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Dean's A Book of Fairy Tales
Omnibus edition including the previously published books: Dean's Gift Book of Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales, Janet & Anne Grahame Johnstone Gift Book of Fairy Tales, Dean's Gift Book of Fairy Tales, The White Cat.
Contains the stories:
Little Red Riding Hood
Mother Goose
Hop O' My Thumb
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
The Three Little Pigs
Rumpelstiltskin
Jack and the Beanstalk
The Frog Prince
The Princess and the Pea
The White Cat
Little Ida's Flowers
Ole Lucköie or the Dustman
Thumbelina
The Top and the Ball
The Darning Needle
Blockhead Hans
Babes in the Wood
Sleeping Beauty
Puss in Boots
Tom Thumb
Hansel and Gretel
Beauty and the Beast
Contains the stories:
Little Red Riding Hood
Mother Goose
Hop O' My Thumb
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
The Three Little Pigs
Rumpelstiltskin
Jack and the Beanstalk
The Frog Prince
The Princess and the Pea
The White Cat
Little Ida's Flowers
Ole Lucköie or the Dustman
Thumbelina
The Top and the Ball
The Darning Needle
Blockhead Hans
Babes in the Wood
Sleeping Beauty
Puss in Boots
Tom Thumb
Hansel and Gretel
Beauty and the Beast
176 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1977
7 people are currently reading
218 people want to read
About the author
Janet Grahame-Johnstone
55 books14 followersThe twins, Janet and Anne Grahame-Johnstone, were born in 1928 to successful British portraitist and costume designer Doris Zinkeisen and her husband, Captain Edward Grahame Johnstone. They attended the Heathfield School in Ascot, Berkshire during World War II where their artistic talent was nurtured. Later, they attended Saint Martin's School of Art in London, where they studied period clothing styles before moving to Suffolk in 1966. The twins never married and would both live with their mother until their deaths.
Janet died in 1979 due to smoke inhalation following a fire in the kitchen, leaving Anne on her own for the first time in her life. Their brother, Murray, described them as one and a half of each other, rather than two people. Suddenly Anne was solely responsible for their entire business enterprise and managed to honour all their outstanding commissions. She had to master the techniques for drawing and painting animals, particularly horses, which had been the specialty of her sister. Eventually she became so good at it that she was elected a Member of the Society of Equestrian Artists in 1998. Anne died of liver cancer in Badingham, Suffolk on 25 May 1998.
Janet died in 1979 due to smoke inhalation following a fire in the kitchen, leaving Anne on her own for the first time in her life. Their brother, Murray, described them as one and a half of each other, rather than two people. Suddenly Anne was solely responsible for their entire business enterprise and managed to honour all their outstanding commissions. She had to master the techniques for drawing and painting animals, particularly horses, which had been the specialty of her sister. Eventually she became so good at it that she was elected a Member of the Society of Equestrian Artists in 1998. Anne died of liver cancer in Badingham, Suffolk on 25 May 1998.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
April 14, 2019
I finally tracked down a really clean copy of this book. I appreciate the way the fairy tales are written and the illustrations are stunning. Sadly, this 1967 version only has eight fairy tales which is different from the 1977 edition, but we love them all. Regardless, what a gem this book is.
5-stars
5-stars
August 2, 2018
Beautiful illustrations and versions of the tales and stories! I will never forget this cover! This book was magical to me when I was growing up and honestly it still is today. Those images and tales still inspire me to imagination. I love the style of this book and am so glad to have found it on someone’s page! Oh if you ever see this please take a look. The art can be mystical, beautiful, cute, dark, innocent, and anywhere in between. This one is a life favorite. :)
February 6, 2017
This book is made up of 8 fairy tales and took me two months to read them all with my students. We read some of them and then watched the movies. These fairy tales are very interesting because they are extremely different than the movies. My students enjoyed reading the story then watching the movie, then discussing the similarities and differences.
