Customer Reviews

The Ugly Duckling and Other Fairy Tales (Dover Children's Thrift Classics)

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This brief book of eight fairy tales is a great value. Included are "The Ugly Duckling," "The Emperor's New Clothes," "The Princess and the Pea," "The Red Shoes," "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Nightengale," These are the real fairy tales that might be a bit frightening for some young children. For example, in "The Red Shoes," the main character is punished for her idolatry of the red shoes that she proudly wears: an angel judges that she must dance without ceasing. The poor girl cannot remove the shoes and must eventually ask the town executioner to chop off her feet with his axe. Of course, with her new wooden feet created by the axman, her attention turns to attending Church and God's mercy. At the end, the angel reappears to her and her soul is taken to heaven. Obviously, chopping off a child's feet could cause some fear in young children, but the story could lead to some deep and rich conversations with older children regarding values and morals. I recommend this book because it's the real McCoy--not a Disney-esque rendering to make it palatable to all. This edition includes illustrations by Harriet Golden.