Magic Beans: A Handful of Fairy Tales from the Storybag

14 fairy tales are plucked from the Storybag and given new life by acclaimed writers from Michael Morpurgo to Jacqueline Wilson. Old favourites including Aesop’s Fables and 'The Snow Queen' meet less familiar stories such as 'Grey Wolf', 'Prince Jack and the Firebird', retold by Alan Garner and 'The Seal Hunter', set in verse by Tony Mitton.

The tales contain life lessons for young readers. Generosity and kindness are rewarded in 'The Three Heads in the Well', while 'The Little Mermaid' gives up everything for love. 'Mossycoat', an imaginative version of 'Cinderella', shows the importance of honesty and hard work. Children learn to think before they make hasty decisions and that love and friendship are more valuable that any treasure.