Fairy Tales
Berlie Doherty, author of many books for young people, including  Carnegie Medal-winnerDear  Nobody, says fairy tales "are enchanted dreams. We remember them as if  they had been sung to us while we were under the spell of a long deep sleep."  And according to acclaimed picture-book illustrator Jane Ray, "fairy tales are  the earth beneath our feet, giving us roots and helping us find our place in the  world, but they also offer a glimpse of the magical and the enchanted." With two  such eloquently mystical creators at the helm, any collection of fairy tales is  bound to be magical. Sure enough, this team's magnificentFairy Talesglimmers and shines, giving new life to traditional favorites such as "Beauty  and the Beast," "Cinderella," "Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp," and "Hansel and  Gretel." Doherty's retellings are respectful of the originals, while  incorporating her own strong, vibrant voice. Ray's watercolor, ink, and collage  illustrations, surrounding the gold-framed text, are truly stunning, in exotic  colors and exquisite tapestry-style patterns. Characters seem to come from all  parts of the world--appropriately enough, since the stories have "echoes in many  different cultures." The Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, and Charles  Perrault would be proud. (Ages 8 to 12)--Emilie Coulter