Guilt and Gingerbread

This is a classic tale of poor boy, Giorgio, leaving home in search of fortune and fame. The aged crone who crosses his path provides him with magic scissors and thread so that he may steal the princess's golden heart. The subsequent transplants lead to trouble: the sheep's heart turns out to be a pig's -- making the princess hunt for truffles and roll in the mud; the beautiful rose which replaces the pig's heart brings the princess close to death as summer fades. Garfield has beautifully woven an ingenious tale. He propels the reader smoothly and swiftly through to an ending which meets all the statutory requirements but which is far from stereotyped: 'They knew the worst and the best of each other: what remained was the truth of love, and that was the middle ground.' Fritz Wegner's black and white illustrations are a perfect complement. This fairy tale, in the best traditions and of a very high quality, will satisfy a wide age range of junior readers.