in some ways to the Greek legend about Cupid and Psyche. That is all to the good, though, because it serves to introduce new people to another great fairy tale as well as increasing the enjoyment of those who already know and love the story.

The characters in this book are interesting and believable, even the trolls. I liked getting to know the heroine, her oldest brother, her prince, and the girl who preceded her in the same situation. I liked how Jessica Day George "filled in the blanks" in the story and made sense of such original fairy tale elements as why trolls would care about human things. She also included Norwegian culture that strengthened the setting and made me feel as if I were really there.

This is a delightful book that I'd recommend to young readers as well as those, like me, who are not so young any more.

I think this is George's best book so far. I love this fairy tale and the knowledge of Norwegian myths that George brings to the telling is wonderful.

The ability to tell a story with characters who have warmth, humor, and humanity to them is my greatest reason for loving Jessica Day George's work. Sun and Moon is a fabulous retelling of the fairytale: East of the Sun West of the Moon. The Nameless ninth daughter of a poor woodcutter saves a white deer and is given the gift of speaking to animals which leads her on an adventure where she's stuck living with a polar bear for a year and a day so her family can have wealth. Loved the book, love the moments of humor, loved the characters, and HATED that it all ended when I closed the book.

I love how our heroine was spunky and imaginitive enough to try to solve her own problems (even if she made a few things worse for herself) I can easily see fans of fairy tales placing this book on their "favorites" shelf. The writing was beatuiful and lyrical, and yet straightforward and simple to read, which makes it accessable to a wider audience. Loved it and cannot wait for more!

The book I read is called The girl who loved wild horses. The girl who loved wild horses is for younger children under 8. It is about a girl that lived with wild horses. In a terrible storm the horses get scared and run away into the wild horse country. Since she does not know the way home how will she survive? I would give this book 3 stars.

I have to argee with a previous reviewer who commented on the weakness of the narrative voice in _The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses_: it is just too distant and does not draw children in as many other stories do. Graphically it has a Native American "feel" to it, which helps the weak writing, which is why I gave it 4 stars. A better collection of Native stories is Joseph Bruhac's _Dog People: Native Dog Stories_.

What I want to focus on about this book is the high quality, truly amazing artwork. I've never seen anything like this anywhere, surely the artist has a style all his own. I won't retell the story but want to also point out that the pictures actually tell the story without even reading the words. My daughter is only six and I read her the story and asked her questions as I read to see if she could predict what would happen next (she uses picture clues.) She answered the questions correctly.
Most of the pages backgrounds are white which is usually "against the rules" but I believe it was for dramatic effect for the blackness on the few pages that deal with the thunderstorm part of the story.
The moral of story of THE GIRL WHO LOVED WILD HORSES shows us that if we pursue what we truly love long enough and with all our heart we will achieve it. Truly an inspiration, this exceptional book was the winner of the Caldecott Medal for 1979.

Soar!

Halfway into the story, my kids asked if we could read something else. I suspect this may be a book that appeals more to adults than to children. The art work is beautiful and the plot worthwhile, but the narrative voice is so distant and emotionless--I expect that is probably what turned my kids off. The girl, the tribe, and the animals don't have names. The piece reads like a prologue rather than a story.

The ultimate girl/horse story. There are plenty of tales in which a young girl bonds with a very special horse. This is the rare book in which the girl not only bonds with a horse but, in the end, becomes one herself (as well as that horse's mate). Paul Goble made quite a career out of telling Native American folktales in picture book form. In this particular story, a girl's love for four-legged beasts is taken to its logical extreme.

In this book, a girl once cared for her tribe's horses during the day. She would water them and find them places to feed. One day, a storm rose while the girl slept and the horses grazed. In a panic, the animals began to stampede away, and it was only by her skill that the girl was able to climb aboard one. When at last they stopped, the girl met the leader of all the wild horses, a beautiful spotted stallion. The girl continued to live with the creatures until one day she was successfully captured by members of her own tribe. She was happy to see her parents once more, but begged to return to the horses. The tribe agreed and each year she would return briefly to give the people a new colt. When she didn't return one year, riders swore that they saw a black mare that greatly resembled the girl, now the mate of the spotted stallion. The book ends with a Navaho's song about his horse and Black Elk (an Oglala Sioux)?s dream about a stallion's song.

I was a little shocked that this tale never identified the tribe to which the girl belonged. Since, however, this is an original story and not a retelling of a classic Native American tale (or so the book would lead you to believe) I wasn't too perturbed by the omission. After all, when people tell stories about themselves, they rarely identify their nationality or allegiance. In this book, the girl's tribe is referred to simply as "the people". If you've ever seen a Paul Goble book before, you know what to expect when you read this. His characters are fairly featureless, though as an artist he spends a significant bit of time detailing their clothing, hair, weapons, homes, etc. He expresses a great love of color in all his pictures, and it's quite enjoyable to flip through the shots of multicolored horses. In its construction, this book is incredibly lovely. But the question that came to my mind while reading it was, how interesting will children find this tale? For those kids obsessed by horses, I think this book will go over like gangbusters. After all, as horse-love goes, this girl is an extreme example. In other ways, the book is a bit dull. When you illustrate a tale in which emotions are not visible on the characters, you're going to lose those readers that like seeing happy and sad expressions. It's a style choice on the part of the author/illustrator and while I respect it I cannot wholly recommend it.

