The Enchanted Wood: An Original Fairy Tale

Set against the backdrop of a magical forest, this is the story of three noble princes seeking the Heart of the World to change the fate of their father's declining kingdom.

Loved, loved, loved the cover! Well, I pretty much loved all the artwork. :) In particular I enjoyed the cute little patches of mushrooms springing up in most of the forest paintings. The tree - the Heart of the World - was, simply, perfect. Trees have always been and, I suspect, will always be wondrous beings for me. Perhaps that's why I so enjoy fairy tales featuring enchanted woods and forests. I also enjoyed the fairy tale itself, which I interpreted to warn against the dangers of losing focus. Children would most likely see it as a lesson in obedience and show more ignoring temptation.

5 stars show less

Many of the classic themes & tropes of folktales are given fresh life, and the artwork is to die for. In fact, it's much prettier than real life would be, which upon rereading annoys me.

Of note: The heroine is strong, not a waif, and a brunette, not blond. The older brothers are not bad, they're just not as good as the youngest. There's a bit of a subtle green/ environmental message. Unlike the case with some painters for children's books, both the people and the animals & nature are beautifully captured.

Time to let go of the book.

The Enchanted Wood tells the story of a kingdom suffering from a terrible drought. The king sends his three sons to find the Heart of the World and relieve the drought. To do this, the sons must travel through a magical forest that enchants anyone who steps off the path and leads them astray. This book has richly detailed and colorful images of the forest. Ruth Sanderson also makes the characters' faces look very realistic. The pages are mostly covered by pictures and the text is beneath the images. I think that third, fourth, and fifth graders would enjoy this book. I would offer this story in my classroom if the students were studying fantasy and fairytales. Students could compare and contrast this story to other fairytales in order show more to draw conclusions about the fairytale genre's typical structure and archetypes. show less

Three princes go on a quest to the Heart of the World to save their drought-ravaged kingdom. A widowed and grief-stricken king calls on his three sons to end the drought that has ravaged the kingdom. The princes eagerly accept the quest to find the Heart of the World, which, once found, will save the land. One by one each prince confidently enters the Enchanted Wood. This beautifully illustrated, original fairytale is filled with romance, magic, and adventure and will appeal to readers of all ages. Source: Publisher

An original fairy-tale written and illustrated by one of the master's in the fairy tale realm. I use it to illustrate how fairy tale elements can be created to make new stories that sound very traditional.