Hi! I am just cross posting this from the MDC Waldorf forums incase any of you have some great recommendations:
Hello!

I would like to make a fairy tales basket for my girls. I am looking to buy individual books of each fairy tale. I find their little hands prefer to pick up/leaf through single books rather then one volume book of fairy tales.

Please can you help me?

Could you link to your favourite edition of a certain fairy tale?

I would like to get a beautiful copy of Goldilocks And The Three Bears for my little girls third birthday at the end of march. And a copy of The Magic Porridge Pot for example.

My almost six year old would like a beautiful edition of Little Red Riding Hood….

I would love to build an collection of them this year before they get too old for fairy tales!

I would love the story to be well written and really beautiful illustrations!

Thank you,

Rosaleen xxx

I can really recommend this one for Little Red Riding Hood, this was bought for my dd and is so beautifully illustrated. I think it would probably appeal to your waldorf inspired home.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Red-Riding-hood-Grimms-Fairy/dp/0863156223/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1299168667&sr=1-5

ooh i am interested in this post. looking forward to the replies.

Well of course Arthur Rackham has to be the definitive illustrator of fairy tales - simply stunning and I think not QUITE beat yet either. Having said that some of my friends have said that they found some of his stuff a little too evocative as a child; not macabre or graphic but he seems to really tap the subconscious especially when teamed with Grimms tales! Hans Anderson tales are a little lighter allround.

Michael Foreman has illustrated some fantastic fairy tale books; Grimms, Anderson, Biblical and mixed collections and for different ages groups. His work is beautiful and elegantly simple at its best.

Christian Birmingham has done some really sumptuous fairy tales; Sleeping Beauty and the Snow Queen among them. Maybe a bit ‘old’ for a six year old but the pics are not too be missed.

The Cloth of Dreams by Sally Grindley illust. James Mayhew is a great compendium
We also like Philip Wilsons books Celtic Fairy Tales and Scottish Fairy tales as each tale is quite short and simple but charming with v colourful illustrations

If youre a fan of all things scandinavian dont miss John Bauers Great Swedish Fairy Tales; utterly a favourite of mine; we have a battered old copy but I have a feeling Ive seen it re-published. Was it on Myriads site possibly?

ETA - Oh poop - Ive just seen that you said not compendiums!! Sorry - in a daze atm. Will go and rifle DS book baskets for single copies…....

Are you sitting comfortably? Good, then I’ll begin…....... 

Sorry dont know how to link but hopefully this will still help. Not in any particular order; some old tales, some new.

Thumbelina. Pics by Susan Jeffers retold by Amy Ehrlick (orig, Hans Anderson)
Anna and the Flowers of Winter (a Bohemian folktale) retold by Nettie Lowenstein. Illustrated Elizabeth Harbour
Gentle Giant by Michael Morpurgo ill.M Foreman (maiden falls for silent giant, together they save the swans from danger)
Selkie by Gillian McClure (boy meets girl who is actually a seal, saves her from wicked fisherman)
The Giant Turnip by Aleksei Tolstoy and Niamh Sharkey
The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas ill. Helen Oxenbury
The Faerys Gift retold by Tanya Robyn Batt ill. Nicolletta Ceccoli
Rory Mcrory by Sandra Ann Horn ill. Bee Willey (about mermaid children)
The Velveteen Rabbit (a classic, with fairies in it!) Margery Williams - so many lovely versions of this but we love Lou Fanchers adaptation, illust by Steve Johnson
Nobody rides the Unicorn by Adrian Mitchell illust by Stephen Lambert   a quiet book about a quiet girl who tames a unicorn. Really charming.
The Firebird illust by Moira Kemp - classic russian tale
Beauty and The Beast -  we love the Jan Brett version- you fall in love with the beast from the start. Not remotely Disney-ish! (more like a wort-hog!)
Melisande by E Nesbit and PJ lynch - princess cursed by bad fairy finds her hair will not stop growing…
The Snow Queen- Angela Barrett version
East of the Sun, West of the Moon - oodles of different versions of this - we like Mercer Mayers take on it.
Dragon by Wayne Anderson   another quiet but I think v charming book
Hansel and Gretel - The Brothers Grimm Lisbeth Zwerger - I adore this version, so beautiful BUT very scary and macabre. I may never read this to the LOs!

and finally, and withpossibly the most elegant childrens book illustrations Ive seen in years..The Three Questions based on Leo Tolstoys bk, illust byJon J Muth. Adorable. A fairytale with pandas in it!

