by Theresa Breslin. Illustrated by Kate Leiper.
Dark dragons, ghostly bagpipers, rude goblins and sly wizards - discover the legends that dwell within the ancient castles of Scotland.
Explore secret passages beneath Edinburgh Castle, search for the mysterious monster of Glamis, capture the faery flag of Dunvegan, joust with knights at Stirling Castle and swim with the selkie of Eilean Donan in this sumptuous collection of tales from iconic Scottish castles. Read much-cherished and little-known legends, each illuminating the character and history of its castle, all brilliantly retold and beautifully illustrated to amuse, thrill and enchant.
A wonderful gift, this is a stunning book to be treasured for a lifetime, bringing history, place and story alive for children, parents and grandparents alike.
This highly anticipated book is the latest volume of much-loved Scottish tale treasuries by Carnegie-award-winning children's author Theresa Breslin and Kate Greenaway Medal-longlisted artist Kate Leiper.
Hardcover, 176 pages, with colour illustrations. 8.5 x 10.9 inches.
Floris Books, 2019. Printed in Poland.
Recommended for ages 7-10 years.
Reviews
'The castles of Scotland are storied places – literally -- as we learn from Theresa Breslin's engaging narrative in An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Castle Legends, with dramatic pictures by Kate Leiper. A map at the beginning, inset with monochrome paintings, gives us a glimpse of the real places that have given rise to fantastic yarns about goblins, dragons and the seal-creatures known as selkies, but also to human-scale tales involving faithful dogs, cow thieves and identical twins of unusual sagacity.'
-- The Wall Street Journal
'The book's elegant design enhances the reading experience, while the artwork creates strong, enduring images of the people and creatures in the stories. Created primarily with chalk pastels and enhanced with ink and acrylic paint, the illustrations create scenes with unusual clarity, beauty, and mystery... In a time when few new books of legends are published for children, it's a pleasure to find such a beautiful collection of riveting stories.'
-- Booklist
'A map of Scotland with images of the castles appears at the beginning of the book, followed by 11 tales, fluidly told and stunningly illustrated in a large format. The artwork is done in acrylic and ink with pastel on paper and adds detail and visual interest to propel readers forward. This handsome volume will be an appealing addition to libraries as both source material for programs and for individuals to read and share.'
-- School Library Journal
'An exciting collection of deliciously spooky legends associated with no fewer than thirteen ancient Scottish castles... [It] unfolds with luscious authentic illustrations and is told in delightful traditional style... A beautiful children's classic that will cause readers to dream hopefully of visiting all the mystical castles and sites in Scotland associated with these magical tales.'
-- Midwest Book Review
'Each tale is beautifully illustrated with drawings on every page done in chalk pastel on paper with occasional use of ink and acrylic paint... The tales are absolutely fascinating including dragons, Monsters (Loch Ness), Selkies, Goblins, Faeries and more. A brief history of each castle is provided before the tale providing an enriching background...'
-- Youth Services Book Review
'The illustrations are mesmerising... Simply stunning.'
-- Catherine Rayner
'A glorious collection of traditional stories. The perfect gift.'
-- Vivian French
'I loved Fantastic Beasts, and I'm really glad I got to read this book -- it has loads of beasts from Scotland in it, and it's amazing how many stories I didn't even know before. I'm going to ask my parents to visit all the places in the book, and I'm going to ask for the other two books like this for my birthday. The pictures are amazing, and the stories are great for reading at night. My friends like it, too!'
-- Jack, age 9, for Families Glasgow
'Everything you'd expect it to be. What you'd want it to be. From the wonderful cover by Kate, to every last little story by Theresa, set in different castles all over Scotland, and taking place at varying times in history... This is a great book.'
-- Bookwitch
About the Author
Theresa Breslin OBE is a multi-award-winning author of over 50 books for children and young adults. Her work has been filmed for television, adapted for stage, broadcast on radio, translated world-wide and won many literary prizes, including the Carnegie Medal. She lives near Glasgow, Scotland and is a regular visitor at book festivals and schools. Theresa was awarded a Scottish Book Trust Outstanding Achievement Award in March 2019, and was made an OBE in June 2019. She and Kate Leiper created An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Folk and Fairy Tales and An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Mythical Creatures together.
Kate Leiper is a fine artist and illustrator based in Edinburgh. She studied at Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen and has been longlisted for the Kate Greenaway Award. Kate Leiper and Theresa Breslin created An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Folk and Fairy Tales and An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Mythical Creatures together. Kate is also the illustrator of The Book of the Howlat and A Wee Bird Was Watching.
