The Barefoot Book of Fairy Tales

Product Description

Journey to magical and memorable lands with this long-awaited anthology of classic fairy tales from nine different countries and cultures. Including such favorites as Cinderella and The Sleeping Beauty, as well as lesser-known stories like the Ukrainian tale The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship, this collection is masterfully told by Malachy Doyle and illustrated in Nicoletta Ceccoli s always charming and thoroughly enchanting style.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 5–Doyle has turned his fluent pen to the retelling of 12 folktales: five from Germany, and one each from Spain, France, Ukraine, China, Argentina, and what he calls Native America and Arabia. Unfortunately the language he employs in his narrations is no more culturally specific than the broad labels on the table of contents. So the Ukrainian Fool of the World looks down from his flying ship and says to the man below, Sure, youve a basketful of it on your back already! And the heads of the terrifying man-eating fish in the Chinese story The Jeweled Sea are described as being twice the size of a football. Such turns of phrase do not actually injure the plots of the tales, but they detract from the ethnic atmosphere that might have enhanced them further. The playful, colorful acrylic-and-pastel illustrations likewise err on the side of a comfortable lack of specificity. Ceccolis human figures, with their minimally rendered expressions and rounded shapes, resemble interchangeable figures in a dollhouse set. Taken as a whole, the collection may serve as a read-aloud, but it should not be relied upon as an accurate representation of the folklore of any of the cultures from which Doyle drew the stories.
–Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 3. Doyle follows his
Tales from Old Ireland (2000) with a more global anthology that combines ubiquitous European fairy tales (“Hansel and Gretel” “Rumpelstiltskin”) with a few choices from other continents, such as “The Magic Ball,” from Argentina, and “The Jeweled Sea,” from China. Doyle’s retellings are swift and lively, and he maintains the original brutality of the stories, such as the parade of beheadings that starts off “The Twelve Dancing Princesses.” He also knows the details that will leave kids chortling: “Cut my toenails!” is among the commands made by Cinderella’s bullying stepsisters (referred to as “the lumpy one” and “the dumpy one”). Like Doyle’s text, Ceccoli’s acrylic-and-pastel artwork stays close to traditional images, while also injecting a modern vibrancy. The expected, lovely scenes of enchanted castles and princesses in ball gowns are shot through with acidic, almost neon contemporary hues. Comprehensive source notes conclude this handsome, energetic, and accessible addition to the crowded fairy-tale shelves.
Gillian Engberg

Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

“Malachy Doyle’s collection includes plenty of standards (Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Rumpelstiltskin), but is distinguished by its lesser known tales, including the high adventure of “The Jeweled Sea,” the dark suspense of “The Magic Ball,” and the wonderful oddities and wit of “The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship.” With Ceccoli’s gorgeous and occasionally quirky illustrations and Doyle’s traditional, uncluttered, lyrical retellings, this anthology makes a fantastic gift for modern kids seeking a little literary magic.” –Sioux Falls Woman Magazine

“[Doyle] knows the details that will leave kids chortling. ‘Cut my toenails!’ is among the commands made by Cinderella’s bullying stepsisters (referred to as ‘the lumpy one’ and ‘the dumpy one’). Like Doyle’s text, Ceccoli’s acrylic-and-pastel artwork stays close to traditional images, while also injecting a modern vibrancy.” –Booklist

“Malachy Doyle’s collection includes plenty of stan