Katharine Pyle

The WONDER CLOCK Katharine Pyle

A collection of 24 different fairy tales, each illustrated by Howard Pyle, each introduced with an illustrated poem by his wife, Katherine Pyle. Everything about this book is charming to me (a person who has struggled through Anderson's and Lang's fairy tales in the last year). The actual book, a library book chosen randomly off the shelf at my local library, seems to contain many details which might appeal to a child who has conquered post-modern disdain for anything not presented in moving picture form on a screen, also a child who doesn't let a lot of text discourage them, and who can look at black and white illustrations and enjoy them. So, yes, that is a lot to ask of today's child. But here are the benefits if such can be found. The stories move fast and the illustrations are five per tale. The subjects are varied. The narrator of the tales uses sly humor sparingly. I felt as though the events in these fairy tales made more sense, especially in their outcomes, than in others I had recently read. Although the stories have nothing of the modern in them (electricity, cars, obtaining hot food through drive-up windows, etc.), they touch on concepts which transcend time (love, loyalty, honesty, and attempting a quest which seems impossible simply because the opportunity has presented itself.) ContentsBearskin -- The Water of Life -- How one turned his trouble to some account -- How three went out into the wide world -- The Clever Student and the Master of Black Arts -- The Princess Golden-Hair and the Great Black Raven -- Cousin Greylegs, the Great Red Fox, and Grandfather Mole -- One good turn deserves another -- The White Bird -- How the good gifts were used by two -- How Boots befooled the king -- The Step-mother -- Master Jacob -- Peterkin and the Little Grey Hare -- Mother Hildegarde -- Which is best -- The simpleton and his little black hen -- The Swan Maiden -- The three little pigs and the ogre -- The staff and the fiddle -- How the princess's pride was broken -- How two went into partnership -- King Stork -- The best that life has to give.