A Necklace of Raindrops and Other Stories
by Joan Aiken, published 1968
“The cat sat on the mat. Lots of cats do that, everybody knows. And nothing strange comes of it. But once a cay sat on a mat and something strange did come of it.”
What a delight to find a contemporary (well, almost contemporary – 1968) writer who is able to create wonderful fairy tales. For that’s what this children’s book is: a collection of truly magical fairy tales. None are retakes on old themes, either. Each tale is quite original, with interesting twists, likable characters, and a sprinkling of humor and magic. I took the book out from the library because the title enchanted me, and found that everything else in this children’s book was just as lovely.
I certainly can see this children’s book as a read-aloud for little children. Nothing scary happens, and it’s all very soothing, so every story works well as a bedtime story. However, they are also written so simply that young readers could enjoy reading the tales on their own.
Not much more to add other than to say if you have been looking for new bedtime stories, this is a great collection to consider, with 8 stories, each about 10-11 pages long. Happy reading!
