Brian Froud's Faeries' Tales

Gr 9 Up—This elegant presentation of well-known and more obscure fairy tales from the point of view of the fairies combines the mysterious and magical with cold calculation and complexity: successful ingredients for sophisticated readers. The authors whimsically present the perspectives of the different fairies, thus revealing their thoughts and motivations. Breaking up the first-person accounts is a story about the little Duster fairies, which gives structure and ongoing focus. This treatment puts all the stories in a different light and makes fresh and new even the most well-known tales, such as "Tam Lin," "Cinderella," and "Sleeping Beauty," as well as the lesser known fairies, such as Moon Dancer, the King's Knight, Alyssa the Changeling-Maker, and the Shadow Man. The art is rich with deep colors, intricate borders, fanciful sketches, and searching portraits, creating a background for the humorous, romantic, sad, or dangerous tales. The last section includes documentation, which will be a solid resource for readers who want the authors' source materials and suggestions.