This collection of tales opens up a magical world far from our customary haunts. Ghost stories, romances, fables, and heroic sagas: the forms are familiar, but the characters we meet surprise us at every turn. For those who know and love the tales of the Grimms and Andersen, the universal themes of fairy tale literature emerge in these classic stories, but with a sophistication that is uniquely Chinese and altogether entrancing. With black-and-white drawings throughout Part of the Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library

IntroductionPart One: Refashioning Fairy TalesThe Sleeping Beauty in the Wood, Anne Thackeray RitchieBeauty and the Beast, Anne Thackeray RitchieThe Brown Bull of Norrowa, Maria Louisa MolesworthAmelia and the Dwarfs, Juliana Horathia EwingPart Two: SubversionsNick, Christina RossettiChristmas Crackers, Julian Horathia EwingBehind the White Brick, Frances Hodgson BurnettMelisande, or, Long and Short Division, E. NesbitFortunatus Rex amp Co., E. NesbitPart Three: A Fantasy NovelMopsa the Fairy, Jean IngelowPart Four: A Trio of AntifantasiesSpeaking Likenesses, Christina RossettiBiographical SketchesFurther Readings Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

While many of these stories deal with tales based on folklore of Trinidad and the West Indies, there is an extention into the imaginary world of outer space and what that may have in store for us.

A collection of favourite tales gathered from the many different islands of the Caribbean, one of the world's richest sources of traditional storytelling. From the very first Kingfisher to Anansi the Spider Man, these lively retellings full of humour and pathos, are beautifully retold by Trish Cooke. The book includes endnotes with a glossary, additional information as well as ideas for activities that children can do to explore the stories further.

"The lingering smell of wet mould hung in the air, and under the glow of the streetlight, her once shapely form was now a series of lumps and bumps clad in dirty old rags that dragged along the floor."FROM THE AUTHOR OF UNNATURAL ENCOUNTERS: ONLY IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO...Island Tales, a series of twenty-seven folklore stories featuring supernatural beings and characters from across the Caribbean region. Characters who have no doubt haunted the dreams and nightmares and maybe even lives of most Caribbean-born people. Stand among the watchful army of pop-culture statues in "The Sculptor" or join the mob against Blue, the thieving shopkeeper in "Tipping the Scales". Stroll along the riverbanks with Nerida in "Water Baby" or maybe just kick back and enjoy a special feature article in the Sunday newspaper entitled "Endless Cycle". But, however you choose to spend your time here, just be sure to remember one thing: always cast a wary eye behind you, lest you end up like poor Mr. Gundy in "Piggy Back Rides for Mr. Gundy".

There have been many great and enduring works of literature by Caribbean authors over the last century. The Caribbean Contemporary Classics collection celebrates these deep and vibrant stories, overflowing with life and acute observations about society. This luminous book recounted through the eyes of the 12-year-old Francis, describes the year he spends, far away from home, in San Fernando. As his initial confusion gives way to increasing confidence and maturity, the open consciousness of the boy allows different times, events and places to co-exist. Over the course of one year, through Francis' eyes, we see the cycle of natural change and progression; the daily round of the market, showing the fruits of different seasons, the passage of dry season to rainy and back again to dry, the cane fires as the crop comes to an end, all symbolising the progression of the boy's year. And weaving in and amongst these mundane but intense experiences Francis feels his way to some understanding of adulthood.