If you are looking for some fun night time stories or you love fairy tales, I suggest this book :)
If you are looking for some fun night time stories or you love fairy tales, I suggest this book :)
December 9, 2022
Contrary to the cover, the brunette is eliminated in the Caucasian triage (three girls with the three different hair colors). It's a shame that this book is so colorist because it's my favorite illustration style. I have some of these illustrated style books that are not colorist. As usual and very expected, Cinderella is blonde and her wicked sisters wear powered wigs. Beauty from Beauty and the Beast is blonde while her wicked step sisters are brunettes. The little girl in Babes in the Wood, Gretel from Gretel and Hansel and Sleeping beauty are blonde. The princess from Puss in Boots is a redhead. The brunette has been ostracized from the fairy tale collection. The only one that is not blonde is the oriental princess from Aladdin but she is not white, she is a different race.
Stories this book contains in my edition- Cinderella, Babes in the Wood, Sleeping Beauty, Puss in Boots, Tom Thumb, Hansel and Gretel, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast
Maybe in the other edition, there were brunette princesses but someone selected these particular stories to create this collection.
Stories this book contains in my edition- Cinderella, Babes in the Wood, Sleeping Beauty, Puss in Boots, Tom Thumb, Hansel and Gretel, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast
Maybe in the other edition, there were brunette princesses but someone selected these particular stories to create this collection.
July 24, 2011
The White Cat was my favorite story growing up
September 24, 2009
Someone gave our family this book back in the 70's as a Christmas gift. My sister and I wore it out! We LOVED the illustrations and stories - both absolutely MAGICAL! I've been looking for it for years, but I couldn't remember the name. I have bought many fairy tale books over the years, but non have broght back the magic of this one; and many of my favorite stories where not to be found. My sister just found this on goodreads and amazon, as our copy was so worn, our mom threw it out - MUCH to our dismay and unbeknownst to us! I'm going to order a used copy for my children as it is no longer in print. If I remember right, my FAVORITE story was "The White Cat." Can't wait to see it again! It will be like welcoming a long lost friend.
October 9, 2013
It is so sad this is out of print - this is a beautiful, beautiful book. I had this growing up, but it disappeared during a move cross-country.
When I got settled, I went on a great quest to track it down. I came up empty, so I started looking around the internet...but I wasn't 100% sure of the name. After looking all over the internet and through hundreds of books, I had pretty much given up.
One day, on my way home from a scenic drive, I came upon a used bookstore. I stopped in on a whim and there, sitting on the shelf in brand new condition was the book ...for 2$. Oh happy day!
Reunited again, I will never let this one out of my sight...
And they lived happily ever after.. ;)
When I got settled, I went on a great quest to track it down. I came up empty, so I started looking around the internet...but I wasn't 100% sure of the name. After looking all over the internet and through hundreds of books, I had pretty much given up.
One day, on my way home from a scenic drive, I came upon a used bookstore. I stopped in on a whim and there, sitting on the shelf in brand new condition was the book ...for 2$. Oh happy day!
Reunited again, I will never let this one out of my sight...
And they lived happily ever after.. ;)
May 21, 2009
We used to read this as children. We looked at it so much it became dog-eared and we think our mother threw it out. This is absolutely my favorite fairy tale book of all time. I asked my mom for a copy for my birthday one year but none of us could remember the name. She gave me a big fairy tale book, but it didn't have the amazing artwork that I remembered from this one. I just bought a copy on Amazon so I could share it with my kids. I hope they like it as much as we did.:)
July 19, 2012
This is the most amazing illustrated book of fairy tales. I adored this as a child (a little too much, I might add!). My copy has been well used over the years. The binding has gone, and pages are falling out, but the pages themselves are intact and as amazingly colorful and detailed as ever. Perhaps one day, I may pay to have the binding fixed/rebound.
This is one of my most treasured books, and it still shares a spot on my bookshelf, even at the age of 36.
This is one of my most treasured books, and it still shares a spot on my bookshelf, even at the age of 36.
January 5, 2017
One of the most beautifully illustrated books ever made. And one of the few books I'd ever consider paying $100 for (seeing as my cover has cracked). This got so much use from me as a child, and brought so much delight to my own children when they were little. While the real delight here is the illustrations, many of the stories in the collection are quite good as well: "The White Cat", "The Selfish Giant", "Hop O'My Thumb", "Through the Fire" - all classics.
May 27, 2009
This book is one of my most precious possessions. My grandmother bought it for me when I was little. The stories are wonderful and great to read aloud to your kids, but the illustrations are the show stoppers here.
