Welsh Giants, Ghosts and Goblins

By Author / Illustrator

Claire Fayers

Genre

Fairy Tales & Folk Tales

Age range(s)

Publisher

Firefly Press

ISBN

9781915444707

Format

Hardback

Published

01-08-2024

Synopsis

A wealth of Welsh myths, legends and ghost stories are reimagined for contemporary younger readers. Meet Idris, the teenage giant king on a quest to collect stories. As he travels across Wales, readers encounter a vengeful house goblin, a ghost that steals life, dwarves that have moved in beneath someone's garden, a tea party of lady ghosts, a furry trickster goblin and many other fascinating and devious fairy folk.

These 17 adventures, fairy tales and ghost stories from across Wales are retold and reimagined by the author as the traditional stories are given new life through the contemporary storyteller's lens: a feisty, inclusive and relatable cast in a mix of traditional and contemporary settings.

Reviews

Sue

Before you have even opened it to discover the delights within, it has to be said that Welsh Giants, Ghosts and Goblins is a beautifully produced book. The green hardback perfectly complements the gold lettering and design of the cover by Becka Moor, making this a book to be gifted, treasured, loved and passed on. And (as one of those weird booklovers who can always be found sniffing books!) it smells great too!

In this collection, Claire has taken seventeen traditional Welsh tales and has used her own special magic to re-imagine them for a new generation. In doing so, she has created a treasure trove of tales, offering something new whilst acknowledging the old, allowing readers to investigate the stories which inspired her should they wish to do so.

Each story starts with an author's note which sets the scene and sometimes offers guidance on pronunciation - essential support for anyone sharing these at a story time. I particularly enjoyed 'The Green Lady of Caerphilly Castle' which, inspired by the story, I am planning to visit very soon! But then, I am planning to spend quite a lot of time exploring Wales due to this book!

In some stories, such as the Green Lady, Claire has stayed fairly true to the original; others, she has cleverly altered to offer a new or different take on the tale. In 'Sir John and the Dragon', the addition of Mags, a lively, intelligent orphan, allows a far more satisfactory conclusion to the story of Denbigh's dragon.

I could easily write about each of the stories and how much I enjoyed them, but that would make this piece far too long. Suffice it to say that for those who love folklore, this is an essential collection. For those who don't, this is the collection you need to change that!

224 pages / Ages 8+ / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher