The Arthur Rackham Fairy Book: A Book of Old Favourites with New Illustrations

by Arthur Rackham (Editor/Illustrator), Charles Perrault (Contributor), Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve (Contributor)

"Old Tales with New Illustrations" was how this delightful book was described on its original appearance in 1933. It has been reprinted frequently since then, but Arthur Rackham's illustrations are still new and freshly attractive to those picking up the volume for the first time.

The 23 stories in the book are some of the most famous fairy tales ever told to successive generations of young readers. They include such well-loved tales as 'Cinderella', 'Rip Van Winkle', 'Blue Beard', 'The Ugly Duckling', 'Puss in Boots', and 'Hansel and Grethel'.

The Arthur Rackham Fairy Book is filled with over 50 black and white line drawings and 8 superb color plates that will capture the imagination of old and young readers alike.

-copied from dust jacket

Contents:
Dick Whittington Traditional English
Hop-O'-My-Thumb Perrault
Jack and the Beanstalk Traditional English
Beauty and the Beast Madame de Villeneuve
Henny-Penny Traditional English
The Story of Sinbad the Sailor The Arabian Nights
The Princess and the Pea Hans Andersen
Blue Beard Perrault
Jack the Giant-Killer Traditional English
The Ugly Duckling Hans Andersen
The Story of Aladdin, or the Wonderful Lamp The Arabian Nights
The Sleeping Beauty Perrault
The Barmecide's Feast The Arabian Nights
Toads and Diamonds Perrault
Little Red Riding-Hood Perrault
The Three Bears Southey
What the Old Man Does Is Always Right Hans Andersen
Cinderella Perrault
Puss in Boots Perrault
Ali Baba The Arabian Nights
The Emperor's New Clothes Hans Andersen
Hansel and Grethel Grimm
Rip Van Winkle Washington Irving

Genres: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Art, Picture Books, Classics, Fiction, Magic

271 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1933

About the author

Arthur Rackham (1867-1939) was a British illustrator and translator of books in the English and Spanish languages.

He was born in London as one of 12 children. At the age of 18, he worked as a clerk at the Westminster Fire Office and began studying part-time at the Lambeth School of Art.

In 1892, he quit his job and started working for The Westminster Budget as a reporter and illustrator. His first book illustrations were published in 1893 in To the Other Side by Thomas Rhodes, but his first serious commission was in 1894 for The Dolly Dialogues, the collected sketches of Anthony Hope, who later went on to write The Prisoner of Zenda. Book illustrating then became Rackham's career for the rest of his life.

In 1903, he married Edyth Starkie, with whom he had one daughter, Barbara, in 1908. Rackham won a gold medal at the Milan International Exhibition in 1906 and another one at the Barcelona International Exposition in 1912. His works were included in numerous exhibitions, including one at the Louvre in Paris in 1914. Arthur Rackham died 1939 of cancer in his home in Limpsfield, Surrey.

-from Wikipedia

Reviews

[Joyce]

I do believe there were one or two fairy tales that I hadn't read before, (or perhaps it's just been a long time since I've heard them) but the main reason I borrowed this collection of fairy tales was to admire Arthur Rackham's illustrations, and his coloured illustrations in particular did not disappoint.

[Matthias]

Good number from Perrault, Hans Christian Anderson, and selections from The Arabian Nights. There are a couple other sources. I'd read a number of these before, but not with the benefit of Rackam's engrossing illustrations. He draws really big feet, I noticed. I enjoyed this collection.

[Geraldine]

This is as good as it gets! The illustrations by Rackham are enchanting, and so are the stories by Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, Perrault, the Arabian Knights.

[K.S. Thompson]

"For this book I have gone to those old favorites of the nursery that have such a hold on our affections that their incidents, characters, and even phrases have become part of our everyday thoughts and expression, and helped to shape our lives." - Illustrator's Preface to "The Arthur Rackham Fairy Book"

I found this book on one of my many trips to my favorite second hand bookshop. Having been a fan of Arthur Rackham since I was a young girl and of Fairytales since I was even younger, I felt as though I had stumbled upon a holy grail of sorts. It's a beautiful addition to my bookshelf and I am honored that it found it's way to me.

[Mandi]

This was fine. I mostly picked this up in hopes of enjoying the illustrations, but the line drawings weren't my favorite. I didn't realize Rackham used so many different illustration styles!

The tales were standard. I liked seeing a somewhat different ending on Sleeping Beauty, and the inclusion of Rip Van Winkle was cool.

I did really like the illustrator's preface!

[Helen Pugsley]

I bought this from a coffee shop (Night Heron) and finally thumbed through it. I thought this would be about Rackham and his life, his art. But it was even better! It was the fairy tales with his art!! In that classic language. Dang!!! I finally have a copy of the OG Beauty and the Beast.

[Kara]

I thought there would be more emphasis on his artistic works. As is, its a pretty good basic intro to all the classic fairy tales.

[Alison Horn]

Charming illustrations; great stories.

[Doris]

A bit of a random selection of fairy tales from different sources, but well told and I love Arthur Rackham's illustrations.

[Jen]

I've owned this book nearly since I was born. When I got married, I scrounged through boxes in my parents' garage to salvage it from donation, because I have such fond meories of it from my childhood. It's a lovely book of 23 classic (and not-so) fairy tales, illustrated beautifully both in color and in black and white.

[Wetdryvac Wetdryvac]

Dear cats and kittens, this book made me unspeakably happy.