Showing posts with label giveaway. Show all posts
Showing posts with label giveaway. Show all posts

Saturday, August 8, 2015

Lyngo's "Puss In Boots" Betrays It's Commedia dell'Arte Roots (And It's Awesome!) + A Chance To Get A Children's Ticket On Us!

This is the perfect context for the phrase "theater toys", because play is a large part of how Lyngo Theater tells their stories in their Children's Theater productions. In the currently running production Puss In Boots, The Master Cat is clearly a master of this medium. It's a wonderfully inventive, one-man show (with music and prop support) yet rooted strongly in traditional street theater and puppetry.

Take a look at the promo video below and you'll see what I mean:
Turns out, Lyngo IS related to the Commedia dell'Arte tradition! In fact, the whole company has strong Italian connections and manages to elevate Children's Theater without compromising on theatrical and storytelling quality.


If you've seen as much Children's Theater as I have, especially very young children's theater, you'll know it's quite a feat to manage this. So often Children's Theater has to manage on minimal budgets, unskilled volunteers and hand-me-down 'everythings', until what started out as an excellent idea tends to get watered down till it becomes the seriously poor cousin of 'real theater' and isn't given the respect it deserves for being many children's first introduction to live performing arts.
        
There has definitely been a change in this trend recently. I've seen some incredible productions begin to get attention here and there, especially if they're very innovative with their medium, and Lyngo is definitely part of this new generation of excellent theater you should take children to.

Here's a little bit about Lyngo, from their publicity page:
LYNGO is a UK based children’s theatre company with strong Italian connections. Our shows have delighted children and adults for over 10 years with their unique mix of fun and beautiful imagery, working magically together to reveal the vivid poetic realm that is at the heart of our work.Our trademark features are a singular visual flair, an inventive use of props -beautifully designed and hand-made ‘theatre toys’- and an interactive and genuine approach to play, no matter the age of our audience. Lyngo has currently on offer a repertoire of end-on shows for older children (3-10 years) and in-the-round interactive shows for a very young audience (1-5 years) “Lyngo knows the score when it comes to producing theatre for the very young. “ The Stage

And a little about Patrick Lynch, whom you see in the video above:
WRITER, ACTOR AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR  Patrick Lynch has specialised in children’s theatre since 2003, after a wide-ranging career in theatre, television and film and academia. He studied psychology at Glasgow University and then dramatherapy and worked for many years with special-needs groups. He has worked extensively in Europe in theatre-forms like Commedia dell’Arte and clowning. In the UK he has acted and directed for companies like Oily Cart and been a workshop and project leader for many organisatons. Since 2006 he has been presenting television programmes for the BBC on their channel Cbeebies.
Lyngo theater is currently performing Puss In Boots around the UK and will be for the rest of the year, at least until December - aka panto season. (I dearly wish they were touring internationally!)
            
Check the Touring Schedule tab HERE for the specifics, and please let us know if you go! 

In fact...

- newsflash...newsflash... ANNOUNCEMENT!... newsflash... newsflash -
If you are in the UK and would like to go I will pay for one children's ticket in return for a short* review, that includes a one-line (or half-line!) quote from the child you take with you, on what they thought of the show. I'm offering one ticket only, so first come, first serve. Just email me at fairytalenews AT gmail DOT com with your name, the name and age of the child you are taking (to put the ticket in their name) and when and where you want to go. We'll set up a reserved ticket at the box office for you.

* 'short' means, literally, just a few lines, unless you feel like writing more (which we would also love), in which case I would just ask you keep it under 500 words. Ish.

Saturday, August 1, 2015

And the WINNER of the "The Wild Girl" Giveaway Is...

Many thanks to all our elves for sorting through the entries and verifying each individually (yes - they checked each one!). All the verified correct entries were entered into a (virtual) hat from which was pulled... 

Danzel at Silver Shoes and Rabbit Holes, with her Pinterest entry link! 

CONGRATULATIONS Danzel!