Janet & Anne Grahame Johnstone were sisters who worked together to make magic, luminescent paintings. http://www.oklahoma.net/~silvrdal/j&a...
If you're ever at my house you should ask to see it. Wow.
Janet & Anne Grahame Johnstone were sisters who worked together to make magic, luminescent paintings. http://www.oklahoma.net/~silvrdal/j&a...
If you're ever at my house you should ask to see it. Wow.
April 25, 2008
This was my favorite book of fairy tales when I was little in the seventies! The illustrations are so amazing. The book is out of print (a shame) but I was able to buy a copy off ebay for my kids to experience. My overused, pages falling out copy is in our library behind glass doors. I remember spending hours looking at the pictures. My favorite was the story of the White Cat.
April 29, 2018
My copy was my stepmother's and it's one of my favorite books. It's an old book and it has lovely illustrations that give the familiar stories a new depth. I only wish my copy wasn't missing some stories.
August 24, 2010
My mother bought me this book for Christmas when I was two years old. I have always been captivated by the lush illustrations, and my copy is well-worn and very loved.
December 19, 2016
I absolutely love this book. I had a copy as a child, and thoroughly wore it out to the point that pages were falling from the bindings. I was so sad to see it fall apart. Then in the age of the internet, I managed to find a gently used copy (as it's no longer in print), and didn't even flinch at the $48 cost. I've since been reading the stories to my kids, and it gives me such joy to see that they are just as enchanted by the illustrations as I was.
The White Cat was always one of my favorites, as were the depictions of Rumplestiltskin, and Hop O'My Thumb. It has a great mix of classics and lesser known tales, and with all of them, the illustrations are gorgeous. So grateful for the chance to reconnect with this childhood treasure.
The White Cat was always one of my favorites, as were the depictions of Rumplestiltskin, and Hop O'My Thumb. It has a great mix of classics and lesser known tales, and with all of them, the illustrations are gorgeous. So grateful for the chance to reconnect with this childhood treasure.
February 3, 2009
I am just as enchanted by this book now as I was when I was two years old. The pictures are BEAUTIFUL. I mean that artwork is amazing. I will always have those pictures and stories burned into my soul. Lot's of lessons, lot's of entertainment.
Read
October 15, 2012This was my most loved and treasured possession from my childhood, my house recently burned down to the ground and I lost everything- including this book. I just looked it up on Amazon to replace it, n 55-400 dollars???!!!! I am heartbroken there is no way I can afford this! anyone know where I can get it cheaper?
October 2, 2009
I can't say how much I loved this book as a kid, and still love it. The stories are well-written (and happy-ending-ed) and the artwork is so pretty! I remember looking at it over and over again.
August 31, 2011
one of the first I read as a child, I still have it too
January 11, 2015
Gorgeous illustrations accompany fairy tales both well-known and lesser-known.
I had to hunt down more copies of this to give to my new niece and nephew.
I had to hunt down more copies of this to give to my new niece and nephew.
January 5, 2016
This was one of my all time favourite books as a child. The stories captured my dreams and the illustrations were beautiful
February 6, 2014
One of my favorite books of all time, mostly due to the sentimental value of it. Also - the artwork is amazing!
February 26, 2014
One of my favorites. Such beautiful illustrations. My copy got ruined fairly recently. :(
September 25, 2014
Love it! The illustrations are exceptional and the stories aren't the oft told ones you see around every day. Perfect combination.
April 1, 2016
OK, so it was read to me, but I still have it. The spine has held together all these years. Thank you grandma.
November 4, 2016
This is my favorite books from childhood. I still love it and its illustrations.
July 15, 2017
Great classic Stories!
July 4, 2025
Dean’s A Book of Fairy Tales (Updated)
This book is very special to me! It will forever be one of my favorites and treasured books. The edition I have was published in ’77 and that’s the year I was born. The physical copy I have has the inscription in the front “Happy Birthday Tiffany” Next to my name is an 80 in parenthesis. So, if that means I was given this book in 1980 I would have been 3 years old. Now I wonder who gave it to me. That it doesn’t say. A hazy part of my mind says maybe it was your closest aunt. She always did give the best presents back then. Or another even hazier part wants to say that maybe it was a present from the teachers over the day care I went to called Disney Institute (and no despite the pictures of the characters on the building it really was in no way affiliated with Disney. Do not ask me how it thought it could do this). I bet they didn’t know that tho that I’d love this book so much that I’d hang onto it for YEARS and YEARS and YEARS.
