Ruth Ainsworth

When they are left in the woods by their parents, two children find their way home despite an encounter with a wicked witch.

Mrs. Candy finds Shellover the Tortoise in her garden, and he has many tales to tell her and her pets.

Thirteen folktales from many lands reveal the customs of such places as Africa, America, China, and Japan.

A little girl meets a hungry wolf in the forest while on her way to visit her sick grandmother.

Fourteen tales about real and imaginary animals, including "The Monkey Mouse, "The Wandering Cat," and "The Ant and the Dove."

Through simple text and silhouette illustrations, relates the classic tale of the consequences when, disgruntled at not being invited to the princess's christening, a wicked fairy casts a spell that dooms the princess to sleep for a hundred years.

Thirty-six brief tales include "When I was Small as a Pin," "Mr. Moon," "A Cradle for a Fairy."

An excellent book for all ages, both children and parents. So many wonderful stories with many of the characters being repeated in further tales as in "A Dolls House Story" of which there are six small stories. The same with the " Little Yellow Taxi stories." Altogether there is 140 entry's from rhymes to poems and tales. Every page and there is almost 200, has an array of wonderful pictures. A fabulous introduction from Ruth Ainsworth herself expresses her feelings about the book and also her reasons for all the content. I do love her last paragraph as being a mother of five, grandmother of 19 and great grandmother of 8, I have much experience with bedtime stories. I quote : "A child being read to is a happy child, but the blessing is on the reader, too. Such shared joys are unforgettable. Such hours come back again and again in memory, when the little listener has become the parent and reader in their turn. To be able to look back with delight on the lovely story times of their youth, and take care that their own children have the same delight."