Please email me at fairytalenews AT gmail DOT com with your US mailing address, and we will have Kate Forsyth's US edition of The Wild Girl sent to you ASAP.

Note: You have till TUESDAY noon - August 4th - to claim your prize.
If unclaimed we will put all the entries back in the hat to draw another winner.

Friday, July 31, 2015

GIVEAWAY! (Post pinned till entry deadline)

Click link HERE for details on how to enter for your very own copy!

Thursday, July 30, 2015

ONE DAY LEFT to Enter "The Wild Girl" Giveaway!

Our elves will start work at midnight their time on the dot FRIDAY NIGHT JULY 31st, (they live in California), to verify entries for inclusion in the giveaway!

You can click HERE to check the entry instructions,
if you don't know them already. 

Look below at how lovely this book is!
The lucky WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED on SATURDAY NIGHT, August 1st.
And remember, YES! You may enter more than once!
(Just hurry!)

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

"The Wild Girl" by Kate Forsyth GIVEAWAY! (Entry details)

"The Brothers Grimm left one tale untold..."

Once upon a time there were six sisters.
The pretty one, the musical one, the clever one, the helpful one, the young one... 
And then there was the Wild one.

Dortchen Wild has loved Wilhelm Grimm since she as a young girl. Under the forbidding shadow of her father and the tyranny of Napoleon's army, the pair meet secretly to piece together a magical fairy tale collection.

The story behind the stories of the Brothers Grimm.

Thanks to the lovely folks at St. Martin's Press, we're having a GIVEAWAY! 

There's been a lot of buzz over the US release of Kate Forsyth's book The Wild Girl, including here at Once Upon A Blog. We've been treated to a wonderful review HERE and most especially an exclusive 'Behind the Pages' interview with author Kate Forsyth herself HERE (complete with photos from her notebooks!).

To enter the giveaway all you have to do is help spread the word about Kate Forsyth's new (US edition) book in some way via any form of social media:

1. Link to the interview or the review or this giveaway post via some form of social media. You can use:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Any other social media platform!

2. Make sure your post is public so it can be verified as a valid entry. (This is especially important to double check if you're using Facebook. We had a number of entries in our last giveaway that couldn't be verified because we couldn't see them.)

3. Put the link, along with your name (especially important if you usually comment anonymously), in the comment section of this post at Once Upon A Blog.

4. Do this as many times as you wish BEFORE MIDNIGHT CA time on Friday July 31st, 2015 (ONE entry per social media platform per day please - we don't want to spam people!)

5. Check back on Saturday August 1st at the end of the day to see who the lucky winner is, which will be announced, once our elves have finished verifying all the entries!

I will be placing a pinned post with a link to these instructions at the top of the blog shortly, to stay until the deadline for your easy reference.

Have fun and good luck!

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

And the WINNER of "The Silver Witch" Giveaway Is...

Many thanks to all our elves for sorting through the entries and verifying each individually (yes - they checked each one!). All the verified correct entries were entered into a (virtual) hat from which was pulled... Jillian Leigh, with her Pinterest entry link! 
CONGRATULATIONS JILLIAN!
Please email me at fairytalenews AT gmail DOT com with your mailing address (if you are in the US, or your preferred email address to be sent the winning e-book), and we will have Paula Brackston's newest book sent to you ASAP.
Note: You have till Friday noon - April 24th - to claim your prize. If unclaimed we will put all the entries back in the hat to draw another winner.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

TODAY is the LAST DAY to Enter Our GIVEAWAY for "The Silver Witch" by Paula Brackston

Our elves will be verifying entries starting today and tallying and sorting once midnight has come and gone. We will be announcing sometime during the day tomorrow (WEDNESDAY). It's easy to enter (and you can enter multiple times for more chances!) - details are in the pinned post at the top if the blog, though it will only be there one more day....

GIVEAWAY! -- "The Silver Witch" by Paula Brackston -- ENDS APRIL 21st!

To be entered into the drawing for a lovely hardback copy of The Silver Witch,
you can do one of two things - or do more than one and get multiple entries!
Note: This giveaway is open to all countries! However, due to shipping issues, hard copies can only be mailed to US, UK & Canadian readers. E-books will be sent to winners living anywhere else.
1) You can link to the interview posted on Tuesday April 14th (HERE) at Once Upon A Blog via a Tweet, Pinterest, Tumblr, Facebook or use any other social media (make it public so we can see please) and put the link in the comments below there OR in the comments of this 'pinned' GIVEAWAY post that will (hopefully) remain at the head of the blog for the week. Our elves will check each link - and each verified one = one entry (yes - that means you could eg. Tweet and Facebook and get 2 entries!). One link only per comment please! (No limit on comments. Duplicates of your own links don't count.)

2) You may instead (or also) put the title of any UK fairy or folk tale in the comments below or in the original interview post HERE (that includes English, Scottish, Welsh AND Irish fairy & folk tales for this purpose!). Each verified UK tale = one entry. One title per comment please! (No limit on comments. Duplicates of your own tale titles don't count.) 

Our GIVEAWAY ends MIDNIGHT April 21st, 2015!
Winner announced Wednesday, April 22nd, (after our elves do their number-crunching & calculating...)
Pob lwc! (That's "good luck" in Welsh)

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

"The Silver Witch" Virtual Book Tour - Interview with author Paula Brackston & Giveaway!

Today we have a double treat for you: author Paula Brackston has graciously agreed to stop by and answer some of our questions about her latest book, The Silver Witch, (see Tahlia's review yesterday HERE), and we also have a GIVEAWAY!

In case you missed it, here's the description for The Silver Witch:
A year after her husband’s sudden death, ceramic artist Tilda Fordwells finally moves into the secluded Welsh cottage that was to be their new home. She hopes that the tranquil surroundings will help ease her grief, and lessen her disturbing visions of Mat’s death. Instead, the lake in the valley below her cottage seems to spark something dormant in her – a sensitivity, and a power of some sort. Animals are drawn to her, electricity shorts out when she’s near, and strangest of all, she sees a new vision; a boatful of ancient people approaching her across the water. 
On this same lake in Celtic times lived Seren, a witch and shaman. She was respected but feared, kept separate from the community for her strange looks. When a vision came to her of the Prince amid a nest of vipers she warned of betrayal from one of his own. Prince Brynach both loved and revered her, but could not believe someone close to him wished him harm, even as the danger grew. 
In her own time, Tilda’s grief begins to fade beside her newfound powers and a fresh love. When she explores the lake’s ancient magic and her own she discovers Seren, the woman in her vision of the boat. Their two lives strangely mirror each others, suggesting a strong connection between the women. As Tilda comes under threat from a dark power, one reminiscent of Seren’s prophecy, she must rely on Seren and ancient magic if death and disaster are not to shatter her life once more.
And some info about our visiting author:
Paula Brackston (aka PJ Brackston) is the New York Times bestselling author of The Witch's Daughter, The Winter Witch, and The Midnight Witch(2014).  
Paula has an MA in Creative Writing from Lancaster University, and is a Visiting Lecturer for the University of Wales, Newport. In 2007 Paula was short listed in the Creme de la Crime search for new writers. In 2010 her book 'Nutters' (writing as PJ Davy) was short listed for the Mind Book Award, and she was selected by the BBC under their New Welsh Writers scheme. 
Paula lives in Wales with her partner and their two children.
What better way to research your setting than to actually live there! Now that we've gotten you up to speed, it's time to welcome our guest.
Hi Paula, and welcome to Once Upon A Blog!

Congratulations on your new book! The Silver Witch has quite a bit for folklore lovers to delve into. Thank you for taking the time to drop by and answer some of our questions today. We are certainly intrigued...

Gypsy: To start with, what was your initial inspiration for The Silver Witch? How did you arrive at the dual/connected story?

