And Other Fairy Tales

Blackberry Blue

Step into a magical world of enchanted forests, talking animals and wicked witches . . . 
A breathtaking collection of six brand-new fairytales by award-winning author Jamila Gavin.

A stunning collection of mystical fairy tales, Blackberry Blue is packed with picturesque moments that will bewitch readers - Booktrust 
 
Step into a magical world of enchanted forests, talking animals and wicked witches . . . 
 
These six magical stories will thrill and enchant you. Watch Blackberry Blue rise from the bramble patch; follow Emeka the pathfinder on his mission to save a lost king; join Princess Desire as she gallops across the Milky Way on her jet-black horse. 
 
These beautifully written and original stories will delight readers of all ages, and the stunning illustrations by Richard Collingridge will take your breath away. 
 
Gavin's six stories are spooky, engaging and refreshing in their originality. Complemented by Richard Collingridge's atmospheric illustrations, this lovely book deserves to become a classic. - Marilyn Brocklehurst, Bookseller

Love, sacrifice and endurance are foregrounded in these timeless-feeling tales, delivered in language as sharp and sweet as the ripe fruit of the title. An instant classic, subtly enriched by Richard Collingridge's delicate, shadowy illustrations.

Jamila Gavin is one of our most consistently good writers of fiction for children young and old […] the feel is timeless, but the stories are all original, touched with the magic of Gavin’s vibrant and varied imagination.

Gavin’s six stories are spooky, engaging and refreshing in their originality. Complemented by Richard Collingridge’s atmospheric illustrations, this lovely book deserves to become a classic.

Absolutely gorgeous . . . Perfect for sharing and for reading alone, I can't recommend Blackberry Blue and Other Fairy Tales highly enough.

All the traditional elements of fairy tales are here, making this storytelling at its best.

Beautifully told, magical, dark and mysterious in the best fairytale tradition . . . these are exactly the stories a 21st century classroom needs. The stories will be a joy to read aloud but the beautiful illustrations by the talented Richard Collingridge are crying out to be appreciated by an individual reader tucked away in a classroom book corner.

The collection of stories were fantastic. There are six altogether and I would have problems picking out my favourite to be honest, I loved them all.

The quality of the stories is second to none and adults will enjoy reading them with their children just as much as the kids themselves. A real winner, and should be up for several literary prizes

A stunning collection of mystical fairy tales, Blackberry Blue is packed with picturesque moments that will bewitch readers

Six enchanting examples in the best tradition of storytelling . . . A treat for the 
nines-plus.

I fell in love with it . . . an important, essential, beautiful collection of stories.

The talented Jamila Gavin is an author to watch and these refreshingly original and exciting stories are guaranteed to enchant children of every age.

Blackberry Blue and Other Fairytales is a beautifully written collection of stories that belongs on pretty much everybody's bookshelf. The descriptions that the author gives of these wonderful worlds are just magical and it is so easy to lose yourself in those words. Even though the stories are fairly short I fell deeply into the world created by the author every time and ended up feeling disappointed at the end of each story because I didn't want it to end . . . These stories are beautiful and magical and are perfect for older children and grown-ups alike.

An extraordinary and charming read for any young girl or boy.

It is the storytelling and the language that gives the collection the power to entrance; to be drawn into the spell of the story . . . I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the reading.

Jamila Gavin (Author) 
Jamila’s first book, The Magic Orange Tree, was published in 1979 and she has since been writing steadily, producing critically acclaimed novels and collections of short stories. 
 
She has been shortlisted for many of the major children’s book awards, including the Smarties Award and the Guardian Award. Coram Boy won the Children’s Whitbread Award and was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, before being adapted for the stage. The Wheel of Surya, part one of the Surya trilogy, was runner up for the Guardian Children's Fiction Award, and the other two titles were also shortlisted. 
 
Richard Collingridge (Illustrator) 
Richard Collingridge was born in London, studied Illustration at the University of the West of England, graduating in 2008, and after living in France for a few years, has recently moved back to the UK. 
 
At about the age of five Richard noticed that real people didn't look like a bunch of sticks with a circle on the top. But to his amazement, no one else in his classroom, including the teachers, seemed to be able to see this. So with this secret in mind, he decided that when he grew up, he wanted to draw pictures for a living. 
 
He has always enjoyed creating different worlds and universes for his non-stick people, and after illustrating book covers and other people's stories, he decided to put some words next to his own drawings. This seemed to work rather well and resulted in Richard's stunning début picture book, When it Snows.

Prepare to enter a world of magicians, enchanted forests, talking animals and wicked witches . . . 
 
Here are six magical stories to thrill and enchant you. Watch Blackberry Blue rise from the bramble patch; follow Emeka the pathfinder on his mission to save a lost king; join Princess Desire as she gallops across the Milky Way on her jet-black horse. 
 
These beautifully written and original stories will delight readers of all ages, and the stunning illustrations by Richard Collingridge will take your breath away.

Richard Collingridge

The illustration on the front cover speaks volumes - this is a quite special  book, the illustrations are out of this world - a simple, carefully told tale  that will captivate just about everyone that comes across it. It will become a  firm Christmas favourite in schools, in libraries, and in children's book  collections. Magnificent.