It was a VERY rare find to find this in PDF form! Over the year, because of health reasons, it’s just been easier for me to read e-books and for the first time I could FINALLY read this in completion. I come back to this book sometimes and I’d just look at the illustrations. I can honestly say that these illustrations are STUNNING! Of all the illustrated books I’ve seen in my life-time, none quite match or measure up to these. This is the kind of book that you really could just be content to flip through.
But my physical copy is so worn from having it for since 1980 that it has pages missing. So much so that one of the stories didn’t even make sense because one story was fusing itself into another different story. It was also thrilled to see that the PDF version of it had more stories added to it than the one I have. Neither, “The Little Match Girl”, “Cinderella”, or “Aladdin” are in my original copy. So maybe these were added later?
Since this book is so special to me, I’m going to do something I don’t usually do in reviews and tell you where to find it. The PDF version is on Scribd. If you don’t want to actually subscribe to Scribd-and trust me I don’t need one more subscription- just sign up for the trial for 30 days. You can even do like I did get the book and then cancel the subscription immediately. But I promise you, you will absolutely charmed by this collection.
There’s also another version that I have a physical copy of called “Deans Nursery Rhymes” that I just have never gotten around to reading yet. Unfortunately, that one isn’t on Scribd. Usually, I’m through and will tell you what every story was about but it took up 7 pages even when I tried to make the summaries as short as I could. So, I’ll tell you which ones are in it. There was ‘Red Riding Hood”, “Mother Goose”, “Hop O My Thumb”, “Goldilocks”, “Three Little Pigs”, “Rumpelstiltskin”, “Jack and the Beanstalk”, “The Frog Princess”, “The Princess and the Pea”, “The White Cat”, “Little Ida’s Flowers”, “Ole Luckole The Dustman”, “The Little Match Girl”, “Thumbelina”, “The Top and the Ball”, “Darning Needle”, “Blockhead Hans”, “Cinderella”, “Babes in the Woods”
“Sleeping Beauty”, “Puss and Boots”, “Tom Thumb”, “Hansel and Gretal”, “Aladdin”, and last but not least “Beauty and the Beast”. So, 25 stories over all. For each story I had the odd, scattered, throught here and there. For “Red Riding Hood”, I thought okaaay. So, if you ran across a TALKING WOLF would you really tell it where your going and LED it to your grandmother’s house? You must not love your grandmother because you might as well have just said “Oh yes Mr. Wolf. I know a place where you can get a good snack. Let me just give you directions. The door is unlocked. Just go right on in!” Would you stop long enough to hold a conversation PERIOD! If it was me and I saw a wolf in my path, guess what?
This was also the worse version for things in the basket. Butter and Egg Custard? Butter. Not even butter *with* something just butter. Who eats butter just plain. And this is coming from someone who just eats ranch plain. If anyone eats butter just plain please feel free to let me know. Maybe it’s for the egg custard. I can see if she had a pitcher of EGG NOG. I had another book where she had I wanna say it was tarts and lemonade?
In “Mother Goose”, I wondered why a harlequin? Of all the things she could have turned him into? And against a squire and a crooked merchant. One has a whip. The other has a cane. And what does he have? It looks like a long piece of wood. Is it a club? Really? You couldn’[t have turned him into a swordsman? Then she just peaces out on her Goose and leaves him there 2 against one. And the Mother of the Year award goes to…. Not Mother Goose. And then how does this end? Yeah, yeah we all know he probably gives the crocks a beat down, gets the girl, and lives happily ever after but continue the poem till the end instead of dropping off into vagueness.
In “Hop O My Thumb” I just thought well no wonder this man is dirt poor and has to work from sun up to sun down. He has EIGHT PEOPLE to provide for. Maybe he should have stopped at one or two. But I loved the way the illustration was down on the last page of the story of the sons running down through the tree. I thought that was nicely done!
