Recently, while helping a parent find a suitable abridged classic for her child, I realized it was time to freshen up our collection of folk and fairy tales.
And while we do this periodically with all of our materials, there are few collection areas that are as fun to shop for as the 398s!
Scouring catalogues and publisher sites, we have recently purchased roughly 100 new titles, including fables from near and far: European and Middle Eastern classics, as well as diverse, multicultural selections in Irish, Inuit, Amazonian and Indonesian folk legends.
We have also acquired a range of retellings and illustration styles that allow you to share more gentle editions with wee ones, and also be able to scare the socks off older children with some of the more darkly told and illustrated tales!
My favourite acquisition is East of the Sun, West of the Moon, retold and illustrated by Jackie Morris, with lyrical prose and stunning watercolour spreads.
Another gorgeous must-see is Trick of the Tale, by John and Caitlin Matthews and illustrated by Tomislav Tomic.
These tales originate from all over the world and Tomic’s black-and-white engravings are intensely detailed and are simultaneously realistic and fantastic.
My new preschool favourite has to be the Tortoise and the Hare, illustrated by Nahta Nój with flat, pastel die-cut pages and peek-through holes.
And I promised content to horrify: try Neil Gaiman’s Hansel and Gretel, illustrated by Lorenzo Mattotti – I’m still shivering!
I could go on as so many gems have been added to our shelves. And traditionalists need not despair, we have also ordered reprinted collections of the classics from Grimm, Aesop, and Hans Christian Andersen, and illustrated by known artists like Arthur Rackham and his peers.
A new favourite is waiting for each member of your family so come and enlist the children’s librarians to help you discover these beautiful books.
You can also reach us at [email protected] or 604-527-4677.
The New Westminster Public Library main branch is at 716 Sixth Ave., with a branch at the Queensborough Community Centre at 920 Ewen Ave. See www.nwpl.ca for all the details and to find out about special events coming up at the library.
