Book Description

Four and Twenty Fairy Tales is a collection of stories, selected from the writings of Perrault, Leprince de Beaumont, Madame de Villeneuve among other important French fairy tale writers, and translated by J. R. Planché (1796 – 1880). The text is accompanied by the beautiful illustrations of James Godwin, Edward Corbould and William Harvey. Perrault (1628 – 1703) was among the first writers to bring magical children’s stories into the literary mainstream, proving to their original seventeenth century readers that such works were important, enjoyable, as well as thought-provoking. The stories of Four and Twenty Fairy Tales encompass favourites such as ‘Blue Beard’, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, ‘Puss in Boots’, 'Beauty and the Beast' and ‘Cinderella’ as well as other, near-forgotten tales such as ‘Fairer than a Fairy’, ‘The Impossible Enchantment’ and ‘The Widow and her Two Daughters.’ Planché himself was a British dramatist and antiquary, chiefly responsible for introducing historically accurate costume into nineteenth century British theatre. His interest in folklore stemmed from such endeavours – and his passion for the tales as well as mastery of the French language is apparent in this text. The book contains a selection of black-and-white illustrations by Edward Corbould, James Godwin, William Harvey and others, all engraved by the famous Dalziel Brothers which further serve to refine and enhance the tales. Pook Press celebrates the great ‘Golden Age of Illustration‘ in children’s literature – a period of unparalleled excellence in book illustration from the 1880s to the 1930s. Our collection showcases classic fairy tales, children’s stories, and the work of some of the most celebrated artists, illustrators and authors.