Dean's Gift Book of Fairy Tales - The Johnstone Sisters

Okay, so now I want to look at Dean's Gift Book of Fairy Tales illustrated by Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone. This book... I can't even express how important it is to me. It's probably one of the most well know books by the pair and if you search through google you will see a plethora of images.

 Cinderella

Remember in one of my first posts I said I love book exchanges? This book is the complete reason. When I was four or five years-old in the 90s, my mother and aunt would regularly go to this book exchange, right near the centre of town. It was in this old 70s building with a faint lime green tiles, big glass windows and doors. My mother promised I would be able to pick one book, any book I wanted, so while they were looking I came across a box on one of the many tables. I was absolutely smitten with the cover, I had never seen a book like that before, the illustrations just stopped me in my tracks. I ended up begging her to let me get it and since it was (for memory) only four or so dollars she couldn't say no. I've had it ever since. I went through stages of trying to replicate the illustrations; but now more than anything it's a book I pull out on rainy days. The old book exchange is no longer there, instead the tiny little mall has begun a junk shop, selling cheap clothing, shoes and foreign films, which is kind of sad.

This illustration from Babes in the Wood is probably one of my top 2 favourites in the book. I even drew my own version of this and gave it to a dear friend at one point.

This would be another favourite of mine as a child. From Sleeping Beauty. It just looks so magical.

The book features eight famous fairy tales from Tom Thumb to Hansel and Gretel. (Above) is an image from Puss in Boots, even all these years later the detail in these images still takes my breath away, just the finery of the costuming and details of both the humans and animals. I took this book to university once, as part of my children's literature course and the entire class fell in love with it as well, one other student also brought another book with her Anne's illustrations of Peter Pan. Which I'll share later.

This is the only variation of Aladdin where I have seen it set in Asia as opposed to the traditional Arabian Nights of the Middle-East.

Another stunning image, this one from Beauty and the Beast, if you have lost your copy or would like to buy a copy of this book, that is easily purchasable on Amazon/Ebay, the ISBN is: 603 07501 0

Thanks for stopping by!