Neil Philip

Scotland’s folktales are rooted in a powerful oral tradition where imagination, landscape and language intertwine. In this vibrant collection, Neil Philip brings together more than 100 stories passed down through generations – from the wild Highlands and Islands to the traditions of the Lowlands. Meet unforgettable figures such as Kate Crackernuts, the herdsmen of Lochbule, the Black Laird, the Milk-white Doo, Oisean, Mac Iain Direach and the mischievous Whuppity Stoorie. Their tales carry the magic, mystery and history of Scotland’s turbulent past. This captivating collection offers: Over 100 classic and lesser-known tales from every corner of Scotland. A rich mix of myth, legend and supernatural lore, alive with witches, giants, fairies, heroes and shapeshifters. Stories deeply tied to Scotland’s landscapes – its cliffs, islands, lochs and ancient ruins. A celebration of Gaelic and Lowland storytelling traditions, faithfully gathered from centuries of oral and written sources. An immersive introduction to Scotland’s cultural soul, ideal for readers of folklore, mythology and traditional tales. A timeless collection for anyone seeking to explore the wonder, wit and wildness of Scotland’s folklore.

This is a golden treasury of over one hundred English folktales captured in the form they were first collected in past centuries. Read these classic tales as they would have been told when storytelling was a living art – when the audience believed in boggarts and hobgoblins, local witches and will-o’-the-wisps, ghosts and giants, cunning foxes and royal frogs. Find “Jack the Giantkiller”, “Tom Tit Tot” and other quintessentially English favourites, alongside interesting borrowings, such as an English version of the Grimms’ “Little Snow White” – as well as bedtime frighteners, including “Captain Murderer”, as told to Charles Dickens by his childhood nurse. Neil Philip has provided a full introduction and source notes on each story that illustrate each tale’s journey from mouth to page, and what has happened to them on the way. These tales rank among the finest English short stories of all time in their richness of metaphor and plot and their great verbal dash and daring.

An Irish proverb tells us. "A tale is more precious than the wealth of the world," and judging from the richness of their storytelling traditions, the Celts have always believed this. In In fairy tales, as in music, the romantic artistry of the Celts came to full flower. In this wonderful collection of fairy tales from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, The Isle of Man, and Brittany, we meet heroes and villains, princes and paupers, enchanting creatures and magical mermaids. Each story has been retold by Neil Philip and display a common Celtic heritage in their love of extravagance and poetry, their quick wit and their daring sense of adventure. Here, retold much as they were around Celtic peat fires a hundred years ago, are the enthralling tales of 'Fair, Brown, and Trembling', 'The Brown Bear of the Green Glen', and 'The Ship That Went to America'. Some of the stories give familiar tales a Celtic twist: 'Duffy and the Devil' is a comic Cornish take on the Rumpelstiltskin story; 'The Black Cat' is a dark and mysterious Breton Cinderella. Others seem new and strange: the doomed love of 'Lutey and the Mermaid', or the mystic rapture of 'The Little Bird'. Perhaps most riveting of call is the Irish tale of 'The Soul Cages', in which a fisherman makes friends with one of the sea-people, Coomara, and uses that friendship to free the souls of drowned sailors, kept by Coomara in lobster pots in his house beneath the waves. Illustrated in watercolour and gold by acclaimed artist Isabelle Brent, these tales are full of Celtic magic.

This sparkling collection of fairy tales captures the true spirit of Christmas - a mixture of magic, fantasy and joy. It opens with Hans Andersen's moving story, 'The Book of Fairy Tales, ' and also features two other Andersen tales, 'The Fir Tree, ' and 'The Last Dream of the Old Oak Tree, ' specially translated for this edition. Ruth Sawyer's joyous 'Schnitzle, Schnotzle, and Schnootzle, ' and Alf Proysen's witty 'Father Christmas and the Carpenter, ' are two classic modern tales to stand beside such enchanted favourites as 'The Nutcracker' by E. T. A. Hoffmann, and the Russian legend of 'Babushka and the Three Wise Men.' All are beautifully illustrated by Isabelle Brent, whose gold-leaf pictures glow with seasonal cheer.

