M E R I D I A N     M A G A Z I N E

Classic Books that Still Enthrall
By Holly E. Newton

Classic stories are recycled over and over because they stand the test of time.  The great thing about these reissues is that they breathe new life in older and perhaps forgotten books.  These stories also receive a new format, new illustrations and interesting commentary about the origins of the stories. 

Furthermore, every one of these books begs to be read aloud.  Following is a list of classic reissues that will enthrall, engage and enlighten all ages.

Two of the most famous storytellers that have endured throughout the ages are Charles Peril and The Brothers Grimm.  These inspired men went from village to village gathering old folklore and tales and captured the essence of entertainment of old — storytelling.

Fortunately for our current generation, these stories have survived (many being made into movies) and continue to be enjoyed.  The Fairy Tales, translated by David Walser, has four of the most famous stories.   What I like most about this book is the extra large font making it easy for youngsters to follow along.  The wonderfully creative illustrations by the famous Jan Pienkowski make this large book a must! 

The information about these storytellers at the beginning of the book is very interesting.  I only wish there was a table of contents. 

The McElderry Book of Grimm’s’ Fairy Tales, retold by Sviour Pirotta, and illustrated by Emma Chickester Clark, has nine famous stories and one less known story (“Little Mouse and Lazy Cat”) with full page pictures that are loaded with color.

And while we are on stories that have been around for a long time, Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, retold and illustrated by Marcia Williams, reflect life back in the middle ages.  These tales, written about a band of travelers as they try to “out tale” each other, are interesting, humorous and give insight to the 14th Century.  Williams displays the stories in a cartoon format with many bright and colorful pictures helping the stories progress.  This book would be an excellent introduction into early literature for ages 11 through adult.

Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has been published in so many different formats.  Alison Jay has beautifully illustrated this incredible story in this newest edition.  It’s books like this that make me hopeful that more kids will read the original story that has so much more to offer than the Disney animated movie.

Hans Christian Anderson is another famous storyteller who wrote hundreds of wonderful stories that have endured through time.  The Princess and the Pea, retold and illustrated by Lauren Child, is uniquely told with the signature style of Child.  Each picture has the flair of using the drawings and settings drawn and built by the illustrator and then Polly Borland photographed the complete set.  The text is also typical of Child, with words being emphasized by using different fonts and sizes. There is so much to look at and enjoy that this book will surely be revisited many times.

The next three books were first written back in the early 20th century and recently reissued.  Millions of Cats, by Wanda Gag, won the Newbery Honor award back in 1929 and is still a delight about an elderly couple desiring to have a cat until they are beset upon by millions of cats.  Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel, by Virginia Lee Burton, has just been made into a board book and tells about this famous couple and how they helped a community navigate around their town.
 
Over the Moon:  Goodnight Moon, The Runaway Bunny, and My World, all by Margaret Wise Brown, and illustrated by Clement Hurd, are three classics compacted into one perfect sized picture book for easy travel.  If you haven’t read any of these three books — shame on you!

The last book was first published back in 1986 and is one of the first to place pockets and packets inside picture books.  The Jolly Postman or Other People’s Letters, by Janet & Allan Ahlberg, is a delightful story about a mail carrier distributing mail on behalf of very famous characters, who include Cinderella and the Three Bears.  All of the aforementioned reissues are sure to become favorites to the newest generation of children!

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