Storyland (children's edition): Discover the Magical Myths and Lost Legends of Britain

by Amy Jeffs

"Enchanting, breathtaking and beautiful... If you need me, I'll be in Storyland" - Ben Miller

IMMERSE YOURSELF IN MIST AND MAGIC AND DISCOVER HEROES AND MONSTERS RIGHT ON YOUR DOORSTEP . . .

You will have heard of Thor, Medusa and Hercules. But what about the myths of the British landscape? The Trojan heroes who wrestled giants. The Syrian sisters who found refuge on our lands. The dragons who slept in hollow hills. And the kings who communed with the dead . . .

In this vivid and beautifully illustrated mythology of Britain, children will discover enchanting tales of magic and adventure, giants and demons, princesses and prophecies.

Travelling across the wildest of landscapes - as far north as Orkney and south as Cornwall - young readers will build Stonehenge with the young Merlin, chase hounds up the mountains of Wales, ride stags into the forests of Scotland and sail with Trojans along the rivers of Britain, discovering a land steeped in myth, monsters and heroes.

Adapted from Amy Jeffs' bestselling Storyland, this is a definitive and dynamic children's introduction to Britain's lost myths and legends, packaged in a beautifully illustrated hardback. The perfect book for all the family.

Genres: Childrens, History

192 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 12, 2023

About the author

Amy Jeffs is an art historian specialising in the Middle Ages. In 2019, she gained a PhD in Art History from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, having studied for earlier degrees at the Courtauld Institute of Art and the University of Cambridge. She is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art.

During her PhD Amy co-convened a project researching medieval badges and pilgrim souvenirs at the British Museum. She then worked in the British Library's department of Ancient, Medieval and Early Modern manuscripts.

Her writing is often accompanied by her own linocut and wood-engraved prints.

Amy is a regular contributor to Country Life Magazine.

Reviews

[Lake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoops! I bought the children’s version by accident (pretty cover, what can I say?) but you wouldn’t have really known it from reading the contents. Some nitty gritty details were still included and the stories are enchanting and detailed enough to keep your attention as an adult. I did think it was a *little* ‘dumbed down’ for want of a better explanation but knowing now that it’s a children’s edition, makes more sense. I still recommend and thoroughly enjoyed it for what it was.

Disclaimer: I didn’t take a month to read, it’s actually a really really quick read. I was dipping in and out of this as a pallet cleanser & distracted by Christmas. 🎄

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply wonderful! I adored this book. With its mix of myth, folk tale, legend and historical commentary, it almost defies categorisation. Amy Jeffs sets the ancient tales of characters such as Scota, Gogmagog, Merlin and Brutus, alongside an historical narrative of the particular time, highlighting how myth and reality collide. We are taken on a magical, mystical journey from Britain’s beginnings up to the Norman Conquest of 1066. At which point, we are reminded that the political face of Britain constantly changes and that we are now responsible for writing its story.
Jeff’s is a true storyteller, able to grip the reader and hold them in the palm of her hand. I was completely swept away to another time and place every time I opened the pages. A sublime book that deserves to be read by many.
Enjoyed this so much, I’m now going to get hold of the grown-up version too.

[Nicola Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! I’ve always loved reading about the old myths and legends of Britain. From the origins of England, Scotland and Wales to Merlin, Arthur and even the Humber and how Grimsby got its name. And of course, the myths surrounding the stone circle.

Everything was just so infused with magic back then with a real fantasy element and a time when giants lived and mythical creatures roamed.

It really is a great read for children and adults alike and especially with the beautiful illustrations and pictures to accompany. It was a joy to read and I read it in pretty much one sitting.

I haven’t read the adult equivalent of this book but given how much I enjoyed this one, I definitely think I will after this!

Thank you to the author and publisher for this book on NetGalley in return for my honest thoughts and review.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I accidently bought this version rather than the original because I was distracted by the pretty dragons on the cover. However, it made a great introduction with a variety of stories. I also very much appreciated the history and prompts after each chapter and think young and old could really enjoy this, especially if they are not usually the folklore type. I would be interested to see how the writing style is different in the original version and depending on how different I might consider listening via audio book as I did wish for more embellishments in the writing itself in this one.

