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My Little Golden Book of Fairy Tales
Three fairy tale stories: Rupenzel, Beauty and the Beast, and Toads and Diamonds.
23 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1959
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 6, 2014
I remembered this book from my childhood. I remember reading the stories and just fell in love with the fairy tale genre. The witch in the first story was really scary. She definitely could give Freddie Kruger a run for his money. The illustrations were so artistic and captivating. A favorite from days gone past.
January 10, 2025
This book includes the fairy tales Rapunzel, Beauty and the Beast, and Toads and Diamonds. Each fairy tale is told concisely, but true to the original story.
I love the beautiful illustrations in this book! The style is so delightfully old-fashioned.
I love the beautiful illustrations in this book! The style is so delightfully old-fashioned.
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September 15, 2025Glupo mi je da ocenjujem jer zadrži svega tri bajke i to veoma kratke verzije, ali ilustracije su 10/10 i ono zbog čega vredi i zbog čega sam želela da je pročitam. ✨
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November 22, 2025this book contains some of the loveliest illustrations I've ever come across
April 16, 2012
This little book captured my heart when I was little. Three stories (two famous, one not so much) are illustrated with a weird, dreamy perfection, and the text is simple and clean, perfect for reading aloud or for those just starting to read on their own. A lovely book.
June 14, 2021
Although I have heard of the color-titled fairy tale book compilations I have really never had a chance to read any of them. Fortunately here is one that is easily accessed, gorgeously illustrated and includes several stories even if it may not be the best representation of that particular series.
What I love about this book is the fact that since the it is part of the blue book, the illustrator kept that in mind. As a result most of the illustrations focus heavily on a blue/purple theme for coloring purposes with Toads and Diamonds being the one with the least blue and Beauty & the Beast probably having the most when taken into consideration.
Another thing is that the book focuses on the detailed illustrations that most Golden Books are well known for. The humans mostly look human and the details are gorgeously caught like the first story's Rapunzel in which an almost realistic rabbit sits at the bottom of the tree with radish in hand.
As for the stories themselves these are the stories that are much closer to the Grimm versions rather than Disney. As a result they include details that most Disney fans wouldn't have heard of if they stick to only Disney but then again since these are made with children in mind the stories are rather much more tamer than their original versions. And now to to review the individual stories:
Rapunzel - This particular version is actually quite interesting for the witch is basically your stereotypical witch although appearing as one that Johnny Depp may have played if given a chance. Furthermore there is your stereotypical witch's cat, which can be found on almost any page spying and which at times looks quite fiendish in its portrayal.
I do love the details given for this story and think it is intriguing the illustrator chose to make the sun have a face but then again it is a fairy tale. What I don't enjoy about the story is the fact that after being shorn Rapunzel still has a full set of hair after being found and that they took the liberty to changed desired veggie that Rapunzel is supposed to be named after but I get it since radishes are probably a lot easier to explain to younger audiences.
Beauty and the Beast - Here is a version that is really quite similar to me but also quite strange at the same time. Chunks of it are missing such as why Beauty's father is having to traveling to his boat and Beauty's sisters also look beautiful but are given a bit more of a villain role, which I have never seen before, especially at the end.
What also makes this version quite interesting to me, though, is the story details. Beauty is presented in a format that shows her as a nature goddess while everything related to the Beast is quite exotic in details (except his boorish appearance) thus giving it a bit of a Middle Eastern flair. Also as a result of this the peacock motif is quite noticeable when you look into the details surrounding the characters and which seem a bit out of place since the story isn't suppose to be about looks.
What is the real cream to this telling is that it explains how Beauty was able to overlook Beast's ugliness unlike most other versions in which you had to take away from Beasts' actual actions.
And
Toads and Diamonds - This will more than likely be the least known story out of the whole book and to me that is a real shame since it has always been quite a charming tale to me. Again it is the one with the least blue in its color palette but when those colors are used they put to wonderful use such as in the appearance of the fairy.
