English Fairy Tales - Illustrated by John D. Batten

Joseph's jacobs wonderful collection of original English fairy tales. These stories are some of the most famous and best-loved fairy tales from English folklore, including such stories as ‘Tom Tit Tot’, ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ and others. “English Fairy Tales” is sure to be enjoyed by children and lovers of folklore now just as they always have been, and it would make for a fantastic addition to family collections. The tales include: “Tom Tit Tot”, “The Three Sillies”, “The Rose-Tree”, “The Old Woman and Her Pig”, “How Jack Went to Seek his Fortune”, “Mr. Vinegar”, “Nix Nought Nothing”, “Jack Hannaford”, “Binnorie”, “Mouse and Mouser”, “Cap o’ Rushes”, “Teeny Tiny”, “Jack and the Beanstalk”, and many more.

Joseph Jacobs (1854 – 1916), was an Australian folklorist, literary critic, historian and writer of English literature, who became a notable collector and publisher of English folklore. Heavily influenced by the Brothers Grimm and the romantic nationalism ubiquitous in his contemporary folklorists, Jacobs was responsible for introducing English fairy tales to English children, who had previously chiefly enjoyed those derived from French and German folklore.

John Dickson Batten (1860 – 1932), was a British figure painter, as well as a book illustrator and printmaker. He illustrated almost all of Jacob’s works, including, English Fairy Tales (1890), Celtic Fairy Tales (1892), Indian Fairy Tales (1912), and European Folk and Fairy Tales (1916). In addition, Batten is also celebrated for his delicately rendered imaginings of Arabian Nights and Dante’s Inferno. Presented alongside the text of ‘More English Fairy Tales’, his illustrations further refine and elucidate Joseph Jacob’s enchanting narratives.

Pook Press celebrates the great ‘Golden Age of Illustration‘ in children’s classics and fairy tales – a period of unparalleled excellence in book illustration. We publish rare and vintage Golden Age illustrated books, in high-quality colour editions, so that the masterful artwork and story-telling can continue to delight both young and old.