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Absurd fairy tales, very sensibly told
There once was a good little devil - did you read that right? Yes you did: not a wicked little devil but a good one, and boy, was he in a fix! Instead of doing bad things like forgetting his homework and playing tricks on his teachers, this little devil kept trying to be good. He did all his homework - and sometimes enjoyed it! He was never rude and he even encouraged sinners to say sorry. His parents were at their wits' end. So the little devil struck out on his own. On his quest to learn to be good, our little devil meets all kinds of people, from priests to police and from the Pope in Rome to Little Jesus himself. But will the angels let a little red devil with black horns into Heaven? In these thirteen tales, clever young people find nifty ways to overcome greedy kings, wicked witches, unlucky spells and even silly names. And there's a big dash of magic to help them on the way!
In these tales, the giants, witches and mermaids of traditional fairy tales leap from the page, animated by a very modern spirit. Blessed with a healthy disrespect for authority, the author took great pleasure in upsetting the natural order of the fantastic.
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"'A wonderful collection of stories for children ... Would easily give five stars. It is certainly a book to treasure and it will be firmly placed on the keeper shelf." -- Bookbabblers
"Immensely readable.... highly recommended to all parents looking for stories to read aloud to the family, to teachers [and] to young readers with a sense of humour." -- 5-star review, Books for Keeps
"These 13 stories show how clever youngsters overcome the traditional wicked characters with the help of a little bit of magic... refreshingly different... improbable but charming." -- Parents in Touch
"These stories are wonderfully bizarre; retaining the traditional charm of a fable there is often a strong moral core, devilishly decorated with warmth and humour." -- We Love Books
"A wonderful book. Funny, tender and daft." -- David Almond