Paula: The lake itself was my main inspiration. I live just over the hill from Llangors, and have always found it a wonderfully atmospheric place to visit. I knew I would want to set one of my stories there one day.

My second inspiration was the singular appearance of the characters (which I don't want to go into here for fear of spoiling), and that gave me the theme of visions. I knew then that one of my witches would be a shaman.

I wanted to use two main characters and two time settings so that I could highlight the timelessness of the lake and the surrounding area. Of course Tilda's life is very different from Seren's but the power of the lake, its mystical qualities, its secrets, remain hugely important in both their lives.

Gypsy: How did you go about researching the book? Were there any specific texts of legends you referred to?

Paula: I spent a fair amount of time walking by the lake or just sitting by it. One side has a campsite and boat house, but development has been kept to a minimum.  The greater part of it remains unchanged after hundreds of years. 

Also, the crannog, on which the prince had his palace built on top of the lake, is still there. I was lucky to be able to attend a lecture given on the construction of this little man-made island. It's such an ancient and unusual place, it can't help but fire a writer's imagination. 

The main text I drew upon was the Mabinogion, which is a book of Welsh folklore and legends known to every Welsh person or child schooled here. It is full of fabulous stories which clearly demonstrate the poetic nature of the Welsh soul. 

And the crannog and the prince are mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles! That was a wonderful primary source to have.

Gypsy: What's the significance of Tilda (the modern day woman) being a ceramic artist? Was there anything unusual about working with clay (or clay superstitions or stories) you discovered you weren't able to use in the book?

Paula: I wanted a visual art for Tilda, and the ceramics also gave her creations that nice grounding, being, as you say, made from clay. I toyed with the idea of having her use clay from the lake shore to work with, but the soil is not really the right type, and it was winter, which would have made it difficult. I also felt that clay pots are something Seren would have had, and that the Celtic art used to decorate them could be incorporated meaningfully into Tilda's designs.

Gypsy: The Welsh people I've met have a great awareness of "mythic touchstones" in their day to day. Sometimes it manifests as superstitions, other times it appears in daily folklore rituals and habits. The synopsis mentions Tilda discovering certain powers after her move to the lake but was she one those types of people before then (did she show signs of latent abilities we should watch for)? How does the Welsh mentality show in Tilda's modern day to day before and after her move?

Paula: Tilda's new senses and powers only properly reveal themselves once she comes to live by the lake. Don't forget, she isn't actually Welsh.

Gypsy: I see you have an Afanc in the book. That's a fairly obscure Welsh mythological creature and only the second use I'm aware of in a novel! (*Seanan McGuire's October Daye series has one too - though her creature is quite different of course). Can you tell us more about this creature? What drew you to it in particular? 

Paula: Who doesn't love a water-horse?! There is a well-established legend regarding this mythical beast, which predates written stories, and so relied on the tradition of storytelling to be handed down orally through the generations. It is now affectionally known as Gorsie (in the way that the Loch Ness 'monster' is known as Nessie). In most versions of its story it was tamed by a brave maiden who lived by the lake. She variously sang to it, or spoke softly to it as it slumbered with its great head in her lap.

Scientists tend to scoff at the notion that there might be a real creature like this in the lake. There are some frighteningly large pike in there, and lots of eels, but nothing has been found to suggest anything more 'dinosaur' like. Of course, mythical beasts are famous for being able to evade scientific detection.

Gypsy: Between the facts that Seren (the historical woman) is a shaman, Tilda (the modern woman) discovers powers that connect her with animals and dreams that contain symbolic creatures such as vipers, the manifestation of animals seems to play an important role in the book. Should we be taking a closer look at the types of animals that appear for clues about these women and their states of mind or where they are in their journeys?

Paula: The animals in the book are certainly significant. In Celtic stories, witches are often represented by hares, or sometimes dogs. They were believed to be able to shapeshift into these creatures. And of course snakes were seen as possessing strong powers, whether for good or evil. It is significant that the vipers in this story are always bad, as they were also linked to fertility, and this is an issue that leads to some of the most important conflicts in the story.

