This beautiful volume celebrates the best-loved stories of childhood through the vision of Maria Tatar, a leading expert in the field of folklore and children's literature. Challenging the notion that fairy tales can be read for their morals and used to make model citizens of little children, Tatar guides readers through the stories, exploring their historical origins, their cultural complexities and their psychological effects. Maria Tatar shows that by providing children with powerful models for navigating reality, these tales help children survive in a world ruled by adults. Twenty-six classic stories are presented - including ''Beauty and the Beast'', ''Little Red Riding Hood'', ''Jack and the Beanstalk'' and ''The Little Mermaid''. Maria Tatar has also assembled over 300 mostly four-colour photographs, paintings and illustrations, some very rare, creating a volume that will rank as one of the finest fairy tale collections in many decades.