Well-written modern fairy tales ...

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I have just, by an utterly lovely stroke of luck (dd was lent her teacher's own copy as a special extra reading book), been able to re-read Lucy Boston's The Castle of Yew, which is otherwise out of print.

It belongs to a very special category of short, enchanting, very finely-written things - Ted Hughes' The Iron Man is the other one which springs to mind. And maybe Kipling's "How the Whale got its Throat" has the same quality.

If you know what I mean, can you add anything to the list?

Italo Calvino did the translating (or retelling?) for a collection of Italian fairy tales that I have somewhere.

you can buy the castle of yew here
just found this fab site when another MNer helped me find a book I was looking for

ah that didnt work

try this

The King of the Copper Mountains by Paul Biegel has something of that feel, I think.
I am prepared to lie, kill and steal to get a large-format hardback edition of Joan Aiken's A Necklace of Raindrops (with pictures by Jan Pienkowski).
That was my repeat read from the library for years, I loved it so much

I like The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Gouge (I think?)

It is lovely

I also read Silver woven in her hair but I can't remember who it's by

The Brothers Lionheart by Astrid Lindgren is really magical if a little hard to come by.

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marina look here

I love The King of the Golden River - not that modern I suppose. How about Oscar Wilde's fairy tales? The Selfish Giant is my favourite.

The other one that is springing to mind is Pobby and Dingan which is by no means for children or a fairy tale in the traditional sense, but certainly fits your request for "short, enchanting, very finely-written things".

Necklace of Raindrops is fab - you can get cheap reprints but the Pienkowski illustrations are essential. What do you want to know about it, Pruni?

Right book popsy, but Kevin Hawkes illustrated it more recently . The Jan Pienkowski original edition goes for upwards of £100 in hardback format now
The stories are lovely whatever but the glorious surrealism of the Pienkowski cut-outs work so beautifully with them it is a book once seen, never forgotten.

Franny's link shows just a hint of its gorgeousness - the book is full of lovely pictures like that cover

oooh franny's link!!!!
I read that one when I was little
there was a another similar looking one...
the kingdom of something......

marina - I have a funny feeling i may have seen your book at my school....

Marina I once tried to do a cross stitch version of one of the illustrations

Ds adores all the stories, especially The Elves in the Shelves, featuring the man who can't run to pick up his hat because he has a glass foot

You will have popsy - any school/children's librarian rates Joan Aiken as one of THE great writers for children

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Happy to lend my copy Pruni, if you are kind to old books

I know and love that feeling btw

franny, you glutton for punishment!
I really should just buy the paperback ed for now so I can share the stories with the dcs.
My MIL worked in children's publishing many years ago and her colleague had the dubious honour of returning "The Wolves of Willoughby Chase", saying she thought it had no potential to sell She patched it up later with Joan - commissioning Arabel's Raven for Jackanory amongst others.

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Oh good

you will love it and so will ds

especially the glass foot

Will send it next week, I owe several people parcels I think. Can we have it back, say, after Christmas?

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Well I would be lying if I said I didn't have a slightly underlying motive for plying you with parcels...

do you think Fun Chum Melons could arrive before Christmas?

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