Nutcracker


E.T.A. Hoffmann - 1816
    Hoffmann in 1816, has fascinated and inspired artists, composers, and audiences for almost two hundred years. It has retained its freshness because it appeals to the sense of wonder we all share.Maurice Sendak designed brilliant sets and costumes for the Pacific Northwest Ballet's Christmas production of Nutcracker and has created even more magnificent pictures especially for this book. He has joined with the eminent translator Ralph Manheim to produce this illustrated edition of Hoffmann's wonderful tale, destined to become a classic for all ages.The world of Nutcracker is a world of pleasures. Maurice Sendak's art illuminates the delights of Hoffmann's story in this rich and tantalizing treasure.

Irish Fairy and Folk Tales


W.B. Yeats - 1888
    Yeats included almost every sort of Irish folk in this marvelous compendium of fairy tales and songs that he collected and edited for publication in 1892.-- Yeats was fascinated by Irish myths and folklore, and joined forces with the writers of the Irish Literary Revival. He studied Irish folk tales and chose to reintroduce the glory and significance of Ireland's past through this unique literature.

A Treasury of Classic Fairy Tales: Includes Pdf


Chris Colfer - 2016
    If you notice anything glowing, followed by an inviting humming noise, don't be afraid! That is just the book's magic. 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!

Mad About Madeline: The Complete Tales


Ludwig Bemelmans - 1939
    This collection brings together all six of the Madeline books in one volume. Every well-loved word and picture is here, plus an introduction by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Anna Quindlen, an essay by Ludwig Bemelmans on how he created Madeline, and working sketches of Madeline, as well as photos of the Bemelmans family. This landmark volume will be treasured by the entire family.

Bulfinch's Mythology


Thomas Bulfinch - 1855
            The stories are divided into three sections: The Age of Fable or Stories of Gods and Heroes (first published in 1855); The Age of Chivalry (1858), which contains King Arthur and His Knights, The Mabinogeon, and The Knights of English History; and Legends of Charlemagne or Romance of the Middle Ages (1863). For the Greek myths, Bulfinch drew on Ovid and Virgil, and for the sagas of the north, from Mallet's Northern Antiquities. He provides lively versions of the myths of Zeus and Hera, Venus and Adonis, Daphne and Apollo, and their cohorts on Mount Olympus; the love story of Pygmalion and Galatea; the legends of the Trojan War and the epic wanderings of Ulysses and Aeneas; the joys of Valhalla and the furies of Thor; and the tales of Beowulf and Robin Hood. The tales are eminently readable. As Bulfinch wrote, "Without a knowledge of mythology much of the elegant literature of our own language cannot be understood and appreciated. . . . Our book is an attempt to solve this problem, by telling the stories of mythology in such a manner as to make them a source of amusement."Thomas Bulfinch, in his day job, was a clerk in the Merchant's Bank of Boston, an undemanding position that afforded him ample leisure time in which to pursue his other interests. In addition to serving as secretary of the Boston Society of Natural History, he thoroughly researched the myths and legends and copiously cross-referenced them with literature and art. As such, the myths are an indispensable guide to the cultural values of the nineteenth century; however, it is the vigor of the stories themselves that returns generation after generation to Bulfinch.

The Nixie's Song


Tony DiTerlizzi - 2007
    Eleven-year-old Nicholas Vargas only thinks his life has been turned upside down after his developer father remarries and moves his new wife and daughter into the soon-to-be completed Mangrove Hollow. But an "expedition" to a nearby lake turns up a little nixie with a giant problem - the huge, lumbering, fire-breathing variety - and it's up to Nick; his stepsister, Laurie; and his big brother, Julian (plus a familiar face from the original Spiderwick Chronicles) to figure out the best way to stop a host of rampaging giants before all of Florida goes up in smoke.

The Enchanted Wood


Enid Blyton - 1939
    In the magic Faraway Tree live the magical characters that soon become their new friends – Moon-Face, Silky the fairy, and Saucepan Man. Together they visit the strange lands (the Roundabout Land, the Land of Ice and Snow, Toyland and the Land of Take What You Want) atop the tree and have the most exciting adventures – and narrow escapes.