Gypsy: In mythology the Afanc is connected with King Arthur (or at least Merlin and Percival, one of the Knight of the Round Table). Are the Arthur, Merlin and Round Table legends important to this book? Are the legends referenced in other ways as well that readers should look for?

Paula: The setting of my story, and the sources I have drawn on, pre-date the main versions of the Arthurian legends. Whether or not the actual king on which they were supposedly based existed, or if he did would have been known to all the Cymru in the early tenth century is debatable. 

I do use the character of Merlin in my book Lamp Black, Wolf Gray, which is out in August. The setting for this story is the thirteenth century.

Gypsy: Is there anything else people who love fairy tales and folklore should keep an eye out for in The Silver Witch?
Paula: I hope the book will appeal both to folklore buffs and those who take the story on without any prior in-depth knowledge. If readers would like to know more about the legends and myths that have inspired me, I recommend taking a look at the gorgeous stories in the Mabinigion.

Gypsy: Thank you so much for answering our questions today! We wish you every success with the book and look forward to seeing more mythology and obscure folklore brought to life in the future.

Paula: Thank your for your interesting questions!

Ladies and gentlemen, Paula Brackston! *much cheering and applause*

Note: All photos were taken by Paula Brackston near Llangors Lake & Brecon Beach in Wales, except for the last photo, which is also of Llangors Lake (the setting of The Silver Witch) at sunset, taken by Karen James.
If you want to hear more about The Silver Witch and Paula's writing and research process, along with her many inspirations, you can follow along on her Virtual Blog Tour. Details are listed below.
The Silver Witch will be available for purchase on April 21, 2015, and is available for pre-order now. You can also purchase other 'witchy' books she's written (all are stand-alones).

And now for the GIVEAWAY we promised!

To be entered into the drawing for a lovely hardback copy of The Silver Witch,
you can do one of two things - or do more than one and get multiple entries!


Note: We have confirmed we can open the giveaway to all countries! However, due to shipping issues, hard copies can only be mailed to US, UK & Canadian readers. E-books will be sent to winners living anywhere else.

1) You can link to this interview here at Once Upon A Blog via a Tweet, Pinterest, Tumblr, Facebook or use any other social media (make it public so we can see please) and put the link in the comments either below OR in the comments of the 'pinned' GIVEAWAY post that will (hopefully) remain at the head of the blog for the week. Our elves will check each link - and each verified one = one entry (yes - that means you could eg. Tweet and Facebook and get 2 entries!). One link only per comment please! (No limit on comments. Duplicates of your own links don't count.)

2) You may instead (or also) put the title of any UK fairy or folk tale in the comments below or in the 'pinned' GIVEAWAY post (that includes English, Scottish, Welsh AND Irish fairy & folk tales for this purpose!). Each verified UK tale = one entry. One title per comment please! (No limit on comments. Duplicates of your own tale titles don't count.)

The giveaway will run until a week from today, finishing on Tuesday April 21st, 2015, at Midnight (PT), with the winner being announced on Wednesday, April 22nd, (after our elves do their number-crunching and calculating...)
(That's "good luck" in Welsh)

Monday, April 13, 2015

"The Silver Witch": Review by Tahlia Merrill

"The Silver Witch" 

Review by Tahlia Merrill

STOP THE PRESSES:
-- GIVEAWAY ALERT! --
We will be interviewing the author of The Silver Witch, Paula Brackston, TOMORROW, TUESDAY APRIL 14th, on her virtual book tour, and we'll also be having a GIVEAWAY!
Psst - if you love Celtic stories with that unique blend of natural and Otherworld, past and present, then this is likely a book for you.
Enter the giveaway (details tomorrow) for a chance to add it to your fairy tale library!