All in all this is a beautiful collection of illustrated fairy tales and for those who enjoy these types of stories no matter the age I would definitely recommend it for any personal collection just for the art itself.
What I love about this book is the fact that since the it is part of the blue book, the illustrator kept that in mind. As a result most of the illustrations focus heavily on a blue/purple theme for coloring purposes with Toads and Diamonds being the one with the least blue and Beauty & the Beast probably having the most when taken into consideration.
Another thing is that the book focuses on the detailed illustrations that most Golden Books are well known for. The humans mostly look human and the details are gorgeously caught like the first story's Rapunzel in which an almost realistic rabbit sits at the bottom of the tree with radish in hand.
As for the stories themselves these are the stories that are much closer to the Grimm versions rather than Disney. As a result they include details that most Disney fans wouldn't have heard of if they stick to only Disney but then again since these are made with children in mind the stories are rather much more tamer than their original versions. And now to to review the individual stories:
Rapunzel - This particular version is actually quite interesting for the witch is basically your stereotypical witch although appearing as one that Johnny Depp may have played if given a chance. Furthermore there is your stereotypical witch's cat, which can be found on almost any page spying and which at times looks quite fiendish in its portrayal.
I do love the details given for this story and think it is intriguing the illustrator chose to make the sun have a face but then again it is a fairy tale. What I don't enjoy about the story is the fact that after being shorn Rapunzel still has a full set of hair after being found and that they took the liberty to changed desired veggie that Rapunzel is supposed to be named after but I get it since radishes are probably a lot easier to explain to younger audiences.
Beauty and the Beast - Here is a version that is really quite similar to me but also quite strange at the same time. Chunks of it are missing such as why Beauty's father is having to traveling to his boat and Beauty's sisters also look beautiful but are given a bit more of a villain role, which I have never seen before, especially at the end.
What also makes this version quite interesting to me, though, is the story details. Beauty is presented in a format that shows her as a nature goddess while everything related to the Beast is quite exotic in details (except his boorish appearance) thus giving it a bit of a Middle Eastern flair. Also as a result of this the peacock motif is quite noticeable when you look into the details surrounding the characters and which seem a bit out of place since the story isn't suppose to be about looks.
What is the real cream to this telling is that it explains how Beauty was able to overlook Beast's ugliness unlike most other versions in which you had to take away from Beasts' actual actions.
And
Toads and Diamonds - This will more than likely be the least known story out of the whole book and to me that is a real shame since it has always been quite a charming tale to me. Again it is the one with the least blue in its color palette but when those colors are used they put to wonderful use such as in the appearance of the fairy.
All in all this is a beautiful collection of illustrated fairy tales and for those who enjoy these types of stories no matter the age I would definitely recommend it for any personal collection just for the art itself.
May 6, 2021
The book doesn't tell you what version of these fairytales it's using, which is annoying. I'm quite sure the ones I read as a child weren't quite like that. That being said, they are a passable read. The illustrations were so-so - not particularly enthralling or evocative, and didn't contribute much to the overall enjoyment of the story. If you for some reason need to get your hands on any of the 3 tales this book showcases, this title will do, but it's decidedly mediocre & definitely not something I'd go out of my way to read or recommend.
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August 11, 2023Great artwork!
April 18, 2020
These are certainly not the stories I remember. Not only are they completely different to the fairytale versions, but they’re not the Grimm versions either, they’re a category all on their own. It is obvious that the stories have chunks missing and the feel incomplete.
May 27, 2026
This has three fairy tales: "Rapunzel", "Beauty & the Beast", and one I've never heard of called "Toads & Diamonds".
All three are abbreviated to the point of incoherence. Everything in the plot happens so speedily that it does not make sense. Beauty seems to go from saying she will never marry the Beast to crying out that she loves him over the course of a single day. The worst offender is the last, in which two sisters each, one at a time, please or offend a witch, who casts a spell causing the good sister to expel diamonds, pearls, and rose petals from her mouth when she speaks and a spell causing the bad sister to expel toads and snakes from her mouth when she speaks. The end! There is no follow-up to this. The spells are cast, and then... the end!