In “Goldilocks” I thought umm Mama Bear and Papa Bear you might wanna invest in a really good alarm system. And then the baby bear thought she would “make a good play-mate”. Unh hunh. “Playmate” is probably a secret code word for snack. Since she *did* eat all his porridge up. I’m sure he would have just LOVED to “have her for dinner” literally.
In “The Three Little Pigs” I just loved how the 3rd pigs house looked. I’d live in this house! In “Rumpelstiltskin” I thought would you REALLY believe someone who just walked up to you and said “Hey you know I have a daughter that can spin straw into gold” Or would you think they were SMOKING the straw? Why the King didn’t IMMEDIATELY dismiss this man is beyond me. Conveniently there was a little man (because of course there was) but if not and he would have come into the room the next day and found it empty well if I were her, I wouldn’t have cried. I would have said “Well you were the IDIOT that believed my father.” Who very much sounded like he might have had a few too many to me. IJS!
And then why would you promise YOUR CHILD to this little, strange, man? I just wonder what he would have done WITH the child if she hadn’t guessed his name. This man does NOT look like the nurturing, fatherly, type. And the lesson here is DO NOT MAKE RASH PROMISES! It would have been one thing if she knew there wasn’t a possibility she’d even have kids. Then jokes on you but that she knew she might be the Kings wife and she promised her kid away. (Shakes my head). I’m sure the kid will just LOVE that story when its older.
For “The Frog Princess” I thought if *that’s* not a lesson, I don’t know *what* is. That unattractive *creature* that annoys you silly one day might shock the hell out of you and be your prince charming. No matter how horribly you’ve treated him. Don’t I know! Don’t I know!
“The White Cat” made me think hmmm. One father over a kingdom. Doesn’t want to give up his control. Three sons. Which one will he pass it down to. Sounds like the plot of a tv show I once knew that got cancelled just out the blue (like sooo many of them that you are really into). And then THIS MAN FALLS IN LOVE WITH A CAT! I’ll just let that thought speak for itself.
For “The Dustman” I thought SO MANY POSSIBILITIES to turn this into a darker version. I think this one was one of my favorites in the book. I’m very big on dreams! Dreams are my hidden gift! I was so captivated by this story that I tried to do an art project inspired it. That did not go well and every time I pass it, I cringe. But at the time, I really wanted to learn to do paper sculpture so I tried to make the dustman’s hand holding the umbrella. This is the story that’s missing pages and mixed into “Little Ida’s Flowers”.
For “The Top and The Ball” I just saw the irony in it. The Top turns just as uppity as the Ball and the Ball had a crappy attitude and ended up living IN crap. The “Darning Needle” has a confusing message. I had to wiki this one. It’s kinda like that song “Waterfalls” This one seems to be saying don’t make yourself out to be more than you think you are. If you’re a “darning need then you’re a darning needle” True, the Daring Needle did it in an arrogant way, but I don’t think it’s a bad thing to re-invent yourself if the situation calls for it. Just don’t do it in a way that makes you seem above anyone else.
For “Blackhead Hans” I just got the message that I guess there’s someone for everyone. You see it ALL the time in entertainment where you have the beautiful, desirable, woman and then you look at the man she’s with and you think HUNH? But then you think ok maybe she sees something we don’t see. So, I guess that was the case in this story. And then in a way this did seem to be the perfect match because they had the same mentality. In a twisted way it ended up making sense. I thought it was funny when it said they oiled their lips (the brothers) so their words would be slick. I just kinda snorted at that. Apparently, it didn’t work.
For “Sleeping Beauty” I could just hear the Queen and King thoughts. We’ll invite everyone BUT Maleficent. She’s EVIL! What would the good people of the Kingdom think? What would our *friends* think? But would you really not invite an EVIL FAIRY to your celebration. She would have been the FIRST one on my list. I would have been like “Uh no dear. She’s getting an invitation. I don’t want my child cursed or myself cursed. If YOU wanna tell her she can’t come in, YOU go right ahead and let her hex you. I would have been at the door. “Come right in Maleficent. Was your journey, ok? Are you comfortable! I have a table for you right up front. If you want to say some words please just walk right up. You can speak FIRST!Would you like some wine? Some appetizers? Some cake? A massage?”
