Where Magic Grows

This stunningly beautiful book is a treasure trove. There are 7 original short stories here, and each one makes a perfect bedtime story read. They have the classic feel of fairytales or One Thousand and One Nights, the Arabian tales told by Scheherazade, but they are all new, timeless tales. New legends. All the stories start with a poem and they are set all over the world, including Japan, the Amazon and London.  

My favourite tale is Francesca’s Feet and the Old Man’s Shoes in which a spoiled rich girl gets to literally walk in someone else’s shoes and discover kindness and empathy. The tales are stunningly illustrated by Katarzyna Doszla, adding a thrilling pace to the stories. And the end result is a book to love and read over and over, especially at bedtime with 6-10 year olds but could also work as primary school story time as there will be lots to discuss about morality and empathy.