Nevertheless, I did appreciate that the two stories I knew presented non-Disneyfied versions of the plot, even if those plots are pretty ridiculous. In "Beauty & the Beast", Beauty has to rush back to save the dying Beast, who is dying because of a broken heart and for no other reason. "Rapunzel" ends with the dashing prince having his eyes put out by thorns but then, years later, having his eyesight restored when Rapunzel's tears fall onto his eyeballs. But my favorite part of "Rapunzel" is what instigates the plot: Rapunzel's mother insists she must eat radishes growing in the garden of a witch, pestering her husband into trespassing to steal one by announcing, "Unless I can have some I know I shall die." The idea that this woman was acting this dramatic over a radish is very funny to me.
Anyway, overall I did not like this book. I liked some aspects of it, and I liked that radish thing in more of a so-bad-it's-good kind of way rather than honest enjoyment. Still, those things did make me feel a bit softer to the book; hence, the 2-star rating. I did find enough to enjoy to prevent me from rating it a 1-star book, but only just barely.
All three are abbreviated to the point of incoherence. Everything in the plot happens so speedily that it does not make sense. Beauty seems to go from saying she will never marry the Beast to crying out that she loves him over the course of a single day. The worst offender is the last, in which two sisters each, one at a time, please or offend a witch, who casts a spell causing the good sister to expel diamonds, pearls, and rose petals from her mouth when she speaks and a spell causing the bad sister to expel toads and snakes from her mouth when she speaks. The end! There is no follow-up to this. The spells are cast, and then... the end!
Nevertheless, I did appreciate that the two stories I knew presented non-Disneyfied versions of the plot, even if those plots are pretty ridiculous. In "Beauty & the Beast", Beauty has to rush back to save the dying Beast, who is dying because of a broken heart and for no other reason. "Rapunzel" ends with the dashing prince having his eyes put out by thorns but then, years later, having his eyesight restored when Rapunzel's tears fall onto his eyeballs. But my favorite part of "Rapunzel" is what instigates the plot: Rapunzel's mother insists she must eat radishes growing in the garden of a witch, pestering her husband into trespassing to steal one by announcing, "Unless I can have some I know I shall die." The idea that this woman was acting this dramatic over a radish is very funny to me.
Anyway, overall I did not like this book. I liked some aspects of it, and I liked that radish thing in more of a so-bad-it's-good kind of way rather than honest enjoyment. Still, those things did make me feel a bit softer to the book; hence, the 2-star rating. I did find enough to enjoy to prevent me from rating it a 1-star book, but only just barely.
November 21, 2018
Breathtaking illustrations! These are the reason I bought this collection.
January 6, 2022
This was a beautiful little golden book!
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March 7, 2023Sometimes I just need condensed fairy tales to feel better on aggressive full moons like today. 🥲
July 23, 2023
Classic retellings from the blue book of fairy tales includes: Rapunzel, Beauty and the Beast, Toads and Diamonds, The twelve dancing princesses,and Wild Swans. Rich and beautiful.
November 24, 2024
A thumbs up from three-year-old grandson. Contains three fairy tales: Rapunzel, Beauty and the Beast (currently one of his favorite movies) and Toads and Diamonds.
May 18, 2026
4.0 A classic with stunning illustrations. Also, if you have the 1957 or 1986 Golden Books, worth a bit of money.
December 31, 2016
The illustrations are gorgeous but the story portion is disappointing. The fairy tales themselves have been censored and shortened to be young child-appropriate, but they really lose something in the retelling. Still, the book is worth a read/buy for the artwork.
May 13, 2014
There are three Golden Book fairy tales in this title. Two, Beauty and the Beast and Rapunzel, will be quite familiar to most readers. The third, Toads and Diamonds, is more obscure. The retellings retain the essