Little Book of Fairy Tales

Beautifully retold and vibrantly illustrated, Verónica Uribe's versions of these tales are based on numerous sources, including collections from the Brothers Grimm, nineteenth-century Germany, and those of Charles Perrault from late seventeenth-century France. The result is a lively and refreshing retelling of many traditional stories. For example, in "Sleeping Beauty", Uribe adopts the humorous dialogue that appeared in the original French version: "No sooner had the prince's lips touched the princess's own gentle lips than she opened her eyes, smiled, stretched, and said, 'What took you so long, my prince?'"

In her selections, Uribe was also guided by her familiarity with Bruno Bettelheim who detailed the elements in fairy tales most important for a child's emotional development. Notes at the end of the book discuss the origin and history of each tale, how different versions vary, and how children might identify with the heroes and heroines in some of the stories.