Treasury of 25 Storybook Classics: Fairytales, Magic... and More! (Scholastic Storybook Treasures)

The first disc presents five James Marshall retellings of classic fairy tales, including "Red Riding Hood," "Cinderella," "The Three Little Pigs," "Hansel and Gretel," and "Goldilocks and the Three Bears," as well as the original story "Space Case," written by Edward Marshall and illustrated by James Marshall. Each of these fairy tales is beautifully illustrated, emphasizes a specific moral lesson, and features the classic extended endings like the hunter cutting open the wolf to save Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother. The second disc features Hans Christian Andersen tales that stress the importance of celebrating differences, being happy with oneself, and appreciating the talents and freedom of fellow people and animals. The delightfully entertaining stories include favorites like "The Ugly Duckling" and "The Emperor's New Clothes," as well as somewhat lesser-known works like "The Swineherd," "Nightingale," and the incredibly moving "Red Shoes" and "The Little Match Girl." Classic fairy tales "Rapunzel," "The Elves and the Shoemaker," "The Talking Eggs," "The Three Billy Goats Gruff," "Lon Po Po: A Riding Hood Story from China," and "Princess Furball" make up the third disc and feature a variety of art styles and meaningful messages about attaining true happiness. The final disc presents five stories about magic, focusing on the misuse of magic in "Strega Nona," ill-considered wishes in "Sylvester and the Magic Pebble" and "The Stonecutter," unlikely magical powers in "The Amazing Bone," and the value of cunning in the Turkish tale "Teeny-Tiny and the Witch-Woman." Revisit some classic fairy tales and discover a few new favorites with this great Scholastic set. (Ages 3 to 9) --Tami Horiuchi