Head of Zeus ISBN 978178854115 £12.99
This book is beautiful to look at, and captures all the magic of a traditional book of fairy tales. In its hard-back form, adorned with bright and appealing illustrations, it would make a brilliant addition to a library or school book corner, and also a lovely gift for the home. There is one wonderful and modern exception to the traditional tales within this book – all these stories subvert the usual stereotypes and bring to life princesses who ‘refuse to be pretty, polite or obedient’. Instead, these girls are ‘fierce, brave and determined to do the rescuing for themselves’. Capturing the current trend for turning traditional tales on their head, the stories contained within this volume are great fun and include strong and aspirational characters. With a vast array of themes and settings, (from mountains and deserts to city tower-blocks and urban dwellings), each tale stands alone. A lovely book to dip in and out of, it would be great as a stimulus in a P4C session looking at stereotypes and how they have evolved over the years. It could be the basis of some great work on re-writing other familiar tales and so perfect for English lessons.
Laura Davies
