Children do tend to get ignored by publishers and retail outlets. Look at
the shelf space dedicated to pulp fiction and then try and find the little
corner with a few children’s books. It is obvious where the retailer makes
his or her living.
It also seems to be that the old fairy tales we were
raised upon, are still the favorites today. Just as there has been a dearth
of original music since the Beatles, there appears to be a dearth of new
children’s stories.
Fairy Tales for Little Children (ISBN
978-0-7460-9822-6, Usborne publishers, 2008) caught my eye in the Royal
Garden Bookazine, for its size, if nothing else. It is a large book, and
contains five fairy tales in its 133 pages. Three are retold stories from
the Brothers Grimm (I have always thought they should have changed their
name to appeal more to the young age group). Four have been retold by
Susanna Davidson and one by Emma Helborough. The illustrations were mainly
by Mike Gordon with the others by Anna Luraschi and Gorgien Overwater.
Despite different illustrators, the styles are quite similar, so the
children will go on the storyline to choose their preferred bed time
stories.
The stories are set up to be read by adults to children,
though slightly older children may try to read them too.
The five stories are Little Red Riding Hood,
The Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The 12
Dancing Princesses and The Frog Prince. Remember them? I am sure
you do.
At B. 630, it is not an inexpensive bed time story, but
the binding looks to be sturdy enough and each page is printed on good heavy
paper stock and each one also in color. It should last a few years of
nocturnal reading.
For children from the age of two years, magic castles,
magicians with magic cloaks to make them invisible; frogs, wolves, pigs and
bears that can talk all inhabit a child’s wonderland, where the child is
unaware of the awful truths that reality brings.
Psychologists will also tell you that fathers reading bed
time stories to children help in the bonding process, and each story is long
enough to watch the little eyes closed, and short enough that father can
keep his eyes open!
Recommended for those who have young children, or
grandparents who look after grandchildren.
