The Faber book of Nursery Stories
The first book I want to share on my blog about children's books is the Faber Book of Nursery Stories with illustrations by Shirley Hughes and edited by Barbara Ireson. It was first published by Faber and Faber in 1966. As an old book it has some unusual turns and curiosities of speech, with themes quite different from those in children's books today. Such is seen in the story of a hedgehog who wagers a golden guinea to a bottle of brandy that he can beat the arrogant Hare at a race (from a story by Walter De La Mere), and a wooden baby that gobbles everybody up! Shirley Hughes illustrations to accompany the wonderful selection of stories and fairy tales make this an essential book for any child's shelf. It has been reprinted and is available in Waterstones but I bought my copy secondhand online.
