A Choice of Magic

by Ruth Manning-Sanders, Robin Jacques (Illustrator)

Selections from the author's previous collections, together with four tales* which appear for the first time.
1. The Wonderful Shirt (Russia)*
2. The Frog (Ukraine)
3. Jack and the Beanstalk (England)
4. Knurremurre (Zeeland)
5. Bottle Hill (Ireland)
6. The Nine Doves (Greece)
7. The Goblins at the Bath House (Esthonia)
8. Johnny and the Witch-Maidens (Bohemia)
9. Sven and Lilli (Denmark)
10. Aniello (Sicily)
11. Aladdin (Arabia)
12. Essen and the Witch (Denmark)
13. Sneezy Snatcher and Sammy Small (England)
14. Mons Tro (Denmark)*
15. Rake Up! (Denmark)
16. King Johnny (Slavonia)
17. The Enchanted Prince (Hungary)
18. The Adventures of Billy MacDaniel (Ireland)
19. Little Hiram (India)*
20. Prince Loaf (Rumania)
21. Hans and his Master (Hungary)
22. Golden Hair (Corsica)
23. Constantes and the Dragon (Greece)
24. Tatterhood (Norway)
25. The Princess’s Slippers (Archangel)
26. Jack and the Wizard (Wales)
27. The Two Wizards (Africa)
28. The Three Mermaids (Italy)
29. The Girl Who Picked Strawberries (Germany)
30. The Magic Lake (Ireland)
31. Old Verlooka (Russia)*
32. Stan Bolovan (Rumania)

319 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Ruth Manning-Sanders, youngest daughter of an English minister, describes her childhood as “extraordinarily happy. . . with kind and understanding parents and any amount of freedom.” She read omnivorously, and she and her two sisters wrote and acted their own plays. A Shakespeare scholar at Manchester University, she later married Cornish artist George Manning-Sanders. They began married life in a horse drawn caravan, and traveled to all parts of the British Isles.
Mrs. Manning-Sanders has collected folk and fairy stories from around the world and she published more than 90 books during her lifetime.

Reviews

[Mir]

This is a collection of fairy tales from around the world (i.e. Europe + one from India to make it seem more international) most of which feature a poor but honest lucky despite usually being either lazy or stupid lad who wins wealth and a princess. But not all, so this can't really be billed as a thematic collection.

It was... fine, I guess. I'd read many but not all of the stories before. The writing was adequate but nothing special. There was nothing that would make me recommend this over a number of other equal or better fairy tale collections, but likewise nothing that would make me discourage anyone from reading it.

[BookLuva28]

I rescued this collection of awesome fairy tales, from my mean 4th grade teacher! Lol Ever since I picked up this hardcover, I just couldn't part with it. With beautiful hand drawn and colored illustrations, the book had me revisit the intriguing stories again and again! It's so old now, the spine is barely holding on. :(