For “Hansel and Gretal” something about this illustration of the witch’s candy house keeps trying to take me back to a memory that I’m not sure if real or not. But my mind keeps trying to tell me that someone (maybe a teacher) took this illustration and imitated this candy house and brought it to school. I have no proof of this but every time I see this picture this thought is in my head. And honestly if I knew how to create cakes and desserts and had the talent for it I would try myself.
For “Puss and the Boots” I was thinking well dang. This cat did more for his master than all the guys I ever dated (in the last) combined did for me. Not only did he hook him up with riches, he hooked him up with a castle, a princess for a wife, and eventully he became a King.
I just hope that if your reading this review that you do get a chance to download this book and I hope that you love it as much as I’ve loved it over the years!
Rating: 10
This book is very special to me! It will forever be one of my favorites and treasured books. The edition I have was published in ’77 and that’s the year I was born. The physical copy I have has the inscription in the front “Happy Birthday Tiffany” Next to my name is an 80 in parenthesis. So, if that means I was given this book in 1980 I would have been 3 years old. Now I wonder who gave it to me. That it doesn’t say. A hazy part of my mind says maybe it was your closest aunt. She always did give the best presents back then. Or another even hazier part wants to say that maybe it was a present from the teachers over the day care I went to called Disney Institute (and no despite the pictures of the characters on the building it really was in no way affiliated with Disney. Do not ask me how it thought it could do this). I bet they didn’t know that tho that I’d love this book so much that I’d hang onto it for YEARS and YEARS and YEARS.
It was a VERY rare find to find this in PDF form! Over the year, because of health reasons, it’s just been easier for me to read e-books and for the first time I could FINALLY read this in completion. I come back to this book sometimes and I’d just look at the illustrations. I can honestly say that these illustrations are STUNNING! Of all the illustrated books I’ve seen in my life-time, none quite match or measure up to these. This is the kind of book that you really could just be content to flip through.
But my physical copy is so worn from having it for since 1980 that it has pages missing. So much so that one of the stories didn’t even make sense because one story was fusing itself into another different story. It was also thrilled to see that the PDF version of it had more stories added to it than the one I have. Neither, “The Little Match Girl”, “Cinderella”, or “Aladdin” are in my original copy. So maybe these were added later?
Since this book is so special to me, I’m going to do something I don’t usually do in reviews and tell you where to find it. The PDF version is on Scribd. If you don’t want to actually subscribe to Scribd-and trust me I don’t need one more subscription- just sign up for the trial for 30 days. You can even do like I did get the book and then cancel the subscription immediately. But I promise you, you will absolutely charmed by this collection.
There’s also another version that I have a physical copy of called “Deans Nursery Rhymes” that I just have never gotten around to reading yet. Unfortunately, that one isn’t on Scribd. Usually, I’m through and will tell you what every story was about but it took up 7 pages even when I tried to make the summaries as short as I could. So, I’ll tell you which ones are in it. There was ‘Red Riding Hood”, “Mother Goose”, “Hop O My Thumb”, “Goldilocks”, “Three Little Pigs”, “Rumpelstiltskin”, “Jack and the Beanstalk”, “The Frog Princess”, “The Princess and the Pea”, “The White Cat”, “Little Ida’s Flowers”, “Ole Luckole The Dustman”, “The Little Match Girl”, “Thumbelina”, “The Top and the Ball”, “Darning Needle”, “Blockhead Hans”, “Cinderella”, “Babes in the Woods”
“Sleeping Beauty”, “Puss and Boots”, “Tom Thumb”, “Hansel and Gretal”, “Aladdin”, and last but not least “Beauty and the Beast”. So, 25 stories over all. For each story I had the odd, scattered, throught here and there. For “Red Riding Hood”, I thought okaaay. So, if you ran across a TALKING WOLF would you really tell it where your going and LED it to your grandmother’s house? You must not love your grandmother because you might as well have just said “Oh yes Mr. Wolf. I know a place where you can get a good snack. Let me just give you directions. The door is unlocked. Just go right on in!” Would you stop long enough to hold a conversation PERIOD! If it was me and I saw a wolf in my path, guess what?
