This charming early work, first published in 1890, is the second book in a series of twelve ‘coloured’ fairy books published by Andrew Lang between 1889 and 1910. Each volume is distinguished by its own colour, and all in all, 437 tales from a wide array of cultures and countries are presented. The Red Fairy Book is illustrated with numerous black and white illustrations by artists H.J. Ford and Lancelot Speed. This book is thoroughly recommended for inclusion on the shelf of all folklorists and lovers of fairy tales. A delightful read for both adult and child.

This volume contains a collection of tales sourced from the French, Russian, Danish, and Romanian tales as well as Norse mythology. Stories include ‘The Twelve Dancing Princesses’, ‘Princess Rosette’, ‘The True History of Little Goldenhood’, ‘Rapunzel’, ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’, ‘The Wonderful Birch’, ‘The Three Dwarfs’, ‘The Golden Goose’, and many more.

Andrew Lang (1844 - 1912) was a Scots poet, novelist and literary critic, with a passion for folkloric storytelling. Most of his volumes (including this, ‘The Red Fairy Book’) were beautifully illustrated by Henry J. Ford (1860 - 1941), an inordinately talented artist who came to public attention with his illustrations for Lang. The books captured the imagination of British children and later became worldwide bestsellers in the 1880s and 1890s.