European Childrens Classics

One of the most successful and beloved Victorian fairy tales... The Princess and the Goblin is the story of Princess Irene and her friend Curdie, who come face to face with the dreaded mountain goblins. This children's fantasy novel was originally published in 1872. It uses subtle layers of symbolism to tell a story of courage and honor.

Arthur Ransome (1884-1967) wrote Old Peter's Russian Tales while he was in Russia during the First World War, prior to becoming a war correspondent for The Manchester Guardian. There are 22 stories in all and are told by Old Peter at the behest of his grandchildren, Ivan and Maroosia, in a cozy log cabin in the middle of the forest. These are delightful re-tellings in Ransome's own words of Russian folk tales, and include stories such as "The Little Snow Girl", "Baba Yaga", "Frost", and "Salt".

Bereft of his beloved wife, Glencora, and his role as prime minister, Plantagenet Palliser enters the realm of family politics as he struggles to guide and connect with his three wayward children. Lord Silverbridge, the Duke's first born and natural inheritor, expelled from Oxford, a gambler at the racetrack and an elected Conservative, further troubles his father when he becomes engaged to Isabel Boncassen. Lady Mary, his daughter, falls in love with a penniless young gentleman named Frank Tregear, while his second son, Gerald, displays similar behavior to his brother.

In this fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, a young mermaid saves the life of a prince. She falls in love with him and undergoes many trials. Finally, she achieves salvation as she was prepared to give up her identity as a mermaid to gain a human soul.

The brilliant conclusion to the Palliser novels, this touching story follows the elderly Duke of Omnium, the former prime minister of England, as he struggles to overcome his grief at the loss of his beloved wife, Lady Glencora. To complicate matters, he must also deal with the willfulness of his three adult children as he tries to guide and support them - his plans for them are quite different from their own. While his two sons, sent down from university in disgrace, rack up gambling debts, the duke’s only daughter yearns to marry the poor son of a country squire.

A romantic fairy tale Peter Pan is a favourite story of many generations of children all over the world. The main character is a boy who never grows up, can fly, lives in Neverland and fairies are his friends. He gives a flying ability to three children from London — Wendy, John and Michael Darling and takes them to a mysterious land where they have exciting and sometimes rather scary adventures.

Aunque se trata de una de las historias más célebres del mundo, Las aventuras de Pinocho es al mismo tiempo una obra en gran medida desconocida. Las peripecias de un trozo de madera parlante no son aquí un cuento aleccionador ni sentimental, sino un relato profundamente subversivo sobre la infancia perdida, colmado de crueldad, magia y sátira, en el que se entreveran la picaresca, el teatro callejero y los cuentos de hadas de un modo que anticipa el surrealismo e incluso el realismo mágico.

After her beloved mother dies, young Ella's father remarries, believing he is doing the best he can. However, the new baroness of the house and her two horrible, jealous, and spiteful daughters decide to make Ella their house slave and have her catering to their every demand. When a young prince holds a grand ball for all in the town, Ella is instructed that she must stay home. Hearing her sobs, Ella's fairy godmother arrives and transforms her and a few of the local wildlife into a vision fit for a king!

The Parliamentry troops believe he will hide in the home of Colonel Beverly, a famous Cavalier - they surround the house believeing they will smoke him out. No King is found and they are told that they have killed the four children who were in the house - but they escape with the old forester, Jacob Armitage, who must now teach them to lose their lace, and velvet manners and behave and look like Puritans

This delightful fairy tale for all ages is filled with fantasy, wit, and wisdom. A classic penned in 1872 by author George MacDonald, it has inspired the work of his friend Lewis Carroll (Alice in Wonderland), and many others, including C.S. Lewis (The Narnia Chronicles), J.R.R. Tolkien (The Lord of the Rings), G.K. Chesterton (The Father Brown Mysteries), and Madeleine L'Engle (A Wrinkle in Time).

Thumbelina is a classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale about a tiny girl no bigger than a thumb snatched from her family by an ugly toad who wants to marry her. Thumbelina escapes, befriending various creatures of the forest, until one day, she meets the king of the flower angels, with whom she finds happiness forever.

This is a story from the Grimm's Fairy Tales collection.

A golden statue comes to life and, with the help of a reluctant swallow, gives away everything he has. A fierce giant forbids children to play in his garden -- then realizes that only through sharing will spring ever come again. In these rich fables by Oscar Wilde, author of The Importance of Being Earnest, characters learn that kindness and giving are the greatest powers of all.

Here are some of the most enchanting fairy stories of all time. The Brothers Grimm conjure up a world of fantasy, hope and good fortune where the princess meets and marries the right prince (even if he once was a frog), and where the cruel witch, the arrogant wife and the greedy wolf get their comeuppance.

Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom lived a King with eleven sons and a beautiful daughter named Eliza. All was peaceful until the widowed King decided to remarry a wicked Queen with dark magical powers. Out of spite, the stepmother turns her eleven stepsons into swans and banishes Eliza from the castle into the countryside. Despite the overwhelming odds, Eliza is determined to rescue her brothers, overcome the evil Queen’s spell, and reunite her family.

Thumbelina is a beloved fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, telling the magical story of a tiny girl born from a flower. Despite her small size, Thumbelina embarks on a grand adventure, encountering toads, moles, and a host of creatures as she searches for a place where she truly belongs. With bravery and kindness, she overcomes challenges and discovers a world of beauty, friendship, and love.

Young Alice leads an ordinary sort of life until, one day, she follows a rabbit down a hole and embarks on a series of adventures with some of the most weird and wonderful characters anyone has ever encountered! She soon discovers that nothing is ordinary in Wonderland, least of all the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, the Cheshire Cat, the Duchess, and the Mock Turtle.

On an ordinary summer's afternoon, Alice tumbles down a hole - and an extraordinary adventure begins. In a strange world with even stranger characters, she meets a rabbit with a pocket watch, joins a Mad Hatter's Tea Party, and plays croquet with the Queen! Lost in this fantasy land, Alice finds herself growing more and more curious by the minute.

Everyone loves a Princess story! This collection of ten classic fairy tales is sure to please any Princess, big or small. Includes Thumbelina, The Princess and the Frog, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, The Princess and the Pea, The Little Mermaid, Rapunzel, The Wild Swans, Snow White and Rose Red, and Sleeping Beauty.

A billingual version of the classic fairy tale read first in its original English version and then in its French version. A real treat for language learners.