[Philippa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of myths, legends and origin stories of our past. The associated history after each one is pitched well for children but as an adult, I also enjoyed this book.

The ending summary perfectly captures the whole tone “if the Middle Ages can teach us anything, it’s that stories shape how we think and what we do. If we know the old stories, we can help to make new ones”.

Some lovely snippets I’d like to remember:

“There’s always a bit of myth in history as well as
The other way around”

“Asking why and what else was going on makes you a better historian as well as a wiser human”

“Politics floats on a raft of stories: mixtures of history and myth”.

Anglo-Saxons unified their smaller kingdoms and called it Englalond (meaning the land of the Sngles in Old English).

The Saxon days of the week, which I always forget
Tiwesdoeg (from the god Tiw)
Wodnesdoeg (from the god Woden)
Thunresdoeg (god Thor)
Frigedoeg (god Frigg)

Earliest tales of Merlin he isn’t called Merlin but Ambrosius. Welsh for Ambrosius is Emrys. The hill he gives his prophecy on about the red dragon (Briton/Wales) and the white dragon (Saxon) is called Dinas Emrys

Viking place names can be spotted as they end in “by” (meaning village), “thorpe” (meaning settlement) and “thwaite” (meaning woodland clearing).

Historically, Scotland was established in the sixth century by an Irish tribe. The Latin name for the Irish was the Scotti which is why the kingdom they established became known as Scotland

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a little surprising for me to see this children's version of Storyland, but not a surprise to see it matched the original adult-aimed volume. The content is very similar, being the stories of the peoples that make up the UK, how Albion got that name, Merlin, and so many other people and legends. The artwork is pretty much of a pair, and little could be thought an issue with the presentation here apart from the random bold font use that is supposed to pepper the pages for our attention. Once or twice I found a tale that didn't fully engage – either it just wasn't on a par with the rest, or felt a little too earnestly educational as opposed to being something read for the fun of it, but there are few books like this out there, and the intentions of this rewrite are admirable, and admirably met.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains nineteen fascinating myths set around the British Landscape. They are stories written down in (or before) the Middle Ages or medieval period. We learn how Britain got it's name and the origins of the English, Welsh and Scottish.
We sail with Trojan heroes along the British rivers, build Stonehenge with a young Merlin, ride stags into the forest of Scotland and chase hounds up the mountains of Wales.

Following each myth or legend there is a few lines of the history surrounding it as they are so closely intertwined! The book also has gorgeous black and white illustrations throughout, a map and a detailed glossary.

I absolutely loved this book. It is perfect for bedtimes as you can pick one or two stories to share together. Recommended for children aged 8+ This book is based on the adult book with the same title so I'm keen to read this now too!

[Maja · Rating 4 out of 5]

This film is a wonderful collection of the lesser known stories of Britain. It is concise but manages to fit in beautiful massages of magical writing. However, the sheer number of stories it tries to pack in makes it a bit difficult to read as I had so many characters, places and dates to remember. Additionally, I felt that some bits were a little bit too juvenile for but this is the children's version of this book so please bare that in mind. With this acknowledgment, I did skip over a few bits that I felt I didn’t really need to read but would probably be a great introduction to these histories.

[Vonprice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning book with striking linocut print illustrations presenting the myths and legends of the British Isles in a format suitable for children aged 9/10+
My full review is here: http://vsviewfromthebookshelves.home....

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really entertaining read, I didn't even realise it was for kids at first, just that it was beautifully illustrated (printed?) and had a large font!
Definitely will be checking out her other works.

[Inessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, although some stories not as engaging.

[Felicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter and I loved these stories that were unfamilar to us. Love uncovering mythology that is unfamiliar, and the writing is just gorgeous.

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

#2.5

[Carrie Brownell]

Eh. Interesting, but it's marketed for kids and I don't think it's really kid worthy. You can tell that some of these old legends have been cleaned up with kids in mind and the illustrations show nude backsides that conservative parents are definitely going to take offense to. Wouldn't recommend, liberally.