This was also the worse version for things in the basket. Butter and Egg Custard? Butter. Not even butter *with* something just butter. Who eats butter just plain. And this is coming from someone who just eats ranch plain. If anyone eats butter just plain please feel free to let me know. Maybe it’s for the egg custard. I can see if she had a pitcher of EGG NOG. I had another book where she had I wanna say it was tarts and lemonade?
In “Mother Goose”, I wondered why a harlequin? Of all the things she could have turned him into? And against a squire and a crooked merchant. One has a whip. The other has a cane. And what does he have? It looks like a long piece of wood. Is it a club? Really? You couldn’[t have turned him into a swordsman? Then she just peaces out on her Goose and leaves him there 2 against one. And the Mother of the Year award goes to…. Not Mother Goose. And then how does this end? Yeah, yeah we all know he probably gives the crocks a beat down, gets the girl, and lives happily ever after but continue the poem till the end instead of dropping off into vagueness.
In “Hop O My Thumb” I just thought well no wonder this man is dirt poor and has to work from sun up to sun down. He has EIGHT PEOPLE to provide for. Maybe he should have stopped at one or two. But I loved the way the illustration was down on the last page of the story of the sons running down through the tree. I thought that was nicely done!
In “Goldilocks” I thought umm Mama Bear and Papa Bear you might wanna invest in a really good alarm system. And then the baby bear thought she would “make a good play-mate”. Unh hunh. “Playmate” is probably a secret code word for snack. Since she *did* eat all his porridge up. I’m sure he would have just LOVED to “have her for dinner” literally.
In “The Three Little Pigs” I just loved how the 3rd pigs house looked. I’d live in this house! In “Rumpelstiltskin” I thought would you REALLY believe someone who just walked up to you and said “Hey you know I have a daughter that can spin straw into gold” Or would you think they were SMOKING the straw? Why the King didn’t IMMEDIATELY dismiss this man is beyond me. Conveniently there was a little man (because of course there was) but if not and he would have come into the room the next day and found it empty well if I were her, I wouldn’t have cried. I would have said “Well you were the IDIOT that believed my father.” Who very much sounded like he might have had a few too many to me. IJS!
And then why would you promise YOUR CHILD to this little, strange, man? I just wonder what he would have done WITH the child if she hadn’t guessed his name. This man does NOT look like the nurturing, fatherly, type. And the lesson here is DO NOT MAKE RASH PROMISES! It would have been one thing if she knew there wasn’t a possibility she’d even have kids. Then jokes on you but that she knew she might be the Kings wife and she promised her kid away. (Shakes my head). I’m sure the kid will just LOVE that story when its older.
For “The Frog Princess” I thought if *that’s* not a lesson, I don’t know *what* is. That unattractive *creature* that annoys you silly one day might shock the hell out of you and be your prince charming. No matter how horribly you’ve treated him. Don’t I know! Don’t I know!
“The White Cat” made me think hmmm. One father over a kingdom. Doesn’t want to give up his control. Three sons. Which one will he pass it down to. Sounds like the plot of a tv show I once knew that got cancelled just out the blue (like sooo many of them that you are really into). And then THIS MAN FALLS IN LOVE WITH A CAT! I’ll just let that thought speak for itself.
For “The Dustman” I thought SO MANY POSSIBILITIES to turn this into a darker version. I think this one was one of my favorites in the book. I’m very big on dreams! Dreams are my hidden gift! I was so captivated by this story that I tried to do an art project inspired it. That did not go well and every time I pass it, I cringe. But at the time, I really wanted to learn to do paper sculpture so I tried to make the dustman’s hand holding the umbrella. This is the story that’s missing pages and mixed into “Little Ida’s Flowers”.
For “The Top and The Ball” I just saw the irony in it. The Top turns just as uppity as the Ball and the Ball had a crappy attitude and ended up living IN crap. The “Darning Needle” has a confusing message. I had to wiki this one. It’s kinda like that song “Waterfalls” This one seems to be saying don’t make yourself out to be more than you think you are. If you’re a “darning need then you’re a darning needle” True, the Daring Needle did it in an arrogant way, but I don’t think it’s a bad thing to re-invent yourself if the situation calls for it. Just don’t do it in a way that makes you seem above anyone else.
For “Blackhead Hans” I just got the message that I guess there’s someone for everyone. You see it ALL the time in entertainment where you have the beautiful, desirable, woman and then you look at the man she’s with and you think HUNH? But then you think ok maybe she sees something we don’t see. So, I guess that was the case in this story. And then in a way this did seem to be the perfect match because they had the same mentality. In a twisted way it ended up making sense. I thought it was funny when it said they oiled their lips (the brothers) so their words would be slick. I just kinda snorted at that. Apparently, it didn’t work.
For “Sleeping Beauty” I could just hear the Queen and King thoughts. We’ll invite everyone BUT Maleficent. She’s EVIL! What would the good people of the Kingdom think? What would our *friends* think? But would you really not invite an EVIL FAIRY to your celebration. She would have been the FIRST one on my list. I would have been like “Uh no dear. She’s getting an invitation. I don’t want my child cursed or myself cursed. If YOU wanna tell her she can’t come in, YOU go right ahead and let her hex you. I would have been at the door. “Come right in Maleficent. Was your journey, ok? Are you comfortable! I have a table for you right up front. If you want to say some words please just walk right up. You can speak FIRST!Would you like some wine? Some appetizers? Some cake? A massage?”
For “Hansel and Gretal” something about this illustration of the witch’s candy house keeps trying to take me back to a memory that I’m not sure if real or not. But my mind keeps trying to tell me that someone (maybe a teacher) took this illustration and imitated this candy house and brought it to school. I have no proof of this but every time I see this picture this thought is in my head. And honestly if I knew how to create cakes and desserts and had the talent for it I would try myself.
For “Puss and the Boots” I was thinking well dang. This cat did more for his master than all the guys I ever dated (in the last) combined did for me. Not only did he hook him up with riches, he hooked him up with a castle, a princess for a wife, and eventully he became a King.
I just hope that if your reading this review that you do get a chance to download this book and I hope that you love it as much as I’ve loved it over the years!
Rating: 10
April 13, 2022
This is beautifully illustrated in full color and it's very colorful. Every single page has illustrations on it. It's a large hardcover without dust jacket. Most of the faces on the people are ugly. Most of the children have large heads, big eyes, and the boys have feminine faces and longish hair. Here's one example of a boy. The faces on Hansel and Gretel are hideous. I strongly dislike the artists giving the Princess from The Frog Prince large breasts and cleavage .
A big chunk of story was left out of Hop O' My Thumb, the entire part where the brothers stay with a woman and her ogre husband, and the husband mistakenly murders his daughters thinking he's murdering the brothers.
The grandmother wasn't eaten in Little Red Riding Hood and instead escaped out the back door! Ridiculous.
Most versions of Hansel and Gretel that I've read have the stepmother in the story, not the biological mother, but this version used their real mother, which is how I prefer the story.
Rumpelstiltskin doesn't tear himself in two in this version. For leaving out or changing parts of these classic stories I rate this 4 stars and not five.
Below is my favorite image from inside the book. You can see more images here.
Below is my favorite image from inside the book. You can see more images here.
August 17, 2020
One of my earliest and favourite books of childhood nursery rhymes (which I still have) was illustrated by the Grahame-Johnstone sisters, but it wasn’t until recently that I discovered that they actually illustrated a huge amount of other books! This collection of traditional fairytales was a great read, not so much because of the stories (which are expected and don’t show a lot of unique storytelling flair), but because the sisters did an excellent job of illustrating each story. I’ll never get tired of re-imaginings of traditional fairytales, as long as the illustrations give me something new, and the Grahame-Johnstones definitely do here. Throughout their characters are charming, and animals are believably anthropomorphized, and their careful attention to detail and colour scheme are excellently achieved. My favourite illustrations were those from “The Frog Prince” and “the Princess and the Pea”, because they are surprisingly reminiscent of the more adult illustrations of Kay Neilsen in their emotional quality and composition, but retained the Grahame-Johnstone’s trademark whimsical innocence. I’m definitely going to be keeping my eye out for more of their books, since they are definitely illustrators worth collecting, even if they don’t seem to have reached the critical acclaim of the earlier “golden age” illustrators.
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