Jacket description: 



A year after her husband's sudden death, ceramic artist Tilda Fordwells finally moves into the secluded Welsh cottage that was to be their new home. She hopes that the tranquil surroundings will help ease her grief, and lessen her disturbing visions of Mat's death. Instead, the lake in the valley below her cottage seems to spark something dormant in her - a sensitivity, and a power of some sort. Animals are drawn to her, electricity shorts out when she's near, and strangest of all, she sees a new vision; a boatful of ancient people approaching her across the water.


On this same lake in Celtic times lived Seren, a witch and shaman. She was respected but feared, kept separate from the community for her strange looks. When a vision came to her of the Prince amid a nest of vipers she warned of betrayal from one of his own. Prince Brynach both loved and revered her, but could not believe someone close to him wished him harm, even as the danger grew.

In her own time, Tilda's grief begins to fade beside her newfound powers and a fresh love. When she explores the lake's ancient magic and her own she discovers Seren, the woman in her vision of the boat. Their two lives strangely mirror each other's, suggesting a strong connection between the women. As Tilda comes under threat from a dark power, one reminiscent of Seren's prophecy, she must rely on Seren and ancient magic if death and disaster are not to shatter her life once more.

The Silver Witch is steeped in a mythic and mysterious Welsh landscape, blending historical fiction with contemporary fantasy, to take you on a journey shared by two women, who, despite living in very different times, need each other to find their way. 


This is my first time reading this New York Times bestselling author's work, so while I can't say how representative it is of her usual style, I can tell you Brackston handles the ambitious premise with aplomb. I thoroughly enjoyed the dual-narrative structure that alternated between one woman’s modern journey of self-discovery and another’s unraveling of ancient court intrigue.


The narrative is split between two women, divided by hundreds of years, but connected by the same mysterious lake in Wales. Modern day Tilda has always feared water and can’t shake the uneasy feeling surrounding her new lakeside home. On the other side of time, Seren is a respected female shaman receiving alarming visions of her village’s future. Even though the two women never meet, their fates are inextricably woven together.

Much like the wild magic of fairy tale forests, Silver Witch’s lake symbolizes great power, but also great danger. Seren is confident in her abilities and embraces the water as a source of strength. In fact, her ancient Celtic village has even built their dwellings—known as crannogs—in the middle of the lake (see picture). When Tilda moves near it, a power awakens inside her that she has avoided her whole life (it’s telling that her favorite hobby is running). Her journey is one of self-discovery.

Just like every forest has its wolves, Silver Witch’s lake has its monster lurking in its depths. If you’ve never heard of the Afanc, let me share what I learned from a quick wikipedia perusal (yes, I know, how horribly unscholarly of me)…

The Afanc, sometimes called The Addanc, is a lake monster that shows up throughout Celtic folklore. It’s as elusive as the  Loch Ness Monster, but sometimes it looks like a beaver, but other times it’s reported to take crocodile or dwarf form (no clue what’s terrifying about a beaver...maybe the tail?). It even makes an appearance in a version of Arthurian legend where the knight Percival slays an invisible poison-dart-shooting Afanc. I don’t want to give too much away, so I won’t discuss how Brackston involves the creature, but she certainly puts her own twist on it.

Despite the many strong points mentioned, Silver Witch has its weaknesses. Brackston writes Tilda’s story in third person present—a bold choice that never quite settled comfortably for me. In contrast, the first person present voice used for Seren’s narration feels natural and confident, much like the character herself. Stylistic choices aside, though, if you’ve never explored the era in Celtic history where the established Druid traditions are being reconciled with incoming Christianity, The Silver Witch gives you a great taste of that conflict. For a light introduction to Celtic history, wrapped in an introspective adventure, definitely consider trying The Silver Witch.
Disclosure: A complimentary copy of the book was provided by Thomas Dunne Books in exchange for an honest review.

Tahlia Merrill is Editor of Timeless Tales Magazine, and an official partner of Once Upon A Blog.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

And the Winner of "The Pursuit of Happiness" Giveaway Is...

... (drum roll please)....

Aubrey Z.!!!

