Here is a beautifully executed series of square CD books – slightly larger than the singles of old – designed to introduce children to fairytales as interpreted by great composers. To judge by the numbers of reprints alone, these stories-with-music, which include Cinderella, Peter and the Wolf, Swan Lake and The Firebird, are genuine classics. Uitgeverij Gottmer has now reissued them in a fresh form which sets a new standard.
The stories have been retold, adapted and newly illustrated, and are offered in an exceptionally well produced and handsomely printed picture book. The CD is at the front, cased in a hard cardboard cover, the text is enclosed in its own coloured soft cover, and the prints are simply gorgeous. This is surely the way for new generations to become acquainted with this part of our cultural heritage.