Something for the young — Some of the greatest stories ever written for younger and older children

A bear who loves honey, a mischievous little bunny, a mean giant who turns nice, nimble deer and mice, a magical man who helps, genies and elves, friends who’ve got your back, clucks and quacks, a throne with secret powers, a pot that cooks for hours, eggs of gold, courtiers bold, a tail on fire, a really bad liar, wishing trees and, of course, princesses and peas… These are only a few of the things children can read about in 100 Greatest Stories For Young Children, a collection of favourite stories, which has tales by Beatrix Potter, Enid Blyton, Hans Christian Andersen, the Brothers Grimm, RK Narayan, Oscar Wilde, among others.

There is also a pick of the top ones from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Panchatantra, the Jatakas, the Kathasaritasagara and other classics.

For older kids, there is 50 Greatest Stories For Older Children. From the full-of-surprises O Henry and the super-imaginative HG Wells to the adventurous Rudyard Kipling, heart-tugging Munshi Premchand and tongue-in-cheek Sukumar Ray, these are just some of the unforgettable authors older kids can read in this book.

And the places they will take them? From a densely thicketed cantonment in eastern India to a battlefield in ancient Greece, from mysterious islands to the depths of the ocean, and from thundering rivers to chilly pine forests, and a host of other thrilling landscapes.

Children can read about adventurous heroes and brave royals, monkey kings and fairies, dragons and snarks, mongooses and many-headed hydras, and several others who will fascinate them.

100 Greatest Stories For Young Children
Various authors
Hachette
Pp 560, Rs 599

50 Greatest Stories For Older Children
Various authors
Hachette
Pp 576, Rs 599