Treasured Classics

by Michael Hague (Illustrator)

Acclaimed illustrator Michael Hague brings his hallmark artistry to 15 classic stories that have delighted children for generations. From Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty to The Gingerbread Man and The Three Billy Goats Gruff, each story is lush with detail and loaded with magic. A wealth of fable and fantasy, truly to be treasured.

Genres: Picture Books, Classics, Childrens, Fairy Tales

133 pages, Hardcover

First published October 5, 2011

About the author

Michael Hague is renowned as the illustrator of many children's classics, including editions of The Wizard Of Oz, Peter Pan, The Hobbit, and The Velveteen Rabbit. He also illustrated The Book of Ghosts, Where Fairies Dance, The Book of Wizards, and The Book of Fairy Poetry as well as wrote and illustrated the graphic novel in The Small. Michael lives with his wife, Kathleen, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Reviews

[Terri Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book with art done by one of the best children's book illustrators- Michael Hague. He has been my favorite children's book illustrators for years and this book is yet another treasure. All of the old favorite children's classics are here like "The Three Billy Goats Gruff," "Little Red Riding Hood," "The Princess and the Pea," "The Gingerbread Boy," "The Three Little Pigs," "Jack and the Beanstalk," "The Ugly Duckling," "The Sleeping Beauty," "Cinderella," "Goldilocks and the Three Bears," "The Elves and the Shoemaker," "The Grasshopper and the Ant," and more lavishly and lusciously illustrated. This book is a real treat for children and the adults who love them especially if the adults still have a child's wonder in their hearts.

[traci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Hague's gorgeous art and slightly gentler retellings of classic fairytales made this perfect for my library preschool storytime program. I especially liked Little Red Riding Hood and Jack & the Beanstalk.

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely not my favorite fairy tale collection, though that isn't to say it couldn't appeal to someone else. The fairy tales themselves were even more bowdlerized than the versions I recall from childhood, to the point where it's a little strange. For example, in "Cinderella", the title character's father is not dead (instead apparently too spineless to challenge his new wife treating his daughter as a servant?) and in "Jack and the Beanstalk", Jack steals from and kills the giant because a fairy tells him that the giant stole from and killed Jack's father. (So, committing crimes to survive poverty is not okay, but committing crimes in revenge is?)

Additionally, the illustrations have an oddly patchwork appearance, as if the different elements were painted separately, and then cut and pieced together. This isn't so bad when it comes to inanimate objects, and in fact the textured elements (e.g. fabric, grass) look quite good. Unfortunately, the faces, which appear to have been painted separately in oils, fall distinctly into the uncanny valley. The overall effect is quite similar to a slightly-off photoshop, and I found it extremely disconcerting.

[Cheryl Malandrinos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Acclaimed illustrator Michael Hague shares his talents with young readers in this beautiful collection of classic stories. From "The Story of Chicken-Licken" to "Jack and Beanstalk," and from The Three Billy Goats Gruff" to "Cinderella," these children's classics are brought to life by Hague's stunning artwork. Glossy pages are filled with beautifully detailed illustrations that will delight readers of all ages.

Michael Hague's Treasured Classics is a beautiful collection any reader would be pleased to own for many years to come.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great collection. It's gorgeous and the stories are flushed out without being overly long. I hate when they shorten fairy tales to a few paragraphs, but the originals are too difficult for my preschoolers. This book is a great addition to our collection

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Michael Hague's books. This combination of classic fairy tales and Hague's illustrations is a great addition to my collection.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly lovely illustrations.

[Bridgid · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite is Three Billy Goats Gruff