Customer Reviews

Classic Fairy Tales

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I totally agree with other reviewers that the illustrations are totally awesome. But the text attempts too hard to stay true to the earliest versions of these tales so as to make it difficult to read out loud to small children. In some cases, things only made sense when we referred back to some of the European language versions from my wife's childhood. I'm not suggesting references to wicked step-mothers trying to have their step-children offed be removed. And maybe the writers are reacting to the overly PC/Disney-sanitized for your protection trend. I am referring more to story flow. Just as much of the magic of the story can be conveyed through sounds and rhythms as much as the illustrations and accuracy. At the end of the day, I would still highly recommend to others: Just make sure you read it to yourself first and transliterate with spirit when reading out loud to eager young ears.

The artist is not only superlative, the tales are clearly researched back to their origins, making this book wonderful for adults who remember their own fairy tales of youth. The artwork is perfectly entrancing, with detail that keep both young and old spellbound. Destined for greatness in a field glutted with medocrity in both art and story. A Classic for Every Library.

I really like this book. The stories are classic though changed a bit on a few of them. The illistrations are beautiful....my son loves looking at the pictures. BUT..... the wording is to complicated for a 4 year old. My son was getting bored because he wasn't understanding alot of it. So I started reading the book and changing the wording so he could understand it. Not exactly my idea of fun reading. It's still a good book, just for older kids.

I bought this book mostly because I am a fan of Scott Gustafson's art work. I was not disappointed. There are illustrations on almost every page with many two page spreads.

The text is pretty standard "fairy tales" stuff, but I feel that the illustrations make it come alive and would excite the imagination of the younger reader. Definitly recommended.

The illustrations alone were worth the purchase, but what I liked about the book was that the telling for the most part remained true to what I recalled from childhood. This is a refreshing change from so other nursery rhyme or fairy tale compilations which have been "updated" in odd and unnecessary ways.

Since I purchased Scott Gustafson's Classic Fairy Tales several weeks ago, my four-year old (going on 4-1/2) daughter and I have been absolutely captivated by his exquisite illustrations. This collection remains the show-stopper each and every evening before bed (and in this case, my interest has been sustained as well). I think my daughter is responding not only to the beauty of the pictures, but to Mr. Gustafson's sensitive and nuanced depiction of emotion in the character's faces. It's this latter aspect of the illustrations that sets them apart, in my opinion.

These versions of the classic fairy tales are well-tailored to her pre-school age, introducing her to the more literary themes of good and evil without becoming too graphic or brutal. The volume includes 10 tales: Goldilocks, Red Riding Hood, Three Pigs, Snow White, Cinderella, Rumplestiltskin, Hansel and Gretel, Puss in Boots, Tom Thumb, Frog Prince. They include references to death, starvation (eg in Hansel and Gretel), and boiling big bad wolves -- elements that I sanitized in my reading of other versions when she was younger (2-3 years old) but which she now accepts in these renditions without any fear. On the other hand, some of the most gruesome features of the original tales have been eliminated (for example, Snow White's stepmother just drops down dead at the end and doesn't dance to her death in red-hot iron shoes!) I strongly disagree with another reviewer's criticism of stilted language. To the contrary, the vocabulary and syntax are more mature, perhaps a little lyrical like in the classic tales, which I think provides a natural transition to school-age literature. I realize my daughter doesn't yet understand some of the vocabulary, but when the stories are read out loud with feeling, it's surprising the degree of detail she does grasp, piecing together meanings on her own.

All in all a very exceptional and wonderful volume. I know we'll be returning to this glorious volume for years to come and storing it away for her own children some day. My only disappointment is that there isn't a volume number two!

I first discovered Scott Gustafson's artwork a few years back and I absolutely fell in love with his paintings. If anyone has seen his editions of Peter Pan and The Nutcracker, then your eyes have seen some of the most beautiful paintings to grace the pages of storybooks in the past few years. When I discovered that Scott was going to release a book of fairy tales, I could hardly wait. 10 of his original paintings that were featured on various mediums from collector's plates to limited edition prints served as the basis for this collection of stories. When I received the book, I couldn't wait to see the paintings. I soon found myself having a ridiculously large smile, his paintings instantly sparked my imagination. I could barely contain myself. While all of the stories are richly illustrated, my favorites in particular are Snow White, Hansel and Gretel and Cinderella. This is a book that is beyond compare and is a prized work from a wonderful illustrator. The large format is ideal for little hands as well as being a wonderful coffee table book. Anyone who simply sees the cover of this book, surely must want to take a peek inside. With all of our favorite characters on the cover who wouldn't want to? The stories are also well researched, and although nothing fancy, they are true to the original tales. This book would be a great way to introduce the original versions of the stories to the young. This book is on my list and I Highly Recommend it to absolutely everyone! A+

The lavish paintings in the book are sure to spark the imaginations of young minds. The illustrations (in the style of N. C. Wyeth) are so rich and beautiful, I could see my young son eagerly scanning every one, wide-eyed as I turned each page!
I couldn't recommend this book more! It's well worth the modest price. I can't wait to see more work by Scott Gustafson! (How about a Volume II Scott?)

This is the most beautiful fairy tale collection I have seen. The illustrations are so engaging and are truly beautiful with many details that will delight every child. The text for each tale is true to the original fairy tale which makes this collection especially valuable to me as a teacher. This is a definitive collection for anyone intersted in fairy tales. Scott Gustafson is an amazing artist.

Classic Fairy Tales is a wonderful book for children. The illustrations are extremely beautiful and will keep children interested and wanting to hear the stories again and again. Also, the stories follow the original stories rather well--not full of politically correct lines. I love this book, and I have purchased three copies. It is a book that I intend to give for gifts. When one of my sons saw this book, he said "This book is great" and he is 23!