Every night, King Shahryar married a new bride. Every morning, he chopped off her head. So when the lovely Sheherazade became the latest of his wives, she had to do some quick thinking to stay alive. Over a thousand and one nights, she kept the King enthralled with her storytelling, and the stories, gathered together as The Arabian Nights, have become one of the world's classics. You will find famous stories such as Aladdin, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and also others such as How Many Fools? and The Keys of Destiny, which will quickly become firm favourites. Full of magic and mystery, a selection of the original Arabian Nights stories are here retold for children in a lively and robust way. Read how through fanciful histories, romances, tragedies, comedies, riddles and songs, the enterprising maiden Sheherazade prolongs her life by holding the king's rapt attention. With vibrant illustrations by Sheila Moxley, The Arabian Nights offers a ride on a magic carpet into a world of adventure and excitement. Ideal to read aloud or for older readers to enjoy discovering by themselves.

The Snow Queen is the most magical and profound of all Hans Andersen's fairy tales. It is a quest full of mystery, humour and adventure, and its uplifting theme is the power of innocence and enduring love. When Kay's heart turns to ice and he falls under the spell of the beautiful Snow Queen, little Gerda leaves home to search for him. On her way she encounters many dangers, but she never forgets Kay. She makes friends with flowers and birds, and with the bold robber girl who lends her a reindeer to take her to the Snow Queen's palace. The Snow Queen is a story to read again and again, and to remember for ever. The lively, vivid text has been illustrated by Sally Holmes with all the loving, detailed attention it deserves. This is a sparkling re-telling of the famous classic from the pen of Hans Christian Andersen. Originally the son of a poor shoemaker, the secret of Andersen's success is that he wrote his stories as if he were telling them to a child. None of the original magic has been lost in this joyful new edition. Ideal to read aloud or for older readers to enjoy discovering by themselves.

The Little Mermaid is one of the most haunting love stories ever written. Its author, Hans Christian Andersen, is a master storyteller whose tales have withstood the test of time and have been shared across borders and languages. In this sparkling anthology 17 of his creations are enchantingly retold for children today by Neil Philip. Many of his most popular tales are here: The Tinderbox, The Emperor's New Clothes, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and The Little Match Girl. Read about Little Ida who dared to dance at night with the flowers, the young prince who searched for a mysterious bell deep in the forest, and the very vain emperor who was cruelly tricked by wicked thieves. There are also some less-well known stories that will delight a new generation of children including Five Peas from the Same Pod, The Goblin at the Grocer's, The Flying Trunk and The Beetle. Delightfully illustrated with Isabelle Brent's magical watercolours, lavishly embellished with gold decorations. Originally the son of a poor shoemaker, the secret of Andersen's success is that he wrote his stories as if he were telling them to a child. None of the original magic has been lost in this joyful new edition, ideal to read aloud or for older readers to enjoy discovering by themselves.

This wonderful collection of fairy tales draws on the classic folklore of Eastern Europe. Read about stories of romance and adventure, gods who help mere mortals to wealth and happiness, and fables that touch on the origins of man and the creation of the world. Meet a man transformed into a noble animal to help him find his true love, the dragon trying to eat the man who saved his life, and the beautiful princess Vassilissa who is courted far and wide. Gods on a mountaintop help a young girl to wealth and happiness in `The Twelve Months', and a man transformed into a noble animal finds his true love in `The Feather of Bright Finist the Falcon'. Fables teach about the `Origin of Man' and the creation of the world from an egg (in `God's Cockerel'), and also of the injustice with which a friendly gesture is too often rewarded (`A Good Deed is Always Requited with Ill'). The twenty-two traditional tales reflect a wide range of emotions and experiences, flavoured by a shared cultural heritage. Whether the setting is a poor cottage deep in the forest, a small village, or a king's court, each story reveals a fascination with routines of family, church and community life, and a humorous ironic perspective on people and their affairs. Folklorist Neil Philip retells these stories in modern English, preserving the richness, meaning and magic of the original tales; ideal to read aloud or for older readers to discover by themselves. Larry Wilkes's lively illustrations of fantastical dragons and beautiful princesses complete the translation of Eastern European culture into stories for children of all ages to enjoy.

The Vikings were warlike adventurers with a strong sense of justice, and the high drama of their myths and legends, retold through the centuries, are still as vivid and enduring today. The stories are full of excitement and encompass both broad comedy and heart-rending tragedy. At the centre of the stories are the thunder god Thor, and the frost giant, Loki, Odin’s foster brother, who becomes one of the gods but is never fully accepted by them. Through the tales the themes of love, betrayal, courage and compassion are played out from the dawn of time to the end of the world. Their stories are among the foundation stones of Western culture, and young readers will enjoy these highly accessible retelling of the Norse myths, with stories about the adventures of Odin, father of the gods and his children, the trials and tribulations of the trickster Loki, the rages of the thunder god Thor, and Freya, the goddess of fertility, magic and war who gathers the souls of the warriors slain in battle. Ideal to read aloud or for older readers to enjoy discovering by themselves, artist Maryclare Foa’s bold, eloquent paintings capture the excitement, humour and drama of these powerful stories in strong, simple images that linger in the mind.

