A charming and magical book of classic fairy tales for children and adults.
All avid readers know that one can never be “too old” for fairy tales. Though these charming stories may be written, retold, and published primarily for a market of young readers, a good fairy tale can be just as magical when you’re in your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond. Often, fairy tales also reignite a love of reading that may have been lost to the stressful pace of adult life.
Fairy Tale Land is a book of such classic fairy tales, though some of the details the world knows by heart have been reimagined. The real focus of this book is the setting—the worlds in which the stories take place—rather than the stories themselves. So just like Cinderella’s slipper, the title first perfectly, highlighting why this book of fairy tales is different from the rest.
Naturally, the vivid illustrations of lands like the underwater kingdom of Mertopolis from The Little Mermaid and the Great Pine Forest from Hansel and Gretel are the main drawing point. The book is larger than the average picture book to accommodate these elaborate artworks which bring the stories and characters within them to life. The colourful creations depicting the different fabled environments also encourage children to be interactive and imaginative with cues such as, “Wander the woodlands and avoid the witch’s house,” in the Great Pine Forest, and “Don’t be late to meet the Queen for croquet!” in Wonderland.
Though all of the fairy tales used are classics, the author and illustrator have moulded them to suit the current world, sometime subtly and other times more boldly. One of the best retellings is The Little Mermaid, which strays from the idea of a female character needing a prince to find a happy ending.
The illustrations also depict inclusive portrayals of characters rather than making them all white, an important step in increasing the representation of people from all races and identities. With this inclusivity, children from diverse backgrounds have a better chance of seeing themselves in the fairy tales and, in turn, feeling seen by the world.
There is a good range of stories here, all of them appropriately sized for the attention span of young children. Fairy Tale Land would make a wonderful gift and might even kick off a reading habit. With all its charm and magic, this is exactly the kind of book I would have clutched tightly as a child and fallen in love with.
Reviewed by Vanessa Elle
Instagram: @vanessaellewrites
Distributed by: Murdoch Books
Released: 5 October 2021
RRP: $35.00
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