English Fairy Tales (Calla Editions) Hardcover – September 14, 2011

In my review, I'm more comparing how this book meets my expectations based on what I have read from the more well known fairy tale compilers like the Grimm Brothers and Hans Christian Anderson. Some of these English fairy tales are very familiar, but they are not always quite how I know them.The first impression I had was that this book is more varied in terms of 'fairy tales'. There are a lot of folk tales, and silly children's stories that don't have any moral or resolution really ("Master of all Masters springs to mind, as a short tale that seems to have the point of reciting silly words). There is also a fixation on the name Jack for a lot of these characters. I just thought that was interesting. I wonder if they are all the same person. There is also references to King Arthur and his court which I found very fascinating because some of these tales seem grounded in realistic detail. They mention Kings who reigned and real locations in England as having seen the events in the story. It makes the tales a little less fantastical, even when there are giants roaming the English countryside.Probably the tale that most surprised me was the story of Dick Whittington which now I realize I confused with the French "Puss in Boots" fairy tale. Dick Whittington's story is much less magical, and more about being lucky enough to have a very industrious cat who likes to hunt mice. "Mr. Fox" kind of stood out to me for its implied romance, gruesomeness, and the confrontation by the heroine. There are not too many stories in this book that are the same ilk. And lastly a story that I was surprised to see included was "The Golden Arm" which I was always more familiar with as a ghost story. But now I know it is definitely a very old one.With the more realistic settings, sometimes whimsical nature of a few tales, and the English slang that is used at times, this book of fairy tales is rather different from what I'm used to. I find it very interesting to read the original of familiar tales and see how things have changed. For instance "The Story of the Three Bears" is more familiar to readers as "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." In the original story there is no Goldilocks - rather the intruder is a very disagreeable old woman. This book is definitely worth a read, for something different than the usual stories and perhaps to find some new favorite fairy tales.

Really nice collection of Folk Tales ( Fairy Tales or Scary Tales). Every culture has stories that pass down through the generations and this was an interesting read. Some of them only slightly different in the animated versions and story books I grew up with. Some have a moral to the story and many are really frightful and violent. The name of the character most often used appears to be Jack. Several have the beginning Once upon a time....and the phrase "Fe, fi, fo, fum" is used by several giants and evil peoples. So if you want to scare your little ones into behaving or giving them nightmares this is the book for you. But if your like me sugar coat everything, they will be spending more years as a grown up than as a child.

I have been collecting the Calla Editions' books since 2009. My first purchase was Tales of Mystery and Imagination (Calla Editions) and I was so impressed with the quality (wonderful illustrations, superior binding, etc.) that I began collecting the Calla books. Each and every book has been a delight, and not only have these books enhanced my home library, they have been a joy to peruse and read over and over again. Each book is illustrated by a well-known illustrator such as Arthur Rackham, Kay Nielsen, Chris Van Allsburg, etc. and the illustrations are the true highlights in each book.In Calla Editions' English Fairy Tales, the illustrations are by Arthur Rackham, a renowned early 20th century British illustrator (who also provided the illustrations for Calla Editions' Grimm's Fairy Tales). This edition contains many of Rackham's amazing black and white illustrations, including silhouettes. In addition, there are sixteen large color plates.For those who might be interested, here is a listing of the stories included in this edition:St. George of Merrie EnglandThe Story of the Three BearsTom-Tit-TotThe Golden Snuff BoxTattercoatsThe Three FeathersLazy JackJack the Giant-KillerThe Three SilliesThe Golden BallThe Two SistersThe Laidly WormTitty Mouse and Tatty MouseJack and the BeanstalkThe Black Bull of NorrowayCatskinThe Three Little PigsNix Naught NothingMr. and Mrs. VinegarThe True History of Sir Thomas ThumbHenny-PennyThe Three Heads of the WellMr. FoxDick Whittington and His CatThe Old Woman and Her PigThe Wee BannockHow Jack Went Out to Seek His FortuneThe Bogey-BeastLittle Red Riding-HoodChilde RowlandThe Wise Men of GothamCaporushesThe Babes in the WoodThe Red EttinThe Fish and the RingLawkamercymeMaster of all MastersMolly Whuppie and the Double-Faced GiantThe Ass, the Table, and the StickThe Well of the World's EndThe Rose TreeThese Calla Edition books are heirloom-quality and are a must-have for any collector and fan of well-illustrated, quality books.

Cute selection of fairytales. It's a great addition to anyone's book collection. My nieces' favorite tales are: The Three Feathers, Lazy Jack, The Two Sisters, The Golden Ball and Jack the Giant-Killer. Love that Kindle has this available.

There is no plot. This is a book of English fairy tales. Reprint of the original. I do want to say here that the flow of print on the pages does not flow at all as if they just set the printer on "go". The illustrations look like xeroxed copies and are quite gray and blurry. Was disappointed in this purchase.

I like fairy tales.This book have the original fairy tales.This book is a sort of raw.But I like what it is.If you want to read original fairy tales, try this book.

This book has many of the traditional fairy tales, including Jack and the Beanstalk, the Three Little Pigs and versions of Goldilocks and other favorites. The history of each along with notes and commentary are in the appendix. This is definitely an adult targeted book, and a good read.

This is a fabulous book which I had as a little girl. Mine was not as nice a copy as this one but its the stories that I love it for, my favourite being Childe Rowland. I searched high and low to find this story and it was only by chance that I ever did. One always assumes fairy stories come from Hans Christian Anderson or the Brothers Grimm. Well none of these included were ever penned by the aforenamed. These are in some cases perhaps a little less known but no less enjoyable stories and I bought this for my collection because I loved it so much. However everyone knows the 3 Bears, The 3 Little Pigs, Jack and the Beanstalk and Dick Whittington? They also know Tom Tit Tot (I hope) and also Red Riding Hood. Others that I love and recommend are Mr and Mrs Vinegar (who live in a bottle), Henny Penny, the Black Bull of Norraway and Caporushes. These are really lovely stories and there are loads of them. Children will be enthralled especially when read out loud. They are totally enchanting.This hard back would make a lovely present for a child to be read to (some of the words are quite hard) and a delight on any book shelf.Now can anyone help me track down a copy of a fairy story called the HAIRY BOGGART? Genuine thanks if you can

We love Wordsworth Classics and both myself and my daughter have really enjoyed reading this book together. They are great value at £2.50!

This collection of some of our greatest stories includes English folk and fairy tales, Everything from Jack and the Beanstalk, Tom Thumb, Dick Whittington, and The Three Bears and possibly a few you might not of read before. Great for all ages and will bring back childhood memories. This collection is a must for all ages to read.

I originally bought it to read to my grandchildren ( aged 3), however it seems to be designed for much older children- no pictures and the text is small together with a vocabulary that is probably gauged for older children- I would guess 8yrs and over. However Im sure it will be appreciated in later years

Well told Classic English Fairy tales that will interest children of all ages.