The Sleeping Beauty


Trina Schart Hyman - 1971
    How could everyone in a castle - even the flies on the walls - sleep for a century and then wake up? This magical, beautifully illustrated tale begins when the king excludes the most difficult fairy of the kingdom from a feast celebrating the birth of his beautiful daughter Briar Rose. Furious, the fairy storms in and curses the baby, pronouncing that on her fifteenth birthday she will be pricked by a distaff (from a spinning wheel) and fall down dead. The youngest fairy softens the curse to a century-long sleep. Despite the fact that the king burns all the spinning wheels in the kingdom, 15-year-old Briar Rose finds herself in the tower where the evil fairy and her fate await her. The drama of the spell unfurls as she and the other inhabitants of the castle fall instantly asleep, from courtiers to kitchen maids. Thorny briars - moodily captured by Trina Schart Hyman's masterful paintbrush - grow up around the castle. Hyman depicts those who died attempting to break through the maze of thorns to reach the legendary sleeping beauty in a nightmarish illustration. But goodness and true love prevail when the perfect prince does finally find his way through the thick vines.Hyman won a Caldecott Medal for her work in Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges, and her version of The Sleeping Beauty makes us believe in the magic of the spell. The scenes inside the castle are alive with color and movement and rich with details that children will devour eagerly. Moods and expressions are rendered exquisitely, especially those of the wild, red-haired beauty Briar Rose. This wonderful read-aloud classic is one of Hyman's best.

The Wonder Clock; or, Four and Twenty Marvelous Tales, Being One for Each Hour of the Day


Howard Pyle - 1887
    But Howard Pyle's absorbing tales have for generations enjoyed such overwhelming popularity with boys and girls that they have earned this unique distinction. This collection includes some of his most entertaining and imaginative works—24 delightful fairy tales, one for each hour of the day.When the Wonder Clock strikes one, a story unfolds that reveals how a youth raised by bears and fed on bear milk grew up to be the strongest man in the land and was able to kill the fiery dragon with three heads and rescue the princess. The two o-clock adventure tells of the faithful servant's search for a cup of the Water of Life. Other tales deal with giants and ogres, kings and princesses, wicked stepmothers, three-eyed witches and three-headed dragons, talking animals and talking trees. Among the remaining stories are "How Boots Befooled the King," "Cousin Greylegs, the Great Red Fox, and Grandfather Mole," and "The Three Little Pigs and the Ogre."A large measure of Howard Pyle's amazing success with youngsters is his genius as an illustrator. Accompanying this collection are some of his most unforgettable illustrations, drawings which capture all of the magical splendor of Wonderland and its inhabitants. Each story is preceded by a delightful verse by Katharine Pyle that indicates the hour of the day and sets the stage for the tale which is to follow. This is a collection of fairy tales that no growing boy or girl should be without. Parents, too, will look forward to reading these stories to their children. 148 illustrations.

The Night Before Christmas


Clement C. Moore - 1823
    Nicholas". No one claimed authorship until 13 years later. Clement Clarke Moore, a professor and poet, said that he wrote the piece for his children. Unbeknownst to him, his housekeeper had sent it to the newspaper to be published. However, the family of Henry Livingston Jr. contended that their father had been reciting “A Visit from St. Nicholas” for 15 years prior to publication. Regardless of the true author, the poem is now a Christmas classic.

Matchless


Gregory Maguire - 2009
    In "Matchless", Maguire adds a different dimension to the story, intertwining the match girl's tale with that of a young boy, Frederik, whose own yearnings are the catalyst for a better future for himself and his family. Maguire uses his storytelling magic to rekindle Andersen's original intentions, and to suggest transcendence, the permanence of spirit, and the continuity that links the living and the dead.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard


J.K. Rowling - 2008
    K. Rowling, that will be treasured for years to come.

Disney Frozen: A Frozen Heart


Elizabeth Rudnick - 2015
    Told in alternating chapters from both Anna's and Hans' perspectives, A Frozen Heart takes a sophisticated look at events of Frozen, exploring the couple's backstories, motivations, and doomed relationship.

The Water Babies


Charles Kingsley - 1863
    While engaged in this dreadful task, he loses his way and emerges in the bedroom of Ellie, the young daughter of the house who mistakes him for a thief. He runs away, and, hot and bothered, he slips into a cooling stream, falls fast asleep, and becomes a water baby.In this new life, he meets all sorts of aquatic creatures, including an engaging old lobster, other water babies, and at last reaches St Branden's Isle where he encounters the fierce Mrs Bedonbyasyoudid and the motherly Mrs Doasyouwouldbedoneby. After a long and arduous quest to the Other-end-of-Nowhere young Tom achieves his heart's desire.

Disney's The Little Mermaid


Stephanie Calmenson - 1992
    She gets her chance after making a deal with an evil sea witch, but something’s fishy! Can Flounder, Sebastian, and Scuttle help make the little mermaid’s dream come true? Find out in this full-color retelling of Disney’s classic film, The Little Mermaid.