This exhilarating book brings together some of the best classic stories told in the United States. Many of the tales were brought to the USA from Europe, and their origins can be traced in English, Scottish, Irish, French, Spanish or German tradition. But wherever they spring from, the tales are filtered through an American consciousness, and told in a rich American voice. These vivid stories, full of magic, humour, and wisdom have been minimally retold by the editor, whose introduction and notes set them securely in their folklore context. Aunt Lizbeth Fields’ thoroughly American tale of `A Stepchild That Was Treated Mighty Bad,’ for example, is identified as a version of the Grimms’ `Snow White’. Read about Cold Feet and the Lonesome Queen, Lady Featherflight, The Gold in the Chimney, and The Cat That Went a-Traveling. These stories are ideal to read aloud or for older readers to enjoy discovering by themselves. Jacqueline Mair’s delightful illustrations, based on American folk art, have the stitched and embroidered texture of a much-loved family quilt.

Mexican folktales invite us into a magical world of enchantment and transformation, populated by cats and kings, priests and tricksters, ordinary people and supernatural beings, in this vibrant collection. Drawing from authentic sources, folklorist Neil Philip has created a rich and varied anthology of fifteen folktales that draw on the rich storytelling tradition of Mexico, where classic themes and fairytale elements are blended with magic and infused with Roman Catholic imagery to create a distinctly Mexican flavour and flair. The Virgin Mary plays the role of fairy godmother, devils gamble for souls, and witches dance at fiestas with horse hooves instead of feet. Read about a witch that turns seven brothers into seven blue oxen and how a young man, thrown overboard to drown, is rescued by a mysterious shadow. As in the tradition of other folktales from around the world, cats, dogs, fools, soldiers and princesses go on quests and have magical adventures. The vibrant, whimsical paintings by Jacqueline Mair are based on Mexican folk art and make these spirited tales just right for storytimes and a perfect introduction to this little known body of folk literature, ideal to read aloud or for older readers to enjoy discovering by themselves.

The world's great fables, sagas and legends dramatically retold. Myths are the greatest stories ever told. Passed down over millennia, they are the templates for all our stories, with their eternal themes of creation and destruction, fate and cunning, heroism and cruelty, sensuality and war. Retold here are nearly 200 myths - from Prometheus defying Zeus to create man to the destruction of Troy; and from valiant battles against Frost Giants and Cyclopes to the heroic quests for the Golden Fleece and Holy Grail - including a commentary on their origins, common themes and meanings. Compellingly written, concise and with each myth illustrated with an iconic image, Myths in Minutes is the perfect way to understand and enjoy the world's major fables. Includes the great Ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian legends: The Labours of Heracles; The Gods of Olympus; Zeus defeats the Titans; Hades and the Underworld; Theseus and the Minotaur; The Gorgons; Perseus and Andromeda; Oedipus and the Sphinx; The Judgment of Paris; The Trojan Horse; The Odyssey; Jason and The Golden Fleece; Romulus, Remus and the Founding of Rome; Mars, the God of War; The Eye of Ra; The Murder and Resurrection of Osiris; and more. The best of Celtic, Norse, Eastern, American, Oceanic and African myths: Gilgamesh and the Great Flood; Odin's Great Sacrifice; Thor's Adventures in the Land of the Giants; The Treachery of Loki; Ragnarok - The Last Battle; The Eight Immortals; The War Between the Sun and the Stars; Quetzalcoatl, The Plumed Serpent; Ganesh, the Elephant-headed; Ananse and the Sky God; King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table; the age-old stories of the Aboriginal Dreaming; and many; many more.

This highly accessible collection gathers together the best-loved gems of English language verse, from the deeply moving to the hilariously silly. The poems span the entire range of verse from high drama to stuff-and-nonsense and are presented in nine sections: Poems of Childhood and Youth; Poems of Love and Marriage; Poems of Life; Poems of Loss and Comfort; Poems of War and Peace; Poems to Read Aloud; Poems to Read Quietly; Poems of Animals and Nature and Poems of Magic and Mystery. The anthology includes works by William Blake, Dylan Thomas, Seamus Heaney, Robert Burns, T S Eliot, Rudyard Kipling, W B Yeats and many, many more. The poems have all been chosen and arranged by Neil Philip and the volume is illustrated throughout with watercolour borders and decorative motifs by Isabelle Brent, glowing with her trademark gold leaf.