An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Folk and Fairy Tales

by Theresa Breslin, Kate Leiper (Illustrator)

Slithering stoorworms, mischievious brownies, fierce kelpies and magical selkies -- these are the creatures of Scottish folklore. Award-winning children's author Theresa Breslin has collected the best-loved tales from all over Scotland. Retelling each in its own individual style, she presents funny tales, moving tales and enchanting fairy tales. Soar with the goshawk, dive with selkies and battle with the stoorworm, as each story is brought to life with exquisite illustrations by Scottish fine artist Kate Leiper, which brim with otherworldly beauty. A wonderful gift, this is a truly stunning book to be treasured for a lifetime and will be enjoyed by parents and grandparents as well as children. Longlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal 2013.

Genres: Scotland, Fantasy, Mythology, Fairy Tales, Childrens, Short Stories, Fiction

160 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2012

About the author

Theresa Breslin is a Scottish author of over 50 books, known for her contributions to children's and young adult literature. She won the Carnegie Medal in 1994 for Whispers in the Graveyard, which tells the story of a dyslexic boy overcoming personal struggles. Born and raised in Kirkintilloch, Scotland, she started writing as a teenager and later worked as a librarian before becoming a full-time author.

Her works often explore historical and social themes, as seen in Divided City (2005), which addresses sectarianism in Glasgow, and The Medici Seal (2006), a historical novel featuring Leonardo da Vinci. Her book Prisoner of the Inquisition (2010) was shortlisted for another Carnegie Medal.
Breslin has received numerous accolades, including the Scottish Book Trust's Outstanding Achievement Award and an Honorary Fellowship from the Association for Scottish Literary Studies. In 2019, she was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to literature.

Reviews

[Moira Macfarlane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading these folk and fairy tales I just could hear Theresa Breslin telling her stories while sitting next to a snug fire in a croft on the shores of a loch. Stories about water kelpies, selkies who come together at the Orkney Islands to celebrate Midsummer or of a beloved sheepdog of the writer James Hogg (also known as the Ettrick Shepherd). A captivating and varied collection of stories from all over Scotland including a small intro added to each one of them and a very fine Scottish glossary at the back of the book. And all enhanced with beautiful soft coloured delicate and detailed illustrations by fine artist Kate Leiper.

[Isabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich habe mir das Buch in einem Urlaub in Schottland gekauft und es ist so eine wunderschöne Erinnerung daran! Die Märchen führen den Leser direkt in eine andere Welt und es tut richtig gut sie zu lesen. Da ich vorher die illustrierte Version von Harry Potter gelesen habe, ist es vielleicht etwas unfair, den direkten Vergleich zu Jim Kays atemberaubenden Zeichnungen zu führen... Aber dadurch fand ich die Bilder leider sehr durchschnittlich und sogar etwas altbacken. Dennoch: Ein wirklich sehr schönes Märchenbuch!!

[Del · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection of folk tales. I could never get enough of stories about kelpies and selkies and fairie folk when I was younger, and my boy is just as fascinated by them now. The illustrations are gorgeous, although my kid reckons there weren't enough of them.

[Callum McLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suitably charming and nostalgic.

[Cecilie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though i’m still here, it’s such a lovely book to remember my time studying children’s lit in scotland.

[Ilse · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a bautifully illustrated, whimsical collection of Scottish fairytales. It made me feel all happy, especially since I read it while on a holiday in Scotland.

[Carrie Brownell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The kids and I read this title together and absolutely adored it! Hard bound and beautifully illustrated, this book is a lovely introduction to Scottish folk lore. We read a few stories each day and the kids repeatedly asked for "just one more!" Highly recommended.

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

11 stories, some familiar and some new to me. Well told, nicely illustrated. Each story has an introduction about the story or its origin. There is a glossary for less-familiar terms, like gloaming, guid-wife, kelpie, and reivers.
Stories are: The wee bannock - The water kelpie -- The goshawk and the brave lady - Whuppity stourie - The shepherd's dog - Rashie coat - The selkie of Sanday - The eagle and the wren - The brownie of Ballharn Hill - The Dragon Stoorworm and the boy called Assipattle - Tale end.

[Chicco Padovan · Rating 5 out of 5]

La scrittura mi sembra buona, la fiaba migliore è quella del drago in copertina, ha un lieve tocco ironico che apprezzo sempre. Le illustrazioni di Kate Leiper, il grande formato, l’impaginazione del testo, in ogni caso, valgono da sole l’intero volume. Questo è quello che io chiamo un libro di fiabe! Un grande albo in cui perdersi e sognare. Consigliatissimo a tutti gli amanti di fiabe illustrate.

[Candy B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book about Scotland before I head out on our adventure this year. This wonderful illustrated story book was included in both the Top 10 books to read before going to Scotland and Rick Steve's book recommendations for Scotland.

I love the glossary included at the end of the book!!! Such a wonderful explanation of the words found throughout the folk and fairy tales. There are 11 stories which I'm listing here to remember them for later. Definitely would like to read to the grandkids one day when they are a few years older.

