The Illustrated Book of Fairy Tales: Spellbinding Stories from Around the World

by Neil Philip

Book Overview

Bestselling children's author Neil Philip retells enthralling fairy tales from all over the globe, combined with entrancing illustrations that conjure up magical worlds where wishes come true, the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 078942794X
• ISBN13: 9780789427946
• Release Date: March 1998
• Publisher: DK Publishing (Dorling Kindersley)
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 1.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 8.0" x 10.4"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

Found this book in my high school library and loved it

I have been looking for a copy of this book since I read it in High School. Glad to have found a copy on this site. Fairy tales will always be loved by me no matter how old I get. It also has stories from around the world

One of the Best There Is By An Avid Fable, Fairy Tale and Folk Tale Reader

This is one of the best Fairy Tale compilations there is. It not only provides unique and enthraling tales in combination with the timeless well known and beloved ones but it shows them in great detail and depth. With each story is a flowing beautiful illistration that details the tale as well as the history of the story - where it came from, what some of the reverances are to, why the teller picks certain images. It is truely a lovely book which I hope many others will enjoy for years to come!

An exquisitely illustrated collection

Neil Philip not only tells us the classic tales such as "Sleeping Beauty," "Jack and the Beanstalk" and "Cinderella," he also includes a world of tales from South America, the Far East, Asia and Australia. These are traditional stories which have been told by firesides and hearths for centuries. Nilesh Mistry's illustrations are so beautiful, you must see them to believe it. Fairies with delicate pastel wings, haunting castles, beautiful maidens eating oranges, gnomes dancing by bonfires, Persian gardens, horses riding through fire, sly wolves, purple headed dragons and green demons are just some of the enchanting images. If you fall in love with his illustrations, look for: "The Illustrated Book of Myths." The details of the landscape, costume and building design of each country was considered and makes the illustrations all the more magical and authentic. The origin of each story is given on the contents pages. The stories are grouped together with other stories which have similar themes. Stories in which characters fall under a spell are in the first section. Poor heroes hoping to make their fortunes follows. The last section includes stories in which love conquers all. Neil Philip has a Ph.D in myth and folklore and has a great talent for giving insight into the cultural background of each story. Many stories have changed over time, yet they still hold true to the basic premise that evil is punished and good is rewarded. Fairy tales are filled with magic and wonder. They do in fact cast a spell on the reader. Enter this world of talking animals, magical creatures, evil witches, princes and maidens. These stories have lived in the minds of man since the beginning of history. Gifted story tellers on every continent have contributed to the richness of these enthralling visions. Look for the elements of truth in the stories. Secretly, I think adults enjoy these stories just as much as children do. ~The Rebecca Review Author of Seasoned with Love: A collection of best-loved recipes inspired by over 40 cultures

Great book to read *with* your kids!

This book contains 52 classic tales from over 30 countries! I thought I was well-versed in fairy tales; however, of the numerous tales included in this particular book, I was familiar with only eight. The stories are not terribly long, an average of only 2-4 pages in length. It is a wonderful book for parents to read with their children, great for giving your kids (and yourself) a more rounded view of the world. But keep in mind, these are not 'Disney' tales, they more resemble the original Brother's Grimm stories.

WONDERFUL ILLUSTRATIONS BUT STORIES NOT FOR AGES 4-8

This book has wonderful stories from all different cultures. Illustrations are magic! BUT I don't know what they were thinking when they aged it at 4-8 yrs. No way! Bluebeard in particular is gruesome. A good book for parents to read WITH their kids - they get the exposure with backup explanation from you. Also, stories are short enough that you still have time to do the explanation!

Amazing Stories!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is one of the most imaginable stories recently printed. Our 11 year old grandson and I have enjoyed this book, even though I don't like all the decapitations. Definitely not recommended for anyone younger than eight. When I read to our grandson's 8 year old sister, I avoid 50% of the book, and never let her read it without some explanation from me. The illustrations are wonderful. We also enjoy the comparisons of the same story told in other countries.