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The Land of Stories #Companion
The Land of Stories: A Treasury of Classic Fairy Tales
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Chris Colfer comes a gorgeous, full-color fairy-tale treasury.
Dear Reader, you hold in your hands a very special book that contains more than thirty-five classic fairy tales and nursery rhymes, plus your very own survival guide to the Land of Stories. If you notice the pages glowing, followed by an inviting humming noise, don't be afraid! That is just the book's magic. But whatever you do, don't lean too far into the book. You never know where you might end up.
Enter the world of fairy tales in this stunning illustrated gift book that includes more than thirty-five beloved stories and rhymes retold by #1 New York Times bestselling author Chris Colfer.
This gorgeous, full-color companion book to the Land of Stories series will appeal to new and old fans alike, who will delight in favorite classics such as "Cinderella," "Sleeping Beauty," "Little Red Riding Hood," "Jack and the Beanstalk," and more. Here is the beloved fairy-tale treasury that Alex and Conner fall into in The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell--a beautifully designed addition to the series, and the magical book that started it all!
Dear Reader, you hold in your hands a very special book that contains more than thirty-five classic fairy tales and nursery rhymes, plus your very own survival guide to the Land of Stories. If you notice the pages glowing, followed by an inviting humming noise, don't be afraid! That is just the book's magic. But whatever you do, don't lean too far into the book. You never know where you might end up.
Enter the world of fairy tales in this stunning illustrated gift book that includes more than thirty-five beloved stories and rhymes retold by #1 New York Times bestselling author Chris Colfer.
This gorgeous, full-color companion book to the Land of Stories series will appeal to new and old fans alike, who will delight in favorite classics such as "Cinderella," "Sleeping Beauty," "Little Red Riding Hood," "Jack and the Beanstalk," and more. Here is the beloved fairy-tale treasury that Alex and Conner fall into in The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell--a beautifully designed addition to the series, and the magical book that started it all!
336 pages, Hardcover
Published October 18, 2016
482 people are currently reading
2103 people want to read
About the author
Chris Colfer
59 books11.1k followersChris Colfer is an Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe-winning actor best-known for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the FOX television series "Glee".
He is also a New York Times bestselling author whose books include the first three novels in the "Land of Stories" series ("The Wishing Spell", "The Enchantress Returns" and "A Grimm Warning") as well as "Struck By Lightning: The Carson Philips Journal" which is a novelization based on the script he wrote for the film "Struck By Lighting" (Colfer also co-produced and starred in that movie).
He is also a New York Times bestselling author whose books include the first three novels in the "Land of Stories" series ("The Wishing Spell", "The Enchantress Returns" and "A Grimm Warning") as well as "Struck By Lightning: The Carson Philips Journal" which is a novelization based on the script he wrote for the film "Struck By Lighting" (Colfer also co-produced and starred in that movie).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
October 24, 2016
THE REVIEW
Why this book?
I'll read anything Chris Colfer releases
What I thought
This is by far my favorite collection of fairytales I have read. They weren't the Disney versions but they weren't the gruesome ones either. Chris Colfer somehow made these fairytales his own and I enjoyed every single one. I'm sad it didn't include one of my favorite fairytales The Twelve Dancing Princesses, but I I loved it anyway. I am happy it did include some of my favorites like Beauty and the Beast and Rumpelstiltskin. He also included a few I didn't expect like Thumbelina. If you're in the mood for some fairytales give this book a try.
Why this book?
I'll read anything Chris Colfer releases
What I thought
This is by far my favorite collection of fairytales I have read. They weren't the Disney versions but they weren't the gruesome ones either. Chris Colfer somehow made these fairytales his own and I enjoyed every single one. I'm sad it didn't include one of my favorite fairytales The Twelve Dancing Princesses, but I I loved it anyway. I am happy it did include some of my favorites like Beauty and the Beast and Rumpelstiltskin. He also included a few I didn't expect like Thumbelina. If you're in the mood for some fairytales give this book a try.
