They would clearly be surprised to hear the main plot elements: parents leaving children in the middle of the forest because of the family's poverty, the children's success in returning back home - only to be left again even deeper in the forest. I knew that this complex story would have had a special impact on my twins, as they are mixed twins - a boy and a girl like the main protagonists. My kids were like two deer staring into headlights.Īfter covering most of the stories over the past several years, this week I decided it was time for our first reading of Hansel and Gretel. Puss in Boots, The Three Little Pigs and so on.Īnd every single time - the effect was the same. Gradually, we ventured into new territory. In the beginning we mostly kept to their favorite Goldilocks and the Three Bears story. This Gustafson collection lies somewhere in the middle - between the completely sanitized Disney versions and the far-from-naive original texts of some fairy tales.Ī story is told as much by silence as by speech.Īlthough we have had Classic Fairy Tales for more than a year, I introduced it slowly to my twins. The versions in this collection are toned down, yet they still contain some elements that could cause fright among more sensitive listeners.įortunately, any such passages are always at predictable points of the plot and these elements can easily be skimmed over depending on the age of the listener. Gustafson's selection includes the following tales:Īs we all know, the original versions of fairy tales are sometimes pretty brutal stuff. This collection of best-loved fairy tales has a place in every child's home library as it will be visited and revisited and. On top of that, these illustrations are uniquely bewitching and esoteric. The pictures are pure perfection, charming, colorful. When you hold this collection in your hands, it becomes instantly clear why it took 50 months to finish the art. Yes, four years of painting to illustrate this magnificent, large-format book.

Scott Gustafson spent more than four years painting the seventy-five magnificent oil paintings that illustrate these ten well-loved fairy tales in the magnificent collection. Read Aloud Dad will not beat around the bush. I dream of painting and then I paint my dream.

I was looking for a classic fairy tale collection with mesmerizing and unforgettable visuals. Our task is to find the best one-way mirror into this magic land. The stories need to be heard, the tales need to be told. We can make sure that kids are able to look into this fairy tale world without feeling threatened - because the events are clearly happening in another world. That's how we should think of fairy tale collections. Through a dreamed-up world that exists behind a barrier. The real world, that we as parents are often afraid to show them.ĭeficiencies of real life are best presented to children by proxy. Many time-tested fairy tales often deal with darker elements of life, but that is one of their key attractions.Īs parents, one of our principal duties is to ensure that our children grow up to become independent individuals.įunnily enough, it is through the imaginary worlds of the Brothers Grimm, Master Charles Perrault and Hans Christian Andersen that our children get the first glimpse of the real imperfect world. So, Read Aloud Dad went on a mission to find the best illustrated and most attractive version of classic children's fairy tales.įairy tales are like a golden thread of childhood, they help to keep the magic robes of innocence on for as long as possible. Yet, there are fairy tales and fairy tales. You probably have a couple of collections of fairy tales lounging around the house.

Fairytale preschool books