by Theresa Breslin. Illustrated by Kate Leiper.
Slithering stoorworms, mischievious brownies, fierce kelpies and magical selkies -- these are the creatures of Scottish folklore.
Award-winning children's author Theresa Breslin has collected the best-loved tales from all over Scotland. Retelling each in its own individual style, she presents funny tales, moving tales and enchanting fairy tales. Soar with the goshawk, dive with selkies and battle with the stoorworm, as each story is brought to life with exquisite illustrations by Scottish fine artist Kate Leiper, which brim with otherworldly beauty.
A wonderful gift, this is a truly stunning book to be treasured for a lifetime and will be enjoyed by parents and grandparents as well as children.
Longlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal 2013
Recommended for Ages 6-12 years.
Hardcover, 160 pages, with colour illustrations. 284 x 223 mm (8.5 x 10.9 inches).
Floris Books, 2012.
Reviews
A sublime collection of folk stories… Theresa Breslin's pristine, sparkling retellings are accompanied by enchanting illustrations from Kate Leiper.'
-- The Guardian
'A delightful and varied collection of stories from all over Scotland. Theresa Breslin's style is so compelling and chatty that you feel she is sitting in the room with you, telling you her favourite tales of kelpies and brownies, talking birds, sheepdogs and selkies. And Kate Leiper's illustrations are stunning. This is a beautiful book, which will be treasured by children in Scotland and far afield.'
-- Julia Donaldson, Children's Laureate
'This is a lovely book enhanced with the most beautiful illustrations. Folk stories have not lost their appeal in the modern world -- it is books like this that will keep them alive.
-- Alexander McCall Smith
'An Illustrated Treasury Of Scottish Folk And Fairy Tales is a brilliant compilation of well-kent stories by award-winning author Theresa Breslin -- but her funny, fast-witted storytelling, accompanied by Kate Leiper's otherworldly illustrations of stoorwoorms and selkies, makes these retellings special and truly new. A beautiful book. Buy it as a gift for a parent or grandparent to read to a child.'
-- Julie Bertagna, author of Exodus
'This breath-taking, beautiful book is a joy to look at and hold.'
-- Books for Keeps
'Just in time for the season of gifts, Floris Books have ridden to the rescue. Not only have we a fine author in Theresa Breslin, the book is illustrated in exceptional style by Kate Leiper … Theresa tells us her stories in a strong, unfussy, clear language, just as they should be told … If that were not enough, the illustrations are exceptionally fine. They add considerably to the enchantment of the book … one has rarely seen a kelpie quite so simultaneously magical and powerful as in the double spread for "The Water Kelpie".'
-- Carousel: The Guide to Children's Books
'It's not all Grimm. Or Asbjørnsen and Moe. Now we have Theresa Breslin's An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Folk and Fairy Tales, fantastically illustrated by Kate Leiper … the pictures by Kate Leiper are really something … This time it’s Theresa Breslin’s turn to re-tell stories she heard as a child, or learned about in some other way. It is all very, very Scottish. (And if you are not, there is a handy glossary for Sassenachs.)'
-- The Bookwitch
'This beautiful book of Scottish folklore and legends contains eleven charming stories. The atmospheric and sometimes dark illustrations by Edinburgh-based artist and illustrator Kate Leiper really bring these tales to life … This book retells classic Scottish stories that can be appreciated by all the family, featuring tales of kelpies, selkies, brownies and the stoorworm … The book provides a great way to ensure that these fairy tales continue to be passed down from generation to generation and ensure that they will never be lost to the children of Scotland.'
-- Scottish Field Magazine
'The illustrations complement the tales, with sinuous, flowing lines and beautifully realised detail that rewards close attention… A book which would make a wonderful gift and is a very welcome addition to the canon of folk tale classics - an instant classic.'
--Armadillo Magazine
'The words do not fill each page but are intertwined by illustrations so that you are drawn into each story. The illustrations are in muted colours, giving the book a real flavour of Scottish mystic.'
-- Juno
'When excellent stories and lovely illustrations come together in a book with nice thick pages and delightful design, it is apt indeed to call it a 'treasury' … Both in themselves and the inventive ways they are disposed on the page, the pictures by Kate Leiper are stunning. It really is a book to treasure.'
-- School Librarian Journal
'This is a beautifully illustrated and designed book. Quotations from the text "sweep" over the endpapers. The illustrations, by Kate Leiper, are placed on the pages to enhance the text; there are also delightful, apt illustrations around most of the page numbers. The muted tones of the pictures suit exactly the text … the beauty of the illustrations, the “readability” of the text and the fun of linking the stories with others won me over. An ideal addition to a school library, which could be used to compare and contrast stories from different countries and explore the development of story.'
-- Inis Magazine
About the Author
Theresa Breslin OBE is a multi-award-winning author of over 50 books for children and young adults. Her work has been filmed for television, adapted for stage, broadcast on radio, translated world-wide and won many literary prizes, including the Carnegie Medal. She lives near Glasgow, Scotland and is a regular visitor at book festivals and schools. Theresa was awarded a Scottish Book Trust Outstanding Achievement Award in March 2019, and was made an OBE in June 2019. She and Kate Leiper created An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Folk and Fairy Tales and An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Mythical Creatures together.
Kate Leiper is a fine artist and illustrator based in Edinburgh. She studied at Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen and has been longlisted for the Kate Greenaway Award. Kate Leiper and Theresa Breslin created An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Folk and Fairy Tales and An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Mythical Creatures together. Kate is also the illustrator of The Book of the Howlat and A Wee Bird Was Watching.
