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The World's Best Fairy Tales
A collection of stories from many islands, each of which has the special flavour of its country of origin.
400 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1990
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 18, 2011
This is the collection I had as a child and picked it up on eBay to read to my girls. My two older kids (8 and 10) loved it, though my five-year-old had trouble following the stories. The language is pretty dense and there is usually only one picture for each story (each one is about 7-20 pages). The illustrations are lovely though. The stories themselves are very Hans Christian Andersen and Brothers Grimm heavy. There are a few stories that take place in Asia. I like this book a lot because it has both stories that everyone knows (like Snow White or Cinderella) and the lesser known ones (The Steadfast Tin Soldier or Jorinda and Joringel). The plots are intense and often violent - the sort of thing I would never let them watch on TV but is a little more digestible in a book. It is very interesting to talk to the kids about how the stories are different from the watered down versions they know from Disney. Overall, a great book, but probably best for 8+.
June 8, 2013
I grew up on this set of fairytales (there are two volumes to my knowledge). It has a wide variety of fairytales, both well-known, and lesser-known. As a child I spent hours poring over these books and loving the characters-- it was these books that introduced me to most of the fairytales I know and love. The stories themselves are short-- generally about 5 to 10 pages-- so they're a quick read. They also have pretty color illustrations, about one per story. I highly recommend this set for a good, basic collection of fairytales-- you can't go wrong with the World's Best!
Currently reading
July 12, 2013page 70 :
There the tin soldier lay and felt a truly terrible heat. Whether he was suffering from real fire or from love he did not know. All his color had disappeared. Whether this had happened on his travels or whether it was the result of trouble, who can say? He looked at the little lady, she looked at him, and he felt that he was melting.
There the tin soldier lay and felt a truly terrible heat. Whether he was suffering from real fire or from love he did not know. All his color had disappeared. Whether this had happened on his travels or whether it was the result of trouble, who can say? He looked at the little lady, she looked at him, and he felt that he was melting.
September 9, 2021
Now and then, we all need to get back to the classic fairy tales. And we aren’t just revisiting our childhood memories, but we’re also looking at the roots of good story telling, which are the roots of good writing. And besides all that, what’s more entertaining than Puss ‘n Boots, or the Emperor’s New Clothes, or the Brave Little Tailor?
July 26, 2018
I would have given this a 5, but some of the stories included are the slightly "cleaned-up" version of these tales, and not 100% true to the originals.
For instance, in the original Grim's Cinderella, the two step-sisters get their eyes clawed out by Cinderella's bird friends.
For instance, in the original Grim's Cinderella, the two step-sisters get their eyes clawed out by Cinderella's bird friends.
December 16, 2023
Fairy tales are weird but ok so or we. Make friends with them. They’ll teach you some crazy things.
February 6, 2018
We had two volumes of these, and they were the bedrock of my love affair with folk tales. I would love to track these down again!
May 8, 2019
One of my life's very most dearly loved books... my gateway. <3
October 3, 2021
I miss my copy of this book. Truly foundational for me, and I look back on this book fondly.
May 6, 2023
As a child, I had a bookcase of hand-me-down, tattered covered books. The Wizard of Oz freaked me out (I had nightmares for weeks). A few random Agatha Christies spawned a brief affair with devilish twists and plots neatly wrapped in a hundred pages or so.
Then one day, completely bored, probably locked in my room for the day for some absurd violation of a rule I never understood, I opened this book. Fairy tales I knew, ones I didn't, all collected together by the Great Reader's Digest editors. I was enthralled with the Snow Queen, frightened of other stories, and confused as to why someone would want to bake small children in their oven. It was a glimpse of my own childhood through a cracked mirror - fantasy and folk lore woven into a mysterious book that none of my older siblings claimed.
There are a handful of books I remember from my childhood - Velveteen Rabbit, a book on the wild horses at Assateague, the Agathas especially And Then There Were None, A Wrinkle in Time, Call of The Wild, A Secret Garden, and this anthology.
I don't know why it called to me of late - I'd long lost my worn copy, but as a finally admitted writing addict who is building her Own Room, I have bookshelves aching for inspirational and curious tomes. This is one I happily found in both volumes on eBay. These are the perfect gift for any newly admitted writer, or a young person eager to dive into old adventures.
Then one day, completely bored, probably locked in my room for the day for some absurd violation of a rule I never understood, I opened this book. Fairy tales I knew, ones I didn't, all collected together by the Great Reader's Digest editors. I was enthralled with the Snow Queen, frightened of other stories, and confused as to why someone would want to bake small children in their oven. It was a glimpse of my own childhood through a cracked mirror - fantasy and folk lore woven into a mysterious book that none of my older siblings claimed.