Unabashedly escapist . . . This is a romantic walkabout of a book, a dream that takes us with it. ... A boosting vote of confidence in the power of fantasy.

A beautiful, atmospheric picture book which is absolutely delightful for younger listeners. Evoking a magical, imaginative world Richard Collingridge’s creation is just perfect to snuggle up with at the end of the day. When It Snows is a book to savour and linger over as you soak up the delicious atmosphere Collingridge has so masterfully created.

A wide-eyed and woolly-hatted young boy and his teddy explore a mysterious, snowy landscape of the imagination that ultimately proves much more captivating and exciting than the gifts waiting for them underneath the tree.

Stunning, sweeping illustrations by newcomer Richard Collingridge will whisk your tot away on a magical winter's journey.

It's so fresh and unique, but if you like the works of Raymond Briggs and Chris Van Allsburg and can imagine what they'd look like if they met the works of Shaun Tan head on, this is the sort of atmospheric and absolutely amazing artwork you can expect from "When it Snows". It's not just all about the art though, the story is magical, spurring a child's imagination in the most wondrous ways.

The beautiful story of one small boys magical snowy adventure.

Collingridge’s tender and evocative artwork provid[es] plenty of scope for adding detail to the story each time it’s revisited, which is likely to be very often indeed.

You should definitely know who Richard Collingridge is because you're going to hear an awful lot about him in the future. ...The utterly gorgeous use of light and dark, and a fairly reduced palette make the artwork truly atmospheric and remarkable.

The  length is just perfect for little ones...  [It] proves the point  that stepping into a book can be pure magic! Definitely the perfect book to get  you feeling all Christmassy! A big 5 Stars!

This charming Christmas story about the power of books and stories is told  through a combination of stunningly evocative illustrations and simple  words.

An awesome debut ... Utterly enchanting, this is the perfect pressie for  children and indeed grown-ups who love the magic of the festive season.

A winter wonderland of atmospheric pictures, blazing fires and the spirit of Christmas, and an inspiring story about the imaginative power of books.

A stunning picture book with a text of only ninety-six words, spread over fourteen double spreads of outstanding, atmospheric artwork which celebrates reading. The simple story of a little boy's adventure is heartwarming.

Meet huge snowmen, an ice queen, fairies, elves, a giant reindeer and Father  Christmas.

Get in the festive mood with this beautiful story of one small boy’s magical  snowy adventure. ...An inspiring story  about the imaginative power of books.

This is a beautiful, beautiful book. With an ending which will leave book-lovers  everywhere sighing with delight. It is so luscious.

The magic of reading is the inspiration for this stunningly illustrated debut in which a little boy takes a long and eventful journey across a snow-bound imaginative landscape. ... The dream-like style of illustration makes this the perfect book for snuggling up with on dark wintry nights – Collingridge is clearly a major talent to look out for in the future.

Beautiful vast snowscapes are the visual backdrop to this magical story.... Captivating and atmospheric.

Picture books have never really appealed to me. Until I saw When It Snows.   The paintings. They are absolutely beautiful! The attention to detail, the light and shade and the undeniable talent of Collingridge... it's just breath taking.

A truly enchanting Christmas adventure . . . Wonderfully creative and romantic winter fantasy of  atmospheric pictures and blazing fires which captures the true spirit of  Christmas and delivers an inspiring story about the imaginative power of books.

When everything grinds to a halt because of the snow, one small boy and his teddy bear refuse to allow the weather to spoil their fun. They embark on an amazing journey in which they ride a polar bear and meet huge snowmen, an ice queen, fairies, elves, a giant reindeer and Father Christmas. 
 
And at the very end of the story, in a wonderfully cosy and festive fireside scene, there's a clever twist - he has simply become immersed in the magical scenes of his favourite book.

Richard Collingridge

Praise for When It Snows

The illustration on the front cover speaks volumes - this is a quite special book, the illustrations are out of this world - a simple, carefully told tale that will captivate just about everyone that comes across ...

Unabashedly escapist . . . This is a romantic walkabout of a book, a dream that takes us with it. ... A boosting vote of confidence in the power of fantasy.

A beautiful, atmospheric picture book which is absolutely delightful for younger listeners. Evoking a magical, imaginative world Richard Collingridge’s creation is just perfect to snuggle up with at the end of the ...

The illustration on the front cover speaks volumes - this is a quite special book, the illustrations are out of this world - a simple, carefully told tale that will captivate just about everyone that comes across ...

Unabashedly escapist . . . This is a romantic walkabout of a book, a dream that takes us with it. ... A boosting vote of confidence in the power of fantasy.

A beautiful, atmospheric picture book which is absolutely delightful for younger listeners. Evoking a magical, imaginative world Richard Collingridge’s creation is just perfect to snuggle up with at the end of the ...

The illustration on the front cover speaks volumes - this is a quite special book, the illustrations are out of this world - a simple, carefully told tale that will captivate just about everyone that comes across ...

Unabashedly escapist . . . This is a romantic walkabout of a book, a dream that takes us with it. ... A boosting vote of confidence in the power of fantasy.

A beautiful, atmospheric picture book which is absolutely delightful for younger listeners. Evoking a magical, imaginative world Richard Collingridge’s creation is just perfect to snuggle up with at the end of the ...

Books by Richard Collingridge

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