A short collection of various fairytales from Europe and Asia. Some of them well known for an European audience (and possibly for audiences in North America too), like Bluebeard and The Six Swans, and others I've never heard if before, which made the tales fun to read.

The red thread collecting the tales in this collection seem to be about young men and women that dare to go against the stream, to be compassionate, kind yet still brave - a good lesson for young children. Very pedagogical in the way the tales are presented especially with Funke's comments at the end of each story.

The illustrations and the cover are extremely beautiful, fitting for a collection of fairytales!

3.5

This was a nice short collection of fairy tales from around the world. They were told in a very simple and accessible way so younger children can understand them but the introduction and short explanation by Cornelia after each story would keep an adult interested.

I found the first few the weaker of the collection but the last few were by far the best. I think the strongest stories and my personal favourites were:

Bluebeard: I love the more gruesome fairy tales and Bluebeard is one of my favourites. This one might not be that appropriate for young children (unless they are weird like me). The mysterious room you're not allowed into, who could resist having a peek?

The Six Swans: This one is also a old favourite of mine (again a little gruesome in places) ever since I watched a version of it in The Storyteller series when I was young. Instead of six swans it has three ravens (which I kind of prefer but I'm biased). The girl who stays silent to free her brothers even when she desperately needs to speak shows how strong and brave women can be for the ones they love (though I'd like to see a similar story with a guy having to do the same).

The One Who Set Out to Study Fear: Another old favourite that I watched as a child on The Storyteller. This is by far the most different to the version I watched but I still really enjoyed it. I loved how oblivious the main character was to the danger he was in.

The Frog Princess: For once it's the guy being forced to marry someone undesirable to them and being told to stop crying while the woman sorts things out.

The One-Handed Murderer: It's pretty obvious why I liked this one. Kind of reminded me of the Robber Bridegroom which is another favourite gruesome one of mine. The female character in this proves to be the hero.

The Girl Who Gave a Knight a Kiss Out of Necessity: I love stories that has the women getting one up on the guys!

Overall a enjoyable collection. I really liked that they weren't just Grimm's tales and there were a few I hadn't read before from different countries.

Wonderfuly peaceful with fantastic cover art! Each story was written to perfection and I found it a joy to read.

Tales all around the World compiled and brought together by a fellow tales lover. The tales make the child in you to listen to the stories narrated by your Granny once again. These tales are handpicked as the collection by the author.

Each tale is different from the other. There’s Fantasy, Mythology, Magic, Witchcraft, Mythical creatures, Prince, and Princess in the tales. The tales unfold the Nation they originated. The author’s opinions at the end of each tale are pretty impressive.

This wonderful selection of 13 tales includes:

* The Boy Who Drew Cats (Japan)
* Kotura, Lord of the Winds (Siberia)
* Through the Water Curtain (Japan)
* The Areca Tree (Vietnam)
* The Maid of the Copper Mountain (Russia)
* The Tale of the Firebird (Russia)
* Bluebeard (France)
* The Six Swans (Germany)
* Golden Foot (France)
* The Story of One Who Set Out to Study Fear (Germany)
* The Frog Princess (Ukraine)
* The One-Handed Murderer ( Italy)
* The Girl Who Gave a Knight a Kiss out of Necessity (Sweden)

The book cover is majestic and brings the tales closer to the reader. Enjoy the classic stories around the world in the book. Recommend the book to all Stories/Tales lovers.

E-ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. Thank you, Publisher!

I received an arc of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, I really liked this book because a lot of the stories were from different places around the world, rather than just Europe. I liked how the author used certain versions of tales that were well known too- like the girl who had her brothers turn into swans, it was different in here, and it made it more enjoyable. I also liked that there was commentary on each story after it was told. Cool illustrations also.

I love Cornelia Funke's books. I'm glad she put this fairy tale collection together. I am familiar with the stories contained in it, I even have some of the stories in individual books. But I love having the collection on hand of all of them! I would think 3rd grade up will enjoy these tales.