Congratulations Aubrey!
Your prize is being prepped for shipping as I type.
A sincere thank you to London Particulars for making this giveaway possible.
NOTE: Although Aubrey's name is cannily similar (ok, the same) as The Professor's, Aubrey swears she is no relation (that she knows of) to the aforementioned character - nor to his cat Happiness, though she does admit to having happiness of her own as a result of winning this contest. Aubrey's winning email entry was chosen by random.org and had nothing to do with her name. We can only put it down to 'destiny' (which may be the name of Aubrey's future cat - or not)... :)

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Last Day To Enter the "Pursuit of Happiness" Contest!

(Made possible by the generous and awesome folks at London Particulars)

Today is the last day you can enter before the deadline!
You have till midnight Pacific time December 20th, 2009 in the US.

The (very easy) contest details are HERE.

The prize preview is HERE.

Good luck!

Friday, December 18, 2009

12 Days: Lots of Different Fairy Tale Books

My apologies for the lateness of this post today.
I've been having connection difficulties.

Books are the obvious fairy tale gift to my way of thinking, which is why I tried to find non-book ideas these past two weeks. But I can't help recommending a few, so I saved a bunch for this last post in the series. :) Here are some different types of fairy tale books that you may not have heard of. Some are new, some are not and you can find more information by clicking on the titles below the cover images:

Magic Hoofbeats (with CD)
by Josepha Sherman
Availability: Released September 2007 - still available.
Description: Multicultural fairy tale and folktale collection on a horse theme. An unusual collection of tales not often printed with the added bonus of horse facts scattered throughout. Scholarly yet accessible to kids. Includes a CD of the stories being read, lovely watercolor illustrations and a brief list of sources.



There Was An Old Lady
by Jeremy Holmes
Availability: New August 2009
Description: Hardcover - the book is like a piece of art. Unusually shaped, comical, whimsical and the eyes close at the end via a clever little paper tab.



The Diary of Hansel and Gretel
by Kees Moerbeek
Availability: Out of print but still readily available.
Description: At last, here is the true story of what really happened to Hansel and Gretel, in the words of Gretel herself. This book is a faithful reproduction of Gretel's original diary, complete with all of her drawings -- as well as the very first newspaper article by the Brothers Grimm. (Pop-ups, inserted notes and artifacts, interactive.)



Black Pearls: A Faerie Strand
by Louise Hawes
Availability: Released May 2008 - still available
Description: Seven edgy/dark retellings of fairy tales (and one legend). Beautifully written in a fairy tale style with lovely pencil drawings throughout. The twists sneak up on you and you should beware of the sexual content if you're giving it to younger teens. As a hint to the twists, the cover is actually a picture of Cinderella herself.



Pretty Monsters: Stories
by Kelly Link
Availability: Released October 2008 - still available
Description: YA collection of fairytale style stories. This book has been getting rave reviews and comparisons to Neil Gaiman's storytelling. The hardcover has black edged pages and illustrations by award winning artist Shaun Tan.



Sisters Red
by Jackson Pearce
Availability: Not yet! Coming June 2010 (you can pre-order a surprise for someone!)
Description: The story of Red Riding Hood and her younger sister after the death of their grandmother... of and some werewolves. Jackson Pearce talks a lot about fairy tales in her interviews so this is one to watch for at the very least.



Twisted Tales: Fairy Tale Anthology
by Isabelle Rose
Availability: New November 2009 for Kindle (hard copies available HERE)
Description: Anthology of short stories and poems for Kindle. Dark retellings of classic fairy tales by newer authors. I haven't read any excerpts but the folks involved love fairy tales. Contest for a free copy through December HERE.



Availability: New August and September 2009 for Kindle (PDFs coming)
Description: Excellent collections of hard-to-find fairy tales, with new translations. By the mastermind behind the SurLaLune website. Three titles so far: "The Frog Prince and Other Frog Tales From Around the World", "The Fairy Tale Fiction of Anne Isabella Thackery Ritchie" and "Rapunzel and Other Maiden in the Tower Tales From Around the World".



