Oscar Wilde Stories For Children

Whether these were really written for children, I don't know. The stories all have fairytale themes and structures, of course, but some of the imagery is quite disturbing too (but then some Christian imagery is..!). The writing however is rhythmical and quite beautiful, as one would expect from Oscar Wilde, and the stories can give rise to some deep conversations too. ("What does it mean?" my eight year old asked after The Selfish Giant.) So do be aware that these are Oscar Wilde stories and not fairy stories - and read them first before you read them to your child - but for some beautiful prose, particularly if you don't know them, do read them - and especially out loud. I personally can hardly get through The Happy Prince without choking up - even part-way through, 'cos I know what's coming... - again quite vulnerable moments to share with one's daughter...! PJ Lynch's artwork is beautiful too and enhances the stories, though of course they work extremely well without it too... best to read aloud and then perhaps share the artwork later.. But do check them out before you read them to your children. They are quite beautiful, but I'm not sure they were ever meant for children, so the title may be somewhat misleading.

These Children's stories by Oscar Wilde a classics, and quite rightly. They are profound and powerful stories, and do not hide children away from darker themes. Having said that, as much as they are supposedly stories for children, they are also perfect for adults. This is Oscar Wilde at his greatest They are beautifully presented in this book, and really good value.

very good book

Best book , great condition

The tales are very nice and poetic, but I would not recommend to read them to children. The stories are often hard and very sad.

I have been reading thse stories to my seven year old son. The selfish giant was recommended to me, so I decided to buy the book of short stories which included it rather than the single book. The selfish giant was fab and we really enjoyed it. they are on the whole very deep and dark. My son is enjoying listening to them, though i find them quite heavy to read out loud. They are certainly memorable. it has been an interesting journey through the book! Would certainly recommend the Selfish Giant to other readers.

These stories are timeless, although from an adult perspective there are a few homoerotic elements to them. They are nice children stories and the art is beautiful

This book is a present for a niece for Christmas but I can review it because we bought it years ago for our daughter. It is a beautiful book. The stories are by Oscar Wilde but, for us, it is the illustrations by P J Lynch that make it so special. He is a wonderful artist and over the years we have bought several books by him.

This story is my favorite fairy tale, but this publication's illustrations are terrible. I returned this.

I love giving Oscar Wilde’s children’s stories as gifts for friends with young children. The stories are a bit mature but are very, very beautiful and include his bitter sweet sense of humour which I adore. This particular version in terms of illustrations comes across as quite girly, a lot of pink and generally are in a style that is not quite my taste—still a nice enough little gift. Also, this book only includes 3-4 stories. I have a copy without illustrations that includes 9 stories which I would prefer.

Ein sehr empfehlenswertes Buch. Oscar Wildes Geschichten sind bezaubernd und die Illustrationen genauso bezaubernd und schön.

Please understand that my rating is for the product, not the service. The book arrived promptly. However, buying this book sight unseen was a lesson. The cover is beautiful, the concept good. I thought I was buying a reproduction of Charles Robinson's beautiful illustrations of Oscar Wilde's children's stories. Instead, I found his black and white line illustrations had been garishly coloured by Emma Byrne. I truly believe this is a travesty. Talented illustrators should be treated with more respect. I won't buy illustrated books online ever again, without actually seeing the book first.

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