Brave Sister, The: A Story of the Arabian Nights

This is a beautiful book. The story tells of Parizade, the eponymous ‘Brave Sister’ who succeeds in a quest in which her two brothers had previously come to grief. Parizade also rescues the brothers, and is responsible for reuniting their parents, separated by the machinations of her wicked aunts at her birth.

Mayer’s sumptuous illustrations are in the spirit of Eastern paintings: the colours are rich and vivid and the eye is drawn by the fine detailing in her depiction of the characters and landscape. There is great variety in the size and disposition of illustration: some occupy whole pages, others less. The use of white space is generous, creating a relaxed incorporation of pictures with text. A well-known anthologist, Waters’ retelling is lively and imparts a warmth and lightness of touch to the story.

At £12.99 it may seem expensive for one story when whole collections are available for similar amounts of money. However, in a school library it would also be of relevance to the Art Department, thus catering for a wide range of ages and interests.