Tales From a Tall Forest
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Once upon a time being, forever and ever ago, there lived a forest tall of tales ...
When an innocent princess wanders into the forest, she finds herself trapped between a wolf with a ravenous appetite and a sweet little house with a secret. Meanwhile, a desperate fisherman enters into a very bad bargain with a power-hungry monkey. And meanerwhile still, a tiny tricksy tailor promises a promise that not even the most magic of beanstalks can help him escape.
In this rich and rambunctious tapestry of tales, satirist Shaun Micallef unravels the traditional fairy story and nimbly weaves your favourite characters into new and surprising adventures. Illustrated by award-winning artist Jonathan Bentley, this subversively silly trilogy will captivate parents and children alike – and indignant fairytale authors too.
More grim than Grimms', less soppy than Aesop.
• Winner of the 2018 ABDA Awards: Best Designed Children's Fiction Book
• Shortlisted for the 2018 ABIA Book of the Year for Older Children
• Longlisted for the 2018 Indie Book Awards: Children's
• A 2018 CBCA Notable Book of the Year: Picture Book of the Year
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In his children's debut, Australian comedian Micallef mixes and matches classic fairy tale elements to create an interwoven trio of stories, which reconsider old favorites in new ways. "The Wolf and the Princess and the Trail of Crumbs," for instance, blends "Snow White" with "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Hansel and Gretel," while "The Fisherman and the Monkey and the Three Wishes," casts a hapless fisherman in the role of wish-granter to an ambitious monkey. "The Magic Beans and the Peddler's Wife" sees "Jack and the Beanstalk" merged with several tailor-related stories, such as "The Emperor's New Clothes." There's a tongue-in-cheek tone to the narrative: "Born of hysteria, hallucinogenic toadstools, and outright lies, a folklore grew like Topsy about the forest and these stories were told and retold in endless variations," the introduction claims. Young audiences will appreciate the stories' clever playfulness, and adults will catch the occasional sly wink aimed at them. Bentley's stylized, expressive black-and-white caricatures with red accents bring the characters and situations to life. This is bound to appeal to fairy tale fans of all ages. Ages 7 9.
