What is your favorite European fairytale or children's book?

[Debaser11]

*If this topic has already been done, I apologize. I did try to search and came up with nothing.*

I was wondering if you guys could tell me your favorite children's story. I think since this is primarily a European cultural preservation forum, the origin of these stories should at least not extend beyond the countries that are admitted onto this forum.

So I think Australian, Canadian or American stories would still be acceptable since those countries are part of Western civilization and obviously tie back to Europe in a very direct and clear way. (It's okay if the writer was influenced by non-European elements just so long as the incarnation of the story originated from a Western country or a Western author who may have lived abroad. I'm looking for European sensibilities here.)

Taking a cue from Psychonaut's thread, "The Greatest Ever," I'd like anyone who responds to try to limit their answers to just one story or work. It makes it more interesting that way.

I don't even have to think twice about my choice:

http://www.borderlandsbooks.com/images/books/24140_669.jpg

It's simply an amazing book that has such a whimsical, positive outlook on life. It embodies everything I like about English culture and there are few works that equal its genius at appealing to adults and children alike.

[Bloodeagle]

My favorite: Three Little Pigs

Printed versions date back to the 1840s, but the story itself is thought to be much older. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Little_Pigs)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Three_little_pigs_and_mother_sow_-_Project_Gutenberg_eText_15661.jpg

I would read this story to my children when they were younger.
There is so much practical knowledge contained in the story.:D
http://blog.bplans.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Three_little_pigs_-_third_pig_builds_a_house_-_Project_Gutenberg_.jpg

[Debaser11]

I loved the version on Fairytale Theater with the people dressed as pigs that aired on PBS back in the mid 80s.

[Tabiti]

I liked Grimm brothers. Owned 3 big books. Hans Christian Andersen, too, especially "The Snow Queen".
Had many books containing various British, Italian, Baltic and so on fairytales. But I preferred Bulgarian ones mostly.
As for books I liked "Alice in Wonderland", "Emil i Lönneberga", "Heidi", "Black Beauty", "Sans Famille", "Cuore" and so on.

[Psychonaut]

It's a tenuous border between myths and faerie tales, but I think I can definitely say that Tam Lin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamlin) falls in with the latter:


Tam (or Tamas) Lin (also called Tamlane, Tamlin, Tam Lien, Tam-a-Line, or Tam Lane) is the hero of a legendary ballad originating from the Scottish Borders. The story revolves around the rescue of Tam Lin by his true love from the Queen of the Fairies. While this ballad is specific to Scotland, the motif of capturing a person by holding him through all forms of transformation is found throughout Europe in folktales.[1]

The story has been adapted into various stories, songs and films.

I'm particularly partial to this rendition:

6YW3zHeen5Y

[San Galgano]

What's better for a kid than the old woody Pinocchio?
Moreover i like him more cause the writer(Collodi) was a fellow from my Tuscany.

http://agenda.filastrocche.it/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/pinocchio1.jpg

[Aramis]

No idea. Hated books when I was a little boy. The only one I remember to like was:

Struwwelpeter, by Heinrich Hoffmann.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gTvRGgKMuFI/Sc0hAVa0bYI/AAAAAAAAA_A/lHQ1Yp5NBnI/s400/struwwelpeter.jpg

http://jenniferlintonart.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/daumen3.gif

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_w4ifTToAw5Q/S4WAT9W2TgI/AAAAAAAABR8/oRwBSsCUilE/s640/Struwwel_paulina.gif

http://www.schulen.wien.at/schulen/906012/sendungen/images/guck3.gif

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Struwwelpeter_2.jpg

Not a fairytale though. Sorry :D

[Lithium]

Slavic-Bulgarian tales for samodivi, rusalki and some celtic about fairies :D

[The Ripper]

I like everything by Astrid Lindgren. Especially Ronja Rövarsdotter. :)

[esaima]

The Brothers Grimm,
Italian fairytales,
French fairytales by Ch.Perrault,
Hungarian fairytales by E. Kolozsvari Grandpierre,
Estonian fairytales by local authors Fr.R.Kreutzwald, Juhan Kunder, August Jakobson

and many others.I loved fairytales.

[Bonita]

I loved the stories from Astrid Lindgren.

I also remember how much I loved the tragic fairytales of H.C. Andersen, like "The Little Mermaid" and "The little Match-Seller".

[Karl]

I loved the stories from Astrid Lindgren.

That's two of us. My mother used to read me Astrid Lindgren's books and they were one of the first books which I did read after learning to read.