* The Wee Bannock - Like the gingerbread man but with bannocks (a kind of pancake make with oatmeal and sometimes raisins)
* The Water Kelpie - Malign spirit that lives near Loch Ness and takes the form of a horse that tries to drown anyone who rides it.
* The Goshawk and the Brave Lady - Scottish Borders known as the Debatable Lands. Jean Mortonhall and William of Aikenwood were in love but Aikenwood lay just north of the Border in Scotland and Mortonhall was south of the Border in England.
* Whuppity Stourie - Similar to Rumpelstiltskin. Beware women in green. Wee Folk or Other People were thought to dress in green when they took human form. They could be very unkind.
* The Shepherd's Dog - Inspired by James Hogg's stories know as the Ettrick Shepherd. A story of a very smart sheepdog.
* Rashie Coat - Story similar to Cinderella. Wee Folk in green but this is a fairy that when they live in house or castle is usually kind and helpful. Dress of gold, wild bird feather shoot (shoes), coat made from green and brown rushes from the river (rashie coat).
*The Selkie of Sanday - Large rocks known as skerries near Orkney Islands. A selkie (seal) can take off its skin and become human.
* The Eagle and the Wren - Story from Western Isles, Hebridean Islands about a wren flying higher and seeing further than the eagle.
* The Brownie of Bullhorn Hill - Brownie seeks out a family in need and when they are asleep he does the chores and helps in any way he can. Granny breaks her leg and needs help but Fiona and Finn her grandchildren are too small. Similar to cobbler's elves. Moral "being helpful around the house should not always require payment".
* The Dragon Stoorworm and the Boy Called Assipattle - Assipattle is the 7th son of the 7th son and a bit of a dreamer but he and Princess Gemdelovely devise a plan to slay the dragon.
* Tale End - Kirsty Macleod with her long red hair and the wily fox she meets on the bridge.

[Kenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great collection of stories to read with children or on your own if you enjoy fairy tales.

It has some stories that are similar to classics, while some less well known stories feature Scottish fairy tale creatures like kelpies and selkies. I liked that it included a more realistic folk story set in recent times as well. The Tale's End story was a fun way to round out the collection, but having the fox play the villain felt uncomfortably simplistic for me.

I also enjoyed the writing style--Scottish words and phrases weren't just sprinkled in to add a Scottish flavor, they really contributed to the musicality of the writing. While the Assipattle story is well-loved by for most readers, it felt a little brash and modern for my personal taste. Princess Gemdelovely came across like a Disney princess, and while I love a good Disney princess story, I prefer other tellings that have more of a mythic tone.

[Malli (Chapter Malliumpkin) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved reading this book! When my spouse handed me the stack of all three books in this series, of course I had to pick them up as soon as possible. I always think it's interesting seeing familiar story/fairy tales we're so accustom to in various cultures and seeing some of them in this book was just lovely to read.

Here are some of my favorites:

✨ The Water Kelpie
✨ The Shepard's Dog
✨ The Selkie of Sunday
✨ The Dragon Stoorworm and the Boy Called Assipattle
✨ Tale End


All thoughts, feelings, experiences, and opinions are honest and my own.


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[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of classic Scottish folk and fairy tales, including variations of Cinderella and Rumpelstiltskin. There were also some folk tales that were specific to Scottish mythology, such as the kelpie and the selkie. It was research into selkies that brought me to this book, and while The Selkie of Sanday was a perfectly lovely tale about a fisherman who falls in love with a selkie, it didn't really increase my knowledge of the lore any. Still a good read though. And I really appreciated the glossary in the back, which provided definitions for words like "clootie dumpling," "blether," "happed" and "kye."

[Michelle Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another delightful collection! Tales like these are best read aloud and shared with a willing listener, so I put on my best storytelling voice and shared them with my husband, who also enjoyed them. “The Dragon Stoorworm and the Boy Called Assipattle” in particular had us roaring. I can hardly wait to dive into the treasury of castle legends next!

[Jessica Richards]

This was a fun treasury to read. I especially liked the fairy tales that are similar to the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales. It was also neat to read the dictionary in the back to help translate the Scottish words used in the stories.

Some of the stories I enjoyed most:
The Wee Bannock
The Water Kelpie
Whuppity Stourie
Rashie Coat
The Selkie of Sanday
The Brownie of Ballharn Hill

[Private Account · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everything about this book is ... fine. The pictures are fine, not beautiful, but not terrible. The stories are fine. Regular fairy tales with a Scottish twist - I did enjoy the Scottish words and sayings and places.

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love fairy tale retellings, and this is a charming one with beautiful illustrations. Perhaps not strictly historical retellings, but the tales are sweet and fun, and there are a few I've never heard before.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's beautifully illustrated and written, however, it is still a book of fairy tales. Some are too grim, some are out-dated concepts, just not what I want to teach my child. We read the whole book once when she was under a year old then gave it to our neighborhood little free library.

[Jurgita Videikaitė · Rating 5 out of 5]

#skaitaugarsiai bagažas ir toliau intensyviai pildomas :) Antrojoj šios autorės knygoje ir toliau keliavom po Škotiją. Puikios istorijos, nepriekaištingas vertimas ir taiklios iliustracijos.
Knygos klausytojas sakė duotų 10 žvaigždžių :)

[Kitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our favorite was the story of the bannock. They are now a favorite food of ours. :) All these stories are sweet and beautifully illustrated.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming collection! I’d love to listen to Breslin tell them while curled up near a fire.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The illustrations were interesting, although they aren't really my style. The stories were creative and attention-grabbing. This is a great anthology for children.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations, well written stories. Looking forward to reading these with the boys.

[emyrose8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5- a fantastic collection of Scottish folktales. There are a few illustrations, mostly words. I like that before each story is a little explanation of where the story came from. Good to read aloud!

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful collection of traditional Scottish tales, delightfully told and enhanced with lovely illustrations.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great and well illustrated collection of tales.

[Gwyneth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read aloud as bedtime stories with the kids. We all loved it.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun collection of stories! We loved it.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read aloud to my husband and teen daughters.

[James Lord-McIntosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightfully charming, this is definitely aimed at kids, but there us value for all ages.