December 21, 2020
This was a very nice collection of Fairy Tales. Chris Colfer's take on the stories are enjoyable, with a nice touch of humour when needed. You could read this with no prior knowledge of The Land of Stories -- the introduction and final note at the end make more sense if you have, but the stories themselves are what you would expect from this type of book.
Reading this reminded me of being quite young and having stories read aloud to me by my grandparents from the various Fairy Tale treasuries we had to choose from. This one would have fit in well. The illustrations were lovely -- I loved getting to see so much more of Brandon Dorman's art. They were perfectly matched to the tone of the book. I especially liked the artwork that went with the Nursery Rhymes. I was struck by how bizarre most of those rhymes are -- and that I still know them well!
Reading this reminded me of being quite young and having stories read aloud to me by my grandparents from the various Fairy Tale treasuries we had to choose from. This one would have fit in well. The illustrations were lovely -- I loved getting to see so much more of Brandon Dorman's art. They were perfectly matched to the tone of the book. I especially liked the artwork that went with the Nursery Rhymes. I was struck by how bizarre most of those rhymes are -- and that I still know them well!
January 28, 2022
Mary Kate says:
This treasury is a companion to Colfer's series The Land of Stories and is filled with adaptions of classic fairy tales and mother goose rhymes from which his books pulls from. This treasury is beautifully illustrated and the stories are short enough to make perfect bed time stories. Readers of all ages will love Colfer's spin on the classic tales- no need to have read his original series!
This treasury is a companion to Colfer's series The Land of Stories and is filled with adaptions of classic fairy tales and mother goose rhymes from which his books pulls from. This treasury is beautifully illustrated and the stories are short enough to make perfect bed time stories. Readers of all ages will love Colfer's spin on the classic tales- no need to have read his original series!
January 16, 2025
Actual rating: 3.5
A beautifully illustrated fairy tale collection. It was so nice to revisit these stories of my childhood, many of which I forgot significant details about.
A beautifully illustrated fairy tale collection. It was so nice to revisit these stories of my childhood, many of which I forgot significant details about.
February 16, 2017
I love these fairytales! They're pretty much the originals just in a new book format and amazing newish illustrations that are cute and gorgeous. Loved reading these aloud to the kiddo and can't wait to find more fairytales to reread for myself.
January 1, 2017
Perfect retelling of your classic fairy tales.
July 21, 2019
He quedado fascinada esta recopilación de los cuentos de hadas y me enamoré completamente de las hermosas ilustraciones. ¡Me encanta! Es excelente para leerlos a los más pequeños ❤
April 11, 2018
A fantastic compilation of classic fairy tales....a compelling read-aloud!
February 10, 2017
Most people hate fairy tales because they think they're too "grown up" for these "children stories". Once upon a time and happily ever after may be used, but it definitely isn't overused. I've always wanted a book with a nice hard cover to curl up with on the couch, devouring one fairy tale after the other. Happily ever after isn't something that will ever happen to us while we're living, so why not enjoy it in any way possible? In this book, it has a collection of countless fairy tales that have been told over and over for thousands of years. Each story is different from the other, and this book is one of my favorite books ever ^^
Read
February 5, 2018Within this book, there were many different types of stories that fall under the category of fables. Traditional literature targets mankind and human nature; therefore, these stories speak to the audience on a deeper level. For this assignment, I chose to read The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Many of these stories can teach us something and I believe that The Boy Who Cried Wolf is a fairytale that definitely teaches us a lesson.
