A Twist of Fairy Tales by K.J. Rollinson.

               A Twist of Fairy Tales by K.J.Rollinson. Book Review.

K.J.Rollinson has presented us with an interesting collection of nine short stories for young children and adults alike to enjoy, with illustrations.


"A twist of fairy tales you'll dream tonight. Some new, some old."

Fairies and Unicorns: Lucky Chloe. Imagine having a leisurely walk with breathtaking views of nature in all its glory, water cascading and a beautifully sparkling waterfall surrounded by a spectacular array of flowers of every hue imaginable. Delightful. The warmth of the sun made Chloe sleepy so imagine her delight in awakening to discover that there were two golden haired fairies with rainbow wings and even more of a magical sight: a beautiful white unicorn with her foal.

Of course it's make-believe and these magical creatures possess human traits including the power to communicate. In fact, anything can happen, can't it? "Gossamer and Honeydew daintily fluttered onto each of Chloe's shoulders, their iridescent wings capturing the sun's rays. Chloe caught her breath at the magical sight." Isn't it refreshing to know that even fairies have these old-fashioned beliefs? The notion of a modern gal like Chloe is lost on them. Wearing trousers, trainers and climbing trees wasn't what Gossamer expected. Not for a girl anyway.
"Have you heard of girl-power?" Chloe asked them. Wasn't that something to do with the Spice Girls in the 90s? How do the fairies remain so enigmatic? They sprinkle sparkling magic dust over Chloe to erase this magical memory of meeting these wonderful creatures. But before she leaves them she is granted one wish and for eight nights she dreams about the following stories in this superb collection of tales.

My personal favourite is Shrimp, a cute little Welsh Cardigan corgi who nearly didn't make it. He was the runt of a litter of eight, bitten by one of his brothers and pushed aside when it was feeding time, weak and listless. Thanks to nine year old Emily, a couple of butterfly clips and Emily's caring mother not to mention a puppy formula from the vet's and before long Shrimp was thriving even though Emily treated him like her little dolly: "He suffered Emily dressing him in baby clothes, wheeling around in a pram, because she always rewarded him with a biscuit when he lay there patiently."

She taught him tricks and delighted in him doing his tricks for her parents. Her father thought him cute and his intuition told him that there was more to Shrimp than meets the eye. "I can't get over how he seems to understand everything we say. I almost think sometimes he is going to answer us." And yes, you've guessed it! "Shrimp was a magical little dog."  If he wanted to, he could talk. He developed an adventurous nature, tootling off on his own, slipping in and out of buses and venturing into town in search of a bit of excitement. Tantalising smells of delicious food tempted him. "The smell of paradise" to one little Shrimp. A few cute tricks performed and a nice tasty reward of mouth-watering delicacies. He was everybody's favourite. Find out how he turns into a hero by saving Eric's life, a silly boy who had been playing with matches. It's a heart-warming tale about a wonderful little fella, everyone's best friend.

One of the traditional tales was Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Here the author has reworked the tale showing a bit of a feminist perspective. It's been renamed: Miss Goldie Locks. Miss Goldie has curly hair, blue eyes and an endearing smile to melt your heart: "her smile would light up the sky." Her modest dream was to save up for a small house with yellow walls and blue curtains, with roses and delphiniums growing profusely in the garden.

Just like modern living today, Miss Goldie's cost of living was astronomical and saving any money was virtually impossible until she experienced a stroke of good luck. She worked for Mr Bear as his secretary in an oat factory although the business was struggling. So, the temptation proved too much when Miss Goldie saw three bowls of steaming porridge: "Her mouth watered, her tummy rumbled and grumbled. The temptation was too much." Caught in the act, an angry boss confronted her and a contrite Miss Goldie came up with a simple but workable idea to save the business and her own skin. In fact, a very modern Miss Goldie achieved her modest ambition and she was well-rewarded. A fitting end for another feminist? Girl-power.

And what about My Furry Valentine or Little Scarlet Hudson as well as other delights? That's another story…or two. Recommended read primarily for the 6-10 range with some interesting and challenging vocabulary. The tales contain some vivid description which veers towards the poetical. Highly recommended.

Publisher: Word Play Publishing Ltd.  ISBN: 1507-762-34X & 13: 978-1502-762-344.


REVIEW it by Carol Naylor.

Copyright 2015. Permission must be obtained from the author before any of this article review is reproduced.

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