Eden - 03 March 2011 05:11 PM

I can really recommend this one for Little Red Riding Hood, this was bought for my dd and is so beautifully illustrated. I think it would probably appeal to your waldorf inspired home.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Red-Riding-hood-Grimms-Fairy/dp/0863156223/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1299168667&sr=1-5

I think I will go for this one for my older girl, Nicole from Frontier Dreams blog recommended this one to me but I never got around to buying it. I have seen at our local waldorf school bookshop and it is lovely. Thank you for the reminder!

ceramiczoo - 03 March 2011 06:31 PM

Are you sitting comfortably? Good, then I’ll begin…....... 

Sorry dont know how to link but hopefully this will still help. Not in any particular order; some old tales, some new.

Thumbelina. Pics by Susan Jeffers retold by Amy Ehrlick (orig, Hans Anderson)
Anna and the Flowers of Winter (a Bohemian folktale) retold by Nettie Lowenstein. Illustrated Elizabeth Harbour
Gentle Giant by Michael Morpurgo ill.M Foreman (maiden falls for silent giant, together they save the swans from danger)
Selkie by Gillian McClure (boy meets girl who is actually a seal, saves her from wicked fisherman)
The Giant Turnip by Aleksei Tolstoy and Niamh Sharkey
The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas ill. Helen Oxenbury
The Faerys Gift retold by Tanya Robyn Batt ill. Nicolletta Ceccoli
Rory Mcrory by Sandra Ann Horn ill. Bee Willey (about mermaid children)
The Velveteen Rabbit (a classic, with fairies in it!) Margery Williams - so many lovely versions of this but we love Lou Fanchers adaptation, illust by Steve Johnson
Nobody rides the Unicorn by Adrian Mitchell illust by Stephen Lambert   a quiet book about a quiet girl who tames a unicorn. Really charming.
The Firebird illust by Moira Kemp - classic russian tale
Beauty and The Beast -  we love the Jan Brett version- you fall in love with the beast from the start. Not remotely Disney-ish! (more like a wort-hog!)
Melisande by E Nesbit and PJ lynch - princess cursed by bad fairy finds her hair will not stop growing…
The Snow Queen- Angela Barrett version
East of the Sun, West of the Moon - oodles of different versions of this - we like Mercer Mayers take on it.
Dragon by Wayne Anderson   another quiet but I think v charming book
Hansel and Gretel - The Brothers Grimm Lisbeth Zwerger - I adore this version, so beautiful BUT very scary and macabre. I may never read this to the LOs!

and finally, and withpossibly the most elegant childrens book illustrations Ive seen in years..The Three Questions based on Leo Tolstoys bk, illust byJon J Muth. Adorable. A fairytale with pandas in it!

Thank you so so so much for taking the time to do this for me, it is very kind of you! Tomorrow when my little girl naps I am going to go through your list and put them into amazon/google/e.bay and see what I come up with. Thank you!!!

ceramiczoo, thank you I have just bought the Beauty and the Beast you recommended new from E.bay and The Snow Queen you also recommended from Amazon Market place, that was in very good condition, it wasn’t available new.
They both look lovely!
I am making a fairytale basket for my little girls 3rd birthday at the end of march so thanks so much for helping me with this. (Really it is for both my girls though!)

I have just found a new copy of The Gentle Giant too and a new copy of Anna and the flowers and a new copy of The Three Little Wolves and the big bad pig!

Absolutely my pleasure; I dont need much encouragement to abandon the housework and start picking up books!
I gave hundreds of books away when we relocated in an effort to ‘travel lighter’ for future moves but now that I have such keen little bookworms in the house, the childrens books are breeding like rabbits!
Fairytales are my greatest weekness, especially well illustrated editions, but I think there are worse vices ! Happily nearly all our books are pre-loved or we’d be bankrupt by now.
I never worry about being too age specific either as both OH and I are happy to ‘bend’ parts of the story as we go along.’  I suppose that will all change as DS learns to read
DS always states that he only wants a story with wheels in it - but is so easily enticed with a hint of magic, and always sits enthralled regardless of subject. I hope that doesnt change too soon.

Some great ideas I think I will be looking some of these up also

ceramiczoo - 03 March 2011 09:05 PM

Absolutely my pleasure; I dont need much encouragement to abandon the housework and start picking up books!
I gave hundreds of books away when we relocated in an effort to ‘travel lighter’ for future moves but now that I have such keen little bookworms in the house, the childrens books are breeding like rabbits!
Fairytales are my greatest weekness, especially well illustrated editions, but I think there are worse vices ! Happily nearly all our books are pre-loved or we’d be bankrupt by now.
I never worry about being too age specific either as both OH and I are happy to ‘bend’ parts of the story as we go along.’  I suppose that will all change as DS learns to read
DS always states that he only wants a story with wheels in it - but is so easily enticed with a hint of magic, and always sits enthralled regardless of subject. I hope that doesnt change too soon.

About the pre-loved books, amazon and e.bay are funny like that sometimes the price difference between the two is a matter of pence so i tend to choose the new ones (not very green of me I know!)
I ended up choosing also:
Little Red Riding Hood by Trina Schart Hyman
Goldilocks and the three bears by Jan Brett

I would like:

Sleeping Beauty by Trina Schart Hyman

Repunzel by Trina Shart Hyman
Snow white by the same illustrator is gorgeous bu the prices are crazy!
Can you recommend a Cinderella?
Also, you know Thumbelina you mentioned, would you recommend that as the nicest editon of the story you have come across?

Oh, and also, do you know of a hansel and gretal for little ones?
Thank you!

It’s a newish fairy tale but the story and illustrations are just beautiful The Tale Of Jack Frost by David Melling.

http://www.play.com/Books/Books/4-/15957642/The-Tale-of-Jack-Frost/Product.html?searchtype=bookall&searchsource=0&searchstring=tale+of+jack+frost&urlrefer=search&strefer=bookall&searchfilters=s{tale+of+jack+frost}+c{91}+

I also love Mother Earth & The Root Children

http://www.play.com/Books/Books/4-/3405087/Mother-Earth-and-Her-Children/Product.html?ptsl=1&ob=Price&fb=0&searchtype=bookall&searchsource=0&searchstring=mother+earth+and+&urlrefer=search&strefer=bookall&searchfilters=s{mother+earth+and+}+c{91}+

And this Australian tale ...

http://www.play.com/Books/Books/4-/470015/Wilfrid-Gordon-Mcdonald-Partridge/Product.html?searchtype=bookall&searchsource=0&searchstring=wilfrid+gordon&urlrefer=search&strefer=bookall&searchfilters=s{wilfrid+gordon}+c{91}+

Much love X

Thats what I love about Green Parents - sharing stuff we love.
I pop by to share and find someone shares something new with me. cool. Thanks Gypsyrose; will look those up.

Mama - Im afraid as regards Hansel and Gretal, I have found similar ‘based upon’ stories but none that Id share with my son (4). The idea of a gingerbread house in the woods is lovely but after that its just about shoving an old woman in a bread oven isnt it! If the old woman is so grim that you dont mind that, she tends to be a very scary old witch. You cant win! Maybe write a little tale of your own with a different ending. Rima Staines website The Hermitage has some interesting passages on old women who live in the woods type tales. And some great links to fairy story sites.

No good news regarding Cinderella and Thumbelina; there must be some beautiful editions and I will have a look for you but everything Ive seen so far is dire! The prettier tales do seem to attract the budget publishers - there are some really cheap and nasty versions around. Im sure its the sort of thing Pj Lynch, Jan Marsh or Alan Lee would do well but Ive not come across it yet. The thumbelina I mentioned is very sweet though. Will let you know - Im certain they’re about somewhere!!
A lovely idea for a birthday gift by the way.