[Æscwyn]

I like the Beatrix Potter stories.

http://static.letsbuyit.com/filer/images/uk/products/original/60/82/beatrix-potter-the-complete-tales-boxed-set.jpeg

http://www.citv.co.uk/static/puddle3.jpg

[Óttar]

http://www.riprense.com/images/struwwelpeter.jpg

http://27.media.tumblr.com/QlT8vHoodqq265fgsTGCubEho1_400.jpg

Those bloodthirsty Germans. :P

[Sally]

Too many to mention, really. The Tale of Two Bad Mice, The Little Mermaid and The Goose Girl are among my favourite stories, though.

http://i33.tinypic.com/2i9mtyd.jpg

http://i36.tinypic.com/23w9zf7.jpg

http://i36.tinypic.com/16ifbwi.jpg

[Liffrea]

Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe if that counts.

I never really got into fairy tales as a kid, I was too literal minded, why would three bears eat porridge and sleep in beds? They eat salmon, I’m pretty sure they have no concept of a bed either, my teachers hated me.

[Thraex]

Definitely this. :D

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41-%2B2HGNyZL._SS500_.jpg

[esaima]

Of course, I forgot to mention Kalle Blomquist by Astrid Lindgren.
It was (and is:D) certainly one of my favourites if to talk about non-fairytales.

[Eldritch]

Definitely Carl Barks' Duckburg stories.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmfAOCgGNJU/R8cnv6vUqZI/AAAAAAAADpo/EyVKlM1a1SU/s320/small_Holiday%2BIn%2BDuckburg.jpg

Of course I also enjoy anything done by his disciple Don Rosa:

http://www.wolfstad.com/dcw/images/news/donrosaposter-large.jpg

[Óttar]

There are many German fairy tales that betray a possible Indian origin. The ones where they have tigers in the Schwarzwald. :P

I've always found the Jaegermeister folktale curious. A hunter goes to shoot a deer in the woods and a cross appears between its horns. That is awfully close to the Indian tale where a hunter goes to shoot a deer and then it turns out to be Krishna in disguise.

[Eldritch]

Definitely this. :D

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41-%2B2HGNyZL._SS500_.jpg

Actually, when it comes to incredibly naive fairy-tales, Karl Marx is more my cup of tea.

Tove Jansson's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tove_Jansson) Moomins, anyone? :)

http://www.ohjelmanaiset.fi/lastenohjelmat/muumit/muumit.jpg

[ironman]

My Aunt brought me up for a while, my 2 female cousins had lots of "Peter and Jane" Ladybird books to read, these are my earliest memory of childrens books that i read.

http://i339.photobucket.com/albums/n449/ruffusruffcut/peterandjaneLadybirdbooks.jpg

[Tom Cat]

I first became involved with the fascinating world of literature when I was twelve years-old. The book, or I should say series of books that started me on my journey was entitled, "The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet" by Eleanor Cameron. :)

[mymy]

"The little Prince", favorite book in childhood and still one of the most favorite.

[Detfri]

When I was child I adored "Alice in Wonderland", "Peter Pan" and "The Little Mermaid". And of course the classicals: Cinderella, Pinocchio and Whitesnow.

[Svipdag]

"East of the Sun and West of the Moon" by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe

[Lars]

The Snow Queen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Snow_Queen) by Hans Christian Andersen

The one is actually better. It's extremely emotional but it's very short.
http://www.mille-soeren.dk/09_Jul/15_H_C_Andersen/Den_lille_pige_med_svovlstikkerne.jpg

[Ushtari]

Everything coming from Astrid Lindgren is pure awesomeness

[Curtis24]

When it comes to European mythology, you can't beat the Arthurian tales.

[Treffie]

When it comes to European mythology, you can't beat the Arthurian tales.

Yep, my faves are The Sword of Avalon and The Lady of the Lake :thumb001:

[Comte Arnau]

The Classics are the Classics. But now children prefer Geronimo Stilton. Apparently degeneration covers all ranges of society these days.

