Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10652 in Books
• Published on: 1999-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 160 pages

Customer Reviews

Should be edited
In my opinion, this book is ruined by the inclusion of the story 'Donkey-Skin'. As a first-time father reading this story at bedtime to my daughter, I found the incesteous undercurrent of this story both distasteful and uncomfortable reading.
By articulating exactly what was happening (by using the term "father's 'proposal') my skin was crawling. His actions led to the daughter having to make demands to try and 'put him off'. Just downright wrong.
Although I am usually against any sort of censorship, I can't help but feel this story has no place in our current times.
The editors/publishers should remove this story, which ruins a great book for me.

Dreamlike, ethereal. . .a treasure for young and old alike
I came across Adrienne Segur's artwork online-there are some truly lovely sites devoted to the illustrators of children's books, past and present-and was so taken with it that I ordered this book.As soon as I took it out of its packaging, my 5-year-old daughter exclaimed,"Those pictures are LOVELY!" And they are.There are pictures in colour-lovely bright tones, nothing gaudy or garish-and pictures done in exquisite dreamlike silvery tones, marvellous for evoking frost, or starlight, or the texture of a deer's skin.Each illustration has a whole page devoted to it.Some of the tales are traditional French ones-Ricky of the Tuft, Cinderella-naturally!-Green Snake, whilst others are Russian or Japanese.At the time this book was translated-I believe in the Forties or Fifties-it was unusual to have tales from different cultures in one volume.It's not at all unusual nowadays, and there are some wonderful collections of tales out there-some for the very young, some for older children and, let's face it, adults-but I don't think they will ever beat this collection for sheer beauty and magic.Both my daughter and I are entranced by it. I will certainly be buying Segur's The Snow Queen when I get the opportunity.

You Will Love This Book
I am so excited to see this book in print, i loved it as a child and read from it to my children, i rarely let them hold it because it is so old and fragile.The Pictures are absolutely beautiful, the stories are fascinating and it is a book you will treasure for life.