In this story, the boy continues to cry wolf when he truly does not see a wolf and because of this the villagers came to check on his safety. As the story continues, the boy repeatedly cries wolf when there is no wolf present and the villagers come to his rescue less and less. This is because they are tired of the false alarms that continue to occur. Once a wolf does actually appear and the boy cries wolf, the villagers don't believe him and don't come to his rescue. The boy continues to lie to the villagers and they slowly begin to not believe him. The moral of this story is people who are known to lie will not be believed, even if they are telling the truth. Once someone cannot be believed anymore, the truth will be worthless and may even lead to consequences. This happened in the story since the boy lied and lied and then finally when he was telling the truth, there was no one there to help him.
Some teachers have used this fable for children to teach them lessons on lying and the outcomes of it. This story can show children that continuous lying will eventually lead to consequences.
In this story, the boy continues to cry wolf when he truly does not see a wolf and because of this the villagers came to check on his safety. As the story continues, the boy repeatedly cries wolf when there is no wolf present and the villagers come to his rescue less and less. This is because they are tired of the false alarms that continue to occur. Once a wolf does actually appear and the boy cries wolf, the villagers don't believe him and don't come to his rescue. The boy continues to lie to the villagers and they slowly begin to not believe him. The moral of this story is people who are known to lie will not be believed, even if they are telling the truth. Once someone cannot be believed anymore, the truth will be worthless and may even lead to consequences. This happened in the story since the boy lied and lied and then finally when he was telling the truth, there was no one there to help him.
Some teachers have used this fable for children to teach them lessons on lying and the outcomes of it. This story can show children that continuous lying will eventually lead to consequences.
January 23, 2023
In diesem Buch ,,Land of Stories – Eine Schatztruhe klassischer Märchen‘‘ von Chris Colfer finden wir unendliche viele Märchen, die heutzutage leider schon viel zu sehr in Vergessenheit geraten sind. Sei es Schneewittchen, das hässliche Entlein oder Rapunzel. Hier findet man alles, was das Märchenherz begehrt. Und auch eine tolle Einleitung bringt einen direkt in eine Märchenhafte Stimmung…
Ich habe dieses Buch im Rahmen eines Gewinnspiels auf LovelyBooks erhalten und ich habe mich unglaublich Dolle über das Buch gefreut, als es bei mir ankam. Auch wenn viele jetzt Denken ,,20 Euro, das ist viel zu teuer!‘‘ Ich kann euch versichern, dass sich jeder einzelne Euro lohnt, denn man in dieses Buch investiert. Alleine sobald das Buch bei euch ankommt, werdet ihr mir definitiv zustimmen!
Und nicht nur äußerlich ist das Buch ein echter Hingucker, sondern auch innen ist es der absolute Wahnsinn. Die Illustrationen der Geschichten sind einfach wunderschön und unterstreichen bzw. heben die Szenen noch einmal hervor. Und auch wenn man hierbei viel Fantasie braucht, regen die Bilder nochmal dazu an, sich noch mehr in die Geschichte reinzubringen und noch mehr zu fantasieren. Die Bilder sind ein echter Traum und passen hervorragend zu jeder einzelnen Geschichte.
Auch wenn ich viele Märchen aus dem Buch kannte, war ich dennoch über Märchen überrascht, die mir gar nicht bekannt waren. Trotzdem konnten mich auch diese in den Bann ziehen und ich hatte richtig viel Spaß beim Lesen der Geschichten. Außerdem ist es schon Weile her, als ich die Märchen gelesen hatte, umso schöner war es für mich, diese Vielfalt an Märchen noch einmal zu entdecken. Auch wenn es einige Märchen gibt, diese teilweise schon etwas gruselig sind, fällt einem das als Kind gar nicht so auf. Die Spannung ist durchgehend da und selbst wenn man denkt, man kennt jedes Märchen, gibt es immer wieder neue Überraschungen.
Der Schreibstil von Chris Colfer war für mich nicht neu, da ich bereits einige Bücher von dem Autoren gelesen habe. Dennoch konnte er mich in diesem Buch wieder komplett mit seinem Schreibstil in den Bann ziehen. Chris Colfer schreibt der Zielgruppe angemessen, er schreibt locker und leicht und sorgt dafür, dass man an den Seiten hängen bleibt. Man mag dieses Buch gar nicht mehr aus der Hand legen. Auch der Lesefluss wird in diesem Buch in keiner Weise gestört, sondern unterstützt.
