Holding this book takes me back to my childhood. This is a
fine collection of folk tales and stories that are all short, including some I had never read before as well as ones that were familiar to me.
It is a diverse
collection in which each author is represented only once, with the exception of
two stories by Hans Christian Andersen. Many stories are anonymous. The Story
of the Pied Piper and The Gingerbread Man are retold by the book’s editor,
Barbara Ireson.
This compilation is not only for children to enjoy, but also
for anyone who loves to escape into a sphere of fantasy and make believe. I
found great delight in re-reading stories that never die, which can be shared
again and again with new generations, and that can be read or listened to by readers
of all ages.
The perfect black-and-white illustrations by Shirley Hughes
are fine-line, detailed creations that reclaim past remembrances of
childhood and its history of reading.
These 45 stories vary in genre from adventure through to the
magical and mysterious, and are as beguiling in their content as they were when
first read. Lovers of fairytales will reach out to own this welcomed collection
and give it pride of place on their bookshelf.
Title: The Faber Book of Nursery Stories
Author: Various
Illustrator: Shirley Hughes
Publisher: Allen & Unwin, $35.00 RRP
Publication Date: November 2013
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780571307593
For ages: 5+
Type: Junior Fiction
