Book Guide

Favorite Fairy Tales told in simple, faithful versions by VIRGINIA HAVILAND, Readers Advisor for Children, Boston Public Library. These books bring the great old tales within the reach of all children, whether they read or listen. Each book provides a fascinating and valuable introduction to the folklore of the people to whom the stories belong.

"The Bee, the Harp, the Mouse, and the Bum-clock," "The Old Hag's Long Leather Bag," "Billy Beg and the Bull," "The Widow's Lazy Daughter," and "Patrick O'Donnell and the Leprechaun," illustrated in green and rust and black by Artur Marokvia.

From the dust jacket

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Virginia Haviland

Virginia Haviland

1911 - 1988
American
Readers' Advisor for Children, Boston Public Library, Associate Editor of the HORN BOOK MAGAZINE, lecturer in children's literature at Simmons ... See more
Artur Marokvia

Artur Marokvia

1909 - 1986
German-American
ARTUR MAROKVIA was born in Germany and studied art there and in France, where he lived for fifteen years. He is an accomplished pianist and also a s... See more

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Content Guide

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Resource Guide

The Literary Life
Podcast

Episode 70: Why Read Fairy Tales?
Released in 2020 by The Literary Life
Available formats: Streaming Audio
Length: 1 hr. 29 min.
View on the The Literary Life site

"Angelina Stanford and Cindy Rollins tackle the topic of fairy stories, discussing the what, why and how of reading them. Angelina shares the distinctive characteristics of fairy stories in contrast to other types of stories, such as myths. They deal with the question of whether fairy tales are 'escapist', the influence of the Grimm brothers scholarly work on interpreting fairy stories, and allowing the story to unveil its deeper truths without forcing meaning onto it.

Angelina gives an illustration of how to see the gospel messages in fairy tales by talking us through the story of Sleeping Beauty. She refutes the ideas that fairy tales are about human romance or are misogynistic. She also highlights some of the Enlightenment and Puritan responses to fairy tales that still linger with us today. Cindy and Angelina also discuss some common concerns such as the magical, weird, or scary aspects of fairy tales. Angelina also makes a distinction between folk tales, literary fairy tales, and cautionary tales."