,,Land of Stories – Eine Schatztruhe klassischer Märchen‘‘ hat mir wahnsinnig gut gefallen. Ich habe mir das Buch innerhalb zwei Tage vorgenommen und habe es sehr genossen mich in der Welt der Märchen zu begeben. Chris Colfer hat mit diesem Buch einen runden Abschluss der Reihe gefunden und ich bin ein wenig neidisch darauf, dass ,,Land of Stories‘‘ somit einen Abschluss finden muss. Von mir gibt es für dieses Buch eine klare Empfehlung, es lohnt sich definitiv.
Ich habe dieses Buch im Rahmen eines Gewinnspiels auf LovelyBooks erhalten und ich habe mich unglaublich Dolle über das Buch gefreut, als es bei mir ankam. Auch wenn viele jetzt Denken ,,20 Euro, das ist viel zu teuer!‘‘ Ich kann euch versichern, dass sich jeder einzelne Euro lohnt, denn man in dieses Buch investiert. Alleine sobald das Buch bei euch ankommt, werdet ihr mir definitiv zustimmen!
Und nicht nur äußerlich ist das Buch ein echter Hingucker, sondern auch innen ist es der absolute Wahnsinn. Die Illustrationen der Geschichten sind einfach wunderschön und unterstreichen bzw. heben die Szenen noch einmal hervor. Und auch wenn man hierbei viel Fantasie braucht, regen die Bilder nochmal dazu an, sich noch mehr in die Geschichte reinzubringen und noch mehr zu fantasieren. Die Bilder sind ein echter Traum und passen hervorragend zu jeder einzelnen Geschichte.
Auch wenn ich viele Märchen aus dem Buch kannte, war ich dennoch über Märchen überrascht, die mir gar nicht bekannt waren. Trotzdem konnten mich auch diese in den Bann ziehen und ich hatte richtig viel Spaß beim Lesen der Geschichten. Außerdem ist es schon Weile her, als ich die Märchen gelesen hatte, umso schöner war es für mich, diese Vielfalt an Märchen noch einmal zu entdecken. Auch wenn es einige Märchen gibt, diese teilweise schon etwas gruselig sind, fällt einem das als Kind gar nicht so auf. Die Spannung ist durchgehend da und selbst wenn man denkt, man kennt jedes Märchen, gibt es immer wieder neue Überraschungen.
Der Schreibstil von Chris Colfer war für mich nicht neu, da ich bereits einige Bücher von dem Autoren gelesen habe. Dennoch konnte er mich in diesem Buch wieder komplett mit seinem Schreibstil in den Bann ziehen. Chris Colfer schreibt der Zielgruppe angemessen, er schreibt locker und leicht und sorgt dafür, dass man an den Seiten hängen bleibt. Man mag dieses Buch gar nicht mehr aus der Hand legen. Auch der Lesefluss wird in diesem Buch in keiner Weise gestört, sondern unterstützt.
,,Land of Stories – Eine Schatztruhe klassischer Märchen‘‘ hat mir wahnsinnig gut gefallen. Ich habe mir das Buch innerhalb zwei Tage vorgenommen und habe es sehr genossen mich in der Welt der Märchen zu begeben. Chris Colfer hat mit diesem Buch einen runden Abschluss der Reihe gefunden und ich bin ein wenig neidisch darauf, dass ,,Land of Stories‘‘ somit einen Abschluss finden muss. Von mir gibt es für dieses Buch eine klare Empfehlung, es lohnt sich definitiv.
April 5, 2022
This book IS the Land of Stories!
