Magic from the Ground

Twelve stories based on traditional folk themes celebrate the magic powers of common plants. Buds of hollyhock, marigold, thyme and hazel grant a hungry gardener a consultation with the fairies; cider suffused with aconite sends an old man flying to the mountains of the moon; a sinister changeling shapeshifts into an elder tree. These are rich, simple, entrancing stories, boldly illustrated and backed up with a herbal glossary. They're very good for reading aloud and might provide' a pleasant narrative accompaniment to ecological project work.