Rumpelstiltskin

This fairy tale is neither so well-known by children nor easily grasped. But this beautifully crafted retelling rolls off the tongue, begging to be read aloud. Cresswell's use of 'old-fashioned' phrases enables the tale to be set in the mind as one from days of yore. The rich text is to be savoured, and the illustrations both explain and move along the story. Cresswell builds up the tension as the strange little man three times saves the miller's daughter from death. Will she finally thwart his desire to take her first-born? Rumpelstiltskin is one of Macdonald's series of classical tales retold by top children's authors. It is no doubt produced to meet the demands of the National Curriculum, but what a delight to find fairy tales published of such quality. Well worth seeking out.