[la bombe]

Like others here, I used to love "The Snow Queen". Also, "Pied Piper of Hamelin" and "The Emperor's New Clothes"

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_bnTH_4QgfBA/S20_xCCSWvI/AAAAAAAABnQ/TS9yKHzXfsQ/s400/Emperors_New_Clothes.jpg


Oh and I just remembered "Jack and the Beanstalk", I'm pretty sure I had this (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/17034/17034-h/17034-h.htm) collection of English fairy tales.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Jack_and_the_Beanstalk_Giant_-_Project_Gutenberg_eText_17034.jpg/418px-Jack_and_the_Beanstalk_Giant_-_Project_Gutenberg_eText_17034.jpg

[Comte Arnau]

Some not so old or traditional tales in English are also of great quality. Wilde may be known for his novels and quotes, but he wrote a collection of sad but interesting tales, specially three of them: the Happy Prince, the Nightingale and the Rose and the Selfish Giant.

http://blocs.gracianet.cat/lelefant_trompeta/files/2009/03/happyprince.jpg

[Aemma]

In English, "The Little Match Girl" and "The Snow Queen" I am most fond of. Mother Goose was always a big hit in my house when growing up. All sorts of nifty rhymes..."Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jump over the candle stick!" :)

Some French ones that I liked when I was a young kid:

"Les patins d'argents" (http://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/Les_Patins_d%E2%80%99argent) and "Peau d'âne" (http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peau_d'%C3%A2ne_(conte))

Geez and to think I almost forgot about these. :(

[Whiteruthenian]

http://www.bosonogoe.ru/uploads/images/2/c15ff4cb49.jpg

I must admit I did enjoy reading "Old man Khottabych" by Lazar Lagin. But it's a dangerous book, it almost turned me into a little communist. "Dunno on the Moon" by Nikolay Nosov is to be avoided too in this respect.

"Urfin Jus and his Wooden Soldiers" by Alexander Volkov can inculcate love for totalitarian aesthetic to your child. And the whole series (http://emeraldcity.ru/eng/books.htm) by this author is entertaining, maybe one day I'll finish it.

[esaima]

But it's a dangerous book, it almost turned me into a little communist. "Dunno on the Moon" by Nikolay Nosov is to be avoided too in this respect.
"Dunno on the Moon":thumb001:That's cool.Yes, it influences it's reader towards anti-capitalism, that's for sure:D It's much more than just a "children's book";)

[MagnaLaurentia]

Les Contes de ma mère l'Oye de Perrault :

Le Petit Chaperon rouge - Little Red Riding Hood

Les Fables de La Fontaine :

La Cigale et la Fourmi - The Ant and the Grasshopper
Le Corbeau et le Renard - The Fox and the Crow
La Grenouille qui se veut faire aussi grosse que le boeuf - The Frog and the Ox
Le Lièvre et la Tortue - The Tortoise and the Hare

[link]

This one was the most awesome!!.
http://pictrade.info/img/rgh1300387295u.jpg

Either one of these two could be the next best thing :)

http://jasonrenshaw.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83452d45869e2013487f4de98970c-800wi http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_m4GM18P7uk0/S0S-Z5abB4I/AAAAAAAAAr4/gB86Ab2H_o4/s320/IMG_0001.jpg

The Wind in the Willows and Alice in Wonderland were nice too. And so where right about all folk tales about devils, goblins, witches, hags and cheeky smartasses who would outwit them all :D

The Little Mermaid, on the other hand, was probably the worst book for children I have ever read. Well suited for adults though..

[Talvi]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZaTCJM8RRD0/SlremWuIqhI/AAAAAAAAAxY/9dbgp1GlzKs/s400/community.moomin.gif


Although the only one that ever affected me was Harry Potter. :P

[Blossom]

Till Eulenspiegel, ofc. :)

I absolutly loved Hans Christian Andersen (The Little Match Girl/Den lille Pige med Svovlstikkerne) this one was my fave + Niels and the giants. Bless Danmark.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Little_Match_Girl_-_Anne_Anderson.jpg/429px-Little_Match_Girl_-_Anne_Anderson.jpg


Grimms are also awesome. :)


Dont ask me why I know so much about danish fairytales, I think I keep a dane secret...haha.

[Blossom]

"The Emperor's New Clothes"

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_bnTH_4QgfBA/S20_xCCSWvI/AAAAAAAABnQ/TS9yKHzXfsQ/s400/Emperors_New_Clothes.jpg

Hilarious one...I remember first time when I read it.. :lol:

Cant believe no one knows about Till Eulenspiegel and/or Niels and the giants!...:D but its nice to see that I'm not the only one who loved ''The little match girl'' aww! :rolleyes:


OMG!!!

Forgot to mention: Nils Holgersson !!! My very fave one aswell and first faity tale I ever read!!! :D

http://www.alertapescadora.com/upload/noticias/Nils_Holgersson.jpg

[Libertas]

Pinocchio

[link]

Cant believe no one knows about Till Eulenspiegel and/or Niels and the giants!...:DOh, but I do! :D

I didn't read this one until my early teens though, so, obviously, it didn't leave as big an impression as Lindgren's or Preußler's works did :p
http://www.jpc.de/image/w600/front/0/9783458320364.jpg