There are a handful of books I remember from my childhood - Velveteen Rabbit, a book on the wild horses at Assateague, the Agathas especially And Then There Were None, A Wrinkle in Time, Call of The Wild, A Secret Garden, and this anthology.
I don't know why it called to me of late - I'd long lost my worn copy, but as a finally admitted writing addict who is building her Own Room, I have bookshelves aching for inspirational and curious tomes. This is one I happily found in both volumes on eBay. These are the perfect gift for any newly admitted writer, or a young person eager to dive into old adventures.
May 27, 2025
I loved this book. It is chock full of all sorts of fairy tales and the last chapter has the seven voyages of sinbad the sailor. I read it to my brothers and they loved it. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fairy tales. Awesome book.
November 29, 2025
Some of the classic fairytales we all grew up with and then some. Most of them I loved, and even had me laughing out loud and then flailing the pages in front of family members to read so they could laugh with me!
November 18, 2021
Possibly my favorite book that I own.
March 4, 2022
I loved the boy who keep secrets and like a few others I've never read before. Good collections of fairy tales
December 21, 2022
Where many Disney movies come from! Highly recommended.
March 9, 2023
It's like a chant and incantation.
May 22, 2025
Half familiar, half strange, this was a delightful collection of fairy tales with lovely vintage illustrations. I'm glad to finally complete another fairytale book from my (ever-growing) collection.
June 3, 2015
The World's Best Fairy Tales is a compilation of classic fairy tales, from the ones that are more well known, like Rapunzel and the Three Bears, to some more unknown stories, such as Jordina and Joringel and Billy Beg and his Bull.
Some of the stories are touching and cute, like the Steadfast Tin Soldier and Snegourka, the Snow Maiden. But some of them are actually really odd, like The Red Shoes, a story about a girl who puts on shoes that make her dance incessantly and has to have her feet cut off because of it.
The one thing I found most interesting about this book is that at the end of every story the author's name and the story's nationality is mentioned. It shows a lot about each of the different cultures that the stories came from and traditions from that area.
But something that comes from the aural stories is many variations. In most of these stories that are passed down, Reader's Digest compiles all of the variations, which can sometimes make for a confusing story.
All in all though, I found this book interesting and I would recommend it.
Some of the stories are touching and cute, like the Steadfast Tin Soldier and Snegourka, the Snow Maiden. But some of them are actually really odd, like The Red Shoes, a story about a girl who puts on shoes that make her dance incessantly and has to have her feet cut off because of it.
The one thing I found most interesting about this book is that at the end of every story the author's name and the story's nationality is mentioned. It shows a lot about each of the different cultures that the stories came from and traditions from that area.
But something that comes from the aural stories is many variations. In most of these stories that are passed down, Reader's Digest compiles all of the variations, which can sometimes make for a confusing story.
All in all though, I found this book interesting and I would recommend it.
April 19, 2010
This was one of my favourite childhood books – and I still read it. As well as all the best-known tales, it included many stories I’ve never seen elsewhere – and spans the magical, the adventurous, the comic and the clever. It’s also a constant reminder that a great story is at the heart of all good writing.
August 25, 2012
This is an excellent collection of fairy tales. I loved reading ones I knew and also those I didn't - fairy tales are awesome! Basic storytelling is a great form. The simplicity of fairy tales is what makes them amazing - no fluff, talking animals, celebration of nature, and always a moral that you can remember forever. Great book!
August 28, 2015
This is a beautiful, gilt-edged two-volume collection of fairy tales. It contains all sorts of stories, from the well-known to the very obscure. It is what I grew up reading and it helped to foster my love of fiction, especially fantasy. Overall, it is a wonderful read for both children and the young-at-heart.
February 23, 2015
This was my favourite collection of fairy tales when I was a child, but a friend borrowed the books shortly before moving overseas and I never saw them again... until I recently found a set on Ebay! Re-reading these is like getting to know old friends anew.
September 27, 2011
an amazing compilation of stories that i've read since i was a little girl, some scary some fun, but all amazing!
May 20, 2012
Read for research to help me beat the King's Quest games. I enjoyed it as much as I did when I was a little girl. Great collection.
October 31, 2012
I loved reading this :)
April 9, 2016
Beautiful illustrations; a favorite when I was a child.
March 18, 2016
I loved reading these books as a kid with my Mother. Such a wonderful collection of stories.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews