The Crystal Pool: Myths and Legends of the World

'The sea was not always so big, glazing the globe blue, roaring in the ears of dry land. Believe it or not, the sea was once no more than a single secret saltwater spring where an old woman went to draw water for cooking: it made her vegetables taste good.' Thus begins the title story of McCaughrean's fourth collection of myths and legends, and as with the earlier collections (The Golden Hoard, The Silver Treasure and The Bronze Cauldron), this harmonious combination of the poetic and the conversational provides a perfect vehicle for tales in which domestic life is constantly suffused with magic and mythology. The story of the Crystal Pool comes from Melanesia, and almost every other region of the world is encompassed by these 28 stories. There are two or three well known tales (The Flying Dutchman, The Pied Piper, Isis and Osiris) and a wealth of material that will provide fresh delights for your readers, and opportunities to draw thematic parallels with more familiar stories. All of the stories are compact and enthralling, and the reteller's skill with a richly embellished vernacular makes them ideal for reading aloud. The book is copiously illustrated with Willey's radiant and eventful paintings.