Well-known and some not well-known fairy tales make up this beautiful addition to the series, which includes beautifully bright illustrations and some nursery rhymes told by an iconic 'Goose" character. I love that it became an extension of the series, never straying too far from the original stories, however I do wish they were retold the way Colfer has portrayed them in his series, but nevertheless still enchanting. Something for anyone of all ages to enjoy.
Colfer is a true storyteller on so many levels, it's part of his magic, and the illustrations are something else, a perfect pairing for this magical trove. Chris has split the tone of the tales perfectly in the middle, not too "Disney" where it's happy-ever-after, and not too "Grimm" to give children nightmares. A blend of the traditional for a new, modern audience. Easy and simple to read, but not short on enjoyment.
This is the perfect read to cuddle up with loved ones, a pet, or yourself, wrapped in blankets and hot beverage in hand. A read to be treasured and devoured. Utterly delightful!
IG Post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CC65tK4AH...
Well-known and some not well-known fairy tales make up this beautiful addition to the series, which includes beautifully bright illustrations and some nursery rhymes told by an iconic 'Goose" character. I love that it became an extension of the series, never straying too far from the original stories, however I do wish they were retold the way Colfer has portrayed them in his series, but nevertheless still enchanting. Something for anyone of all ages to enjoy.
Colfer is a true storyteller on so many levels, it's part of his magic, and the illustrations are something else, a perfect pairing for this magical trove. Chris has split the tone of the tales perfectly in the middle, not too "Disney" where it's happy-ever-after, and not too "Grimm" to give children nightmares. A blend of the traditional for a new, modern audience. Easy and simple to read, but not short on enjoyment.
This is the perfect read to cuddle up with loved ones, a pet, or yourself, wrapped in blankets and hot beverage in hand. A read to be treasured and devoured. Utterly delightful!
IG Post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CC65tK4AH...
January 18, 2021
I've always loved fairy tales, and the way that Chris Colfer combined all of these fairy tales into his "Land Of Stories" series, is amazing.
I also, really loved listening to this because Chris Colfer reads it to you, and I loved Chris Colfer in Glee because of his voice.
Overall, this is a good book that adds to the "Land Of Stories" series, and a good audiobook, but nothing I haven't read before.
I also, really loved listening to this because Chris Colfer reads it to you, and I loved Chris Colfer in Glee because of his voice.
Overall, this is a good book that adds to the "Land Of Stories" series, and a good audiobook, but nothing I haven't read before.
December 13, 2018
A Treasury of Classic Fairy Tales by Chris Colfer (author of the Land of Stories series) is a welcome and wonderful addition to any collection of hard-cover Fairy Tale books. The retellings are faithful to the originals and the beautiful illustrations by Brandon Dorman definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the stories (my only wish is that there had been even more illustrations!).
Highly recommended to all who love fairy tales! Great for reading aloud!
Highly recommended to all who love fairy tales! Great for reading aloud!
Read
May 22, 2017I loved Chris Colfers interpritation of these clasic fairy tales.
January 13, 2018
My four-year-old and I listened to this audiobook, read by the author. Chris Colfer did a fantastic job with the voices, making the stories engaging and accessible. My son LOVES these versions. We are on our second listen to the full audiobook. Highly recommended, especially as an audiobook.
October 15, 2020
The Land of Stories: A Treasury of Classic Fairy Tales is a collection of classic fairy tales such a Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood and so much more. Each story familiar to everyone but retold by Chris Colfer and each one familiar to Alex and Conner when they fall into The Land of Stories. Overall, The Land of Stories: A Treasury of Classic Fairy Tales was delightful, fun and magical.
December 31, 2020
This is a very nice collection of the classic fairy tales and brings back some childhood memories! Loved it!
February 13, 2021
This was just a collection of classic fairytales, but it was fun
January 17, 2022
This is a book of fairy tales. It is really easy and fun to read. I would recommend it, but only if you like to read fairy tales.
April 9, 2023
Don’t ask me why I read this when I know all of those classics like the back of my hand.