Just the same, it's a lovely book to flip through. Just know that it is an original Native American tale and not a retelling. For every child that has imagined running away and joining a band of wild animals, this is the perfect story to read. A lovely lively concoction.

Precious story just right for my Flower Fairies' party for my favorite granddaughters and little girls in the neighborhood.
Wonderful illustrations.

I gave this book 4 stars and not 5 because I think the story is a bit lacking. The illustrations on the other hand are stunning and I highly recommend this book.

I bought this book for my grandchildren who are really inyo fairies right now -- not necessarily Disney-type but the "real" ones.
This book was so beautiful and the pictures so intricate that the kids love to play "find it" as well as hear the story. In fact, I think the grown-ups like the narrative more than the children, but that's okay, too.
Adults who are not comfortable with the fantasy of fairies probably would object to the credit given to them for creations (turning leaves colors, etc.) I thought it was lovely and simply reminded the children that it was a story.

Kids these days get too much silly humor and not enough of the touching, sensitive fairy tales of old, a most unfortunate stunting of the growing mind in my cynical opinion. Good Night, Fairies is one the most beautifully illustrated fairy books with plenty of peculiar critters hiding around every corner for your little one to point out and say, "Hey (Grand)Ma/Pa, Look at this guy!" Twenty years down the road, this could very well become your tyke's favorite childhood picture book. And of course, it works just as many wonders for grown-up children like myself, happily childless. Though not necessarily in the style of artwork, there's something reminiscent in the mood of Arthur Rackham's fairy illustrations, mysterious, a little creepy, and impossible to stop staring at.

The story of Good Night, Fairies, such as it is, is a fanciful list of all of the things that Fairies do. Without a story-line to tie those acts together this book reads more like a catalog of Fairy capabilities than a story. As such it can make a good bed-time book for younger children who want to think some happy thoughts before they go to sleep.

For my daughter the situations are too simple to hold her interest, so this book only rarely comes off the shelf while more story centric books like "Frog and Toad are Friends", "The Tales of Tiptoes Lightly", and "Woody, Hazel, and Little Pip" are all worn on the edges.

My seven year old son & I are both immensely enjoying the Spiderwick Chronicals. He asks every night if we can read another chapter. The books are much shorter in length than the Harry Potter Books, so better for the younger set, although, there are several words that are over his head. The trunk gives you or your child a great place to store all 5 books so they stay safely together. We highly recommend this for your summer or bedtime reading with your child.

It's great. The chest is a little smaller than you'd think, but it's a good size for a bookshelf and a convenient way to keep track of all the books in the series. I had to buy this replacement for the 5 book set that "disappeared" from my classroom. I'm glad I went with the chest. It seems pretty sturdy.
This would make a great gift for a reader who likes the books and/or film.

My son couldn't put them down!! I have to admit I love them too..

This item really was a favorite of my Granddaughter - she had read book 1 and could not wait for book 2 so I bought the whole series and she was entralled with it. She would not let it out of her sight the whole Day we spent together. She read Book 2 in the car while we were going from place to place and she took the whole trunk into the Restaurant for Brunch. Zoe loves this series she had seen the movie but wanted to read the books too. Thank you for making this available at the right time. Leilani Atkinson

For inside is a tale that cannot be believed. The Grace children will show you that which is not seen by unaided eye. And for those of you that think you have a brownie or a boggart, look inside this chest, for you will find a book that you can note where the little faerie may be. And for those of you that have not read these books, you will be enthralled as you race through book after book inside.

My mother used to sing the rhyme to me, and now I sing the book to my 17 month old daughter. We read it over and over and over. She loves the bright pictures and the repetition of the words. She can't quite say all the sounds, but she asks for "Mary MackMackMack" again and again.

My daughter can not get enough of this book! She loves all of the repetiton and pictures!

My 2 1/2 year old daughter is in love with this hillarous illustrated book. We checked it out from the library and it has become her favorite. We read it two times before nap and again two times before bed. I even catch her reading to herself!I also like it because at the end of the book there are questions and ideas that focus on different areas such as rhyming. I know we will be purchasing this book before we have to take it back to the library.

I wanted to like this one. I really did. My son loves hand clap games and board books so it seemed like a natural fit. He just seemed to hate the repetition in this one. The sounds/words/rhythm are the same page in and page out and by page 5, he was acting like he does when I try to read a book to him a second time to avoid getting up to get another. (He's seen it before and he knows it.)

My 2 1/2 year old twin boys always ask for "Mary Mack" before they go to bed. Although the story is outlandish, the words are catchy, and the tune is great. The illustrations are equally odd, and I don't think the kids learn much for the book, but they continue to want to hear/read it. I sing and the three of us clap to the music and wiggle our fingers in the air between pages. We have the board book edition so it is also durable. I only wish the book came with a CD or tape of the song to help us sing.