Fairy Tales and Fantastic Stories

by Terry Jones, Michael Foreman (Illustrations)

How slow is an ogre? How do you get rid of a dragon if it’s on your roof? Would you go off with a fly-by-night? And who was the funniest dog in the world? These are a few of the important questions that are answered in this book. Terry Jones’s fairy tales take readers to strange lands and fabulous kingdoms where they will find mystery and magic, sadness and silliness, and more adventures than they will know what to do with.

Genres: Short Stories, Fantasy, Fiction, Anthologies, Childrens

256 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1997

About the author

Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name

Terence Graham Parry Jones was a Welsh actor, comedian, director, historian, writer and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe.
After graduating from Oxford University with a degree in English, Jones and writing partner Michael Palin wrote and performed for several high-profile British comedy programmes, including Do Not Adjust Your Set and The Frost Report, before creating Monty Python's Flying Circus with Cambridge graduates Graham Chapman, John Cleese, and Eric Idle and American animator-filmmaker Terry Gilliam. Jones was largely responsible for the programme's innovative, surreal structure, in which sketches flowed from one to the next without the use of punch lines. He made his directorial debut with Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which he co-directed with Gilliam, and also directed the subsequent Python films Life of Brian and The Meaning of Life.
Jones co-created and co-wrote with Palin the anthology series Ripping Yarns. He also wrote an early draft of Jim Henson's film Labyrinth and is credited with the screenplay, though little of his work actually remained in the final cut. Jones was a well-respected medieval historian, having written several books and presented television documentaries about the period, as well as a prolific children's author. In 2016, Jones received a Lifetime Achievement award at the BAFTA Cymru Awards for his outstanding contribution to television and film. After living for several years with a degenerative aphasia, he gradually lost the ability to speak and died in 2020 from frontotemporal dementia.

Reviews

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fairy tales are all very inventive and fun to read. The fantastic stories were a bit less to my liking, but still very enjoyable.

[J.G. Mullin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this after I read Michael Palin's Limericks. I didn't enjoy Palin's Limericks as much as I thought I would. Terry Jones' collection of Fairy Tales and Fantastic Stories, however, didn't let me down. His humour and lightness are always present, and I also enjoyed the morals of his Fairy Tales.
My favourites are: the rain drops arguing who is more beautiful only to join each other in one big muddy puddle; the land of big noses, where they wish for their noses to be smaller, but instead are taught to adapt to life as they are; the man who missed out on life because he kept eating purple fruit which made him dream; and the genius who sold his soul to the Devil only to realize the Devil is a fool.

Due to his lightness and humour, I actually prefer these tales over those of the Brothers Grimm (despite my love for them), especially for children.

The Fantastic Stories aren't as great, but are still enjoyable. It's definitely worth the read. Terry Jones certainly has yet to disappoint me in anything that I've seen him put out- whether it's fairy tales, python movies, or documentaries.

[Joan]

Difficult to rate a book like this -the stories varied from 1 star to 5 stars - some truly dreadful eg;The Butterfly who Sang and others wonderful eg: The Ship of Bones

In the end I decided that rating the whole book would be pointless. The stories vary wildly from gentle fairy stories to extremely creepy - almost adult - tales of death, destruction, morality, fantasy and one or two were a little too 'preachy' for my liking. As an adult I can appreciate the illustrations.

All in all an interesting mix of tales, but not a book to be read to young children. ;)

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for guided reading - 4*

I have really enjoyed reading this and so I am glad that this was our choice for guided reading for the last half-term.

I only taught the Wine of Li Po (which I am now sick of) and The Ship of Bones. I know my class also studied The Wooden City and enjoyed that.

I can't believe this is written by the guy, who was in Monty Python. He is so talented and this is so accessible for eight and nine-year-olds.

My only regret is that I couldn't read the whole book because of time but I'd definitely come back to this.

[Jim Sibigtroth · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are outstanding read-aloud stories and most have great messages about the evils of drugs (Forget-Me-Nuts), or pride (Touch the Moon), or greed (Eyes All Over). Some are just great entertainment (The Slow Ogre, The Ship of Bones, The Beast with a Thousand Teeth). Brave Molly is a very fun "scary story" that has a sudden twist at the end that will have little ones rolling on the floor laughing. This is a must-have collection of great stories.

[Yasmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terry Jones wrote a very wonderful book. I wish it had existed when I was a child, but I'm able to well appreciate it as an adult. Much of the writing reminds me of Irish fairy tales and very slightly reminds me of Roald Duhl's children's books. I have to say without a doubt my favourite story was the Snow Baby. I would have liked it even more if he had more of his protagonists had been girls. It was excellent nonetheless!

[Clare Moseley · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mom used to read Fairy Tales to me when I was a kid, but my copy of that book has long since disappeared and when I got this one (with Fantastic Stories along with it), it was great to look back at what I grew up on. I still think they're amazingly witty and clever and I think can hold up to any of the classic fairy tales.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very entertaining book by the late Terry Jones.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hit and miss. The fairy tales were generally good, the stories less so.

[Jill B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn’t expect too much from this. I read it so I can give it away but it was enjoyable and the second story about the dragon really resonated. For a short children’s story, it held a lot of truth and it made me sad, really. I applaud Mr. Jones’ insight wrapped into a kid’s tale.

Will not give this away, after all.