Giants, trolls, witches, beasts: Ten tales from the deep, dark woods by Craig Phillips

Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760113261
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Giants, Trolls, Witches, Beasts: Ten Tales from the Deep, Dark Woods is a book of ten fairy tales that readers would not have read before. The stories come from across the globe, from countries such as Germany, Ireland and Russia. Each story is told in comic form, making it appealing to all reading levels. Once readers are familiar with how to read a comic, they won't be able to put the book down. Being a collection of stories means the book can be read anytime. Readers who struggle with novels can read individual stores at different times and in any order.
Read about ogres, witches, heroes, villains and an exploding dragon. The detailed illustrations will keep readers busy as they tell the story. Inside the book is a story for all interests. Vasilisa the Brave is a female heroine with story elements very similar to Cinderella. The King of the Polar Bears tells the story of the polar bear king who receives a feather coat and must defend himself against those who ridicule him. The Boy Who Was Never Afraid has a male hero who shows kindness to even the fiercest of creatures.
This book of tales is highly recommended for all readers aged 10+. It would be a great book for students to use during the Daily Five activity 'read to self' where the reading of pictures and text is encouraged and modelled. The pictures tell the story, like all comics, and the text is descriptive and easy to follow and read.
Kylie Kempster