The only thing I didn’t care for in this book were the nursery rhymes.
The only thing I didn’t care for in this book were the nursery rhymes.
February 20, 2024
Excellent collection of fairy tales and nursery rhymes with an extra dose of humor!
Read
October 14, 2020Listened to this on our trip. Our first truly successful family audiobook. Olive adored this, and the stories are the right length/level for her. I have a feeling I am going to get tired of listening to this.
January 14, 2018
Chris Colfer has done it again. He has made fairy tales his own and makes you fully experience the full transformation of the characters. This is a story for the record books. I read this book to my brother at a library in America I'd never seen my brother's eyes sparkle that way while he was listening to the book. That moment reminded why I love reading.
May 17, 2024
July 2021:
I had been looking for a good fairy tale treasury for a while. This one surprised me as I thought it would be too affiliated with the Land of Stories series (of which I am not familiar with) but only a brief line in the intro and appendix even mention it. It includes all the classic fairy tales as well as some lesser known ones. Stories range from 3-6 pages. They are not the Disneyfied happily-ever after versions. The language has been modernized but stories still retain a classic feeling; stories are very readable but not over simplified. Some color illustrations. The end has quite a few nursery rhymes as a bonus. Checked this one out at the library and ended up buying it as it checked all my boxes!
Update:
Read through this again with the twins (age 5). They loved it and were a bit shocked when some of the protagonists died and did not get their happily ever after. I liked exposing them to these slightly darker tales. Still think this is a well done anthology.
I had been looking for a good fairy tale treasury for a while. This one surprised me as I thought it would be too affiliated with the Land of Stories series (of which I am not familiar with) but only a brief line in the intro and appendix even mention it. It includes all the classic fairy tales as well as some lesser known ones. Stories range from 3-6 pages. They are not the Disneyfied happily-ever after versions. The language has been modernized but stories still retain a classic feeling; stories are very readable but not over simplified. Some color illustrations. The end has quite a few nursery rhymes as a bonus. Checked this one out at the library and ended up buying it as it checked all my boxes!
Update:
Read through this again with the twins (age 5). They loved it and were a bit shocked when some of the protagonists died and did not get their happily ever after. I liked exposing them to these slightly darker tales. Still think this is a well done anthology.
April 27, 2023
4/2023:
Reading a few of these while sick was comforting, but I feel a bit empty. Despite Colfer's efforts to infuse the stories with more depth and feeling, I feel like he has taken all the richness out of them and left the fluff. The whole time I am wishing I was reading the originals. Why eat fruit loops for dinner when I can have steak? It's too bad. The illustrations are a bit strange too.
***
2020:
As in the Land of Stories series, Colfer is a narrator I feel I can trust. I love the lush illustrations and Colfer's additions that help make the stories more personal and detailed. They are definitely a bit watered down, though, and don't have the rich language from the originals.
Reading a few of these while sick was comforting, but I feel a bit empty. Despite Colfer's efforts to infuse the stories with more depth and feeling, I feel like he has taken all the richness out of them and left the fluff. The whole time I am wishing I was reading the originals. Why eat fruit loops for dinner when I can have steak? It's too bad. The illustrations are a bit strange too.
***
2020:
As in the Land of Stories series, Colfer is a narrator I feel I can trust. I love the lush illustrations and Colfer's additions that help make the stories more personal and detailed. They are definitely a bit watered down, though, and don't have the rich language from the originals.
July 13, 2017
I absolutely loved this book! It includes so many beautiful pictures, and the stories are written beautifully! I was so hooked on this book that I read it in one night!
October 31, 2016
childhood stories are always amazing
December 28, 2016
Cute treasury of old favourites, with a particularly fun guide of survival from TLOS' Mother Goose.
April 30, 2024
I really enjoyed this bright, colorful and cheerful book. I didn't know that the stories I am familiar with are not the original versions!?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews