CLASSICS AND COLLECTIONS

FAIRY TALES by Hilary McKay (Macmillan £12.99) I’D READ anything by Hilary McKay and this highly original re-telling of classic fairytales is the perfect way to show off her dry humour.

Traditional stories are given a contemporary twist — McKay paints Rumpelstiltskin as the victim of a manipulative, greedy, spoilt girl who uses his flax-spinning talents for her own ends, and there’s a chillingly dark and disturbing twist in the tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, as told by the city mayor. But it’s the little princess sewing nettle shirts for her swan-enchanted brothers that will make you cry. Atmospheric illustrations (pictured) by Sarah Gibb. Age 7+ BAH! HUMBUG! By Michael Rosen, illustrated by Tony Ross (Scholastic £10.99) MICHAEL ROSEN’S clever retelling of the Dicken’s classic interweaves young Harry starring as Scrooge in his school production of A Christmas Carol with the story of his father, Ray, and his obsession with making money— an obsession that drives him to stop watching the play to go back to his office.

In a series of flashbacks, we witness Ray’s debt-ridden upbringing and his gradual realisation that he was happiest when he and his wife, Lisa, first got together and had nothing.

Harry’s sister, Eva, has an illness that leaves her lame (remind you of anyone?) and Ray’s gradual understanding of what he stands to lose if he doesn’t prioritise his family mirrors Harry’s own playacting. Tony Ross’s illustrations are, as ever, funny and touching. God bless us, every one! Age 8+ NORSE MYTHS by Kevin Crossley-Holland, illustrated by Jeffrey Alan Love (Walker Studio £18.99) YOU could probably knock out Thor in a hand-to-hand fight with a swipe of this weighty tome! There’s a comprehensive introduction to the world of Viking myths in which the gods, led by Odin and Thor, battle with the giants and their own deceptive traitor, Loki.

The stories trace the life cycle of creation, destruction at the final battle of Ragnarok and resurgence with powerful imagery and imagination.

Dramatically re- told by Norse expert Crossley-Holland and stunningly illustrated with dark, brooding figures on every page, this is a book to be treasured for generations. Age 9+