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This is a fantastic collection of stories, some of which will be known to readers and listeners while others may not. There is, for example, the story of Hansel and Gretel which, or course, I know. That is immediately followed by Grandfather’s Eyes, a tale from Czechoslovakia that was new to me.
The stories are organized into sections. A few examples include Into the Woods, Down by the Water, Enchanted Places, Strangers at the Door and many more. Each story is identified by region of the world and country. No story is very long so these tales make for perfect (slightly) scary bedtime or anytime reads. The illustrations reflect the tone of the book and are quite striking.
This is a wonderful book that I highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for these spooky reads.
4 stars ****
From the Publisher
HANSEL AND GRETEL
Hansel and Gretel lived with their father and stepmother beside a great forest. One night their father, who was a poor woodcutter, told his wife that they had no money left. “I don’t know how we shall feed ourselves,” he sighed. His wife had no love for Hansel and Gretel and saw this as a chance to be rid of them. “We must take the children into the forest tomorrow and leave them there,” she told her husband. “Then we’ll only have two mouths to feed.”
DOWN BY THE WATER
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THE STORY OF THE YARAIn a little town by a river that flowed through the rainforest, there lived a young man called Alonzo. Alonzo was new to the country but he’d quickly grown to love the rainforest, where parrots swooped through the trees and hummingbirds darted among bright flowers. He’d also grown to love a girl called Julia and they were soon to be married. Every day after work, Alonzo visited Julia and they sat out under the stars talking together. Afterwards, while the night was still warm, Alonzo would go to bathe in a forest pool near the river. One evening, Alonzo told Julia about a mysterious voice he had heard singing when he went for his swim in the pool. |
THE BUNYIPOne hot day, in the wilderness, a group of young men set out from their camp to find food for their wives and children. Full of high spirits, they challenged each other with spear-throwing and boomerangs along the way. After a while, they came to a valley where there was a large pool in which bulrushes were growing. Bulrush roots were good to eat but the young men didn’t want to spend time wading in the water to collect them so they decided to fish instead. |
MORAG AND THE WATER HORSEEvery summer, the farmers of the valleys took their cattle to graze on the lush grass that grew on the high hills.However, Donald MacGregor wanted his cattle to have the very best grass which grew lower down the hillside, beside a deep loch. So he built his stone hut on a slip of land between the loch and a little stream that ran alongside it.The other farmers kept away from that place because they were afraid of it. “Haven’t you heard of the terrible Water Horse that lives at the bottom of the loch?” they asked Donald. “It rides up out of the water and changes its form to trick people. Then it carries them away to their doom deep down below!” |
THE WATER WITCH
William was a poor cowherd who loved a dairymaid called Bella. One day, he decided to give up work on the farm to seek his fortune. “I shall come home with my pockets full of gold so that we can be married,” he promised Bella. Bella didn’t want William to go but he was determined. When it was time for him to leave, Bella fetched three things that her father had given her before he died. The first was a little bell which could be heard by a friend in time of danger. The second was a knife which had the power to undo any enchantment and the third was a staff which would take its owner wherever they wanted to go. Bella gave William the bell and the knife. “I shall keep the staff,” she said and with a heavy heart she wished him good luck.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 