Availability: Released October 2006 - still available
Description: A fairy tale for adults - a boy mourns the death of his mother and reality and fantasy worlds start to blur together. On his journey back to the real world he meets many fairy tale characters. By turns funny, poignant, surprising. A book about hope and the power of stories. While the paper book is available the audiobook highly recommended to take you through the journey.



The Beastly Bride: Tales of the Animal People
by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling
Availability: Not yet! Coming April 2010 (you can pre-order a surprise for someone!)
Description: The newest collection of retold fairy and folktales on a shape-changer theme from the best authors and editors in the business. Gorgeous illustrations throughout by Charles Vess (I've seen a couple of previews!). The pre-order price on this one is excellent - you will still save even with shipping.



Baba Yaga Laid an Egg by Dubravka Ugresic
Availability: New October 2009 for Kindle (Hardcover available February 2010)
Description: Part of The Myths series. From the website: Dubravka Ugrešić takes the story of Baba Yaga and weaves it into something completely fresh. The result is an extraordinary meditation on femininity, ageing, identity, secrets, storytelling and love.



Availability: New September 2009
Description: A newly illustrated version of Jane Yolen's original fairy tale about a blind emperor's daughter (originally published 1977). This is a stunning book with gorgeous specialty printing and embossed pages - which underlines the story perfectly.



Availability: Released November 2008 - still available
Description: Retold fairy tales in ballet settings (with a whole lot of humor!) based on the classic tales. From the Ballet Friends series but it can definitely stand alone.



The World Before This One: A Novel Told in Legend
by Rafe Martin
Availability: Released August 2005 - still available in paperback but I recommend hunting down a hardcover
Description: Folktales (Seneca tales) retold in novel format in a wonderful storytelling fashion. The book is worth getting for the incredible papercuts alone that illustrate the stories, but the writing is beautiful as well. A good gift for scholars and older children who love tales alike.



The Illustrated Book of Fairy Tales
by Neil Philip & Illustrated by Nilesh Mistry
Availability: Released March 1998 - out of print but still easy to find
Description: This remains a favorite fairy tale collection of mine because it's multicultural and contains facts along the way (scattered in the sidebars of the pages) and points to similar tales across cultures. Many of the tales are not the usual version you might expect, though the familiar ones are referenced. The illustrations are unusual in that they span the pages of the book and flow from one scene of the story in to the other (see the Beauty & the Beast example above). An excellent way to be introduced to tales from other cultures and lesser known variants without losing that 'fairy tale feel' those of us who grew up with European tales love.



1001 Nights: Illustrated Fairy Tales from One Thousand And One Nights
Edited by Robert Klanten & Hendrik Hellige
Availability: Released November 2005 - still available
Description:
Contemporary illustrations by a number of different illustrators of traditional 1001 tales - some well known, other less so. A good way to become familiar with the tales. More suitable for adults.


Today is the last day I'll be specifically posting gift ideas for Christmas/Yule/Kwanzaa/Hannukah/etc on a fairy tale theme but ideas are everywhere!

Heidi Anne Heiner, of SurLaLune, has a knack for finding the most gorgeous games and toys, not to mention is the best source of fairy tale books around so be sure to browse her blog. The link is HERE.

Also Elva Undine of Folk and Fairy (Folklore and Fairy: Clever finds for the faerie inclined) finds some of the loveliest things including things you can purchase as gifts. Her blog is HERE.

NOTE: As usual, please note I am not affiliated with any of these stores or products. I do not receive any commission from any visit to the site or any purchase. These are just items I thought may interest people as fairy tale themed gifts for the Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Yuletide/Holiday Season. :)

Don't forget the "Pursuit of Happiness" Giveaway!
This is the last of the "12 Days" posts but you still have TWO DAYS to enter before the deadline on December 20th, so be sure to email me before then.
(Check out one of the prize options in the preview above! Click for a larger view...)

Details for the giveaway are HERE and the wonderful London Particulars (who are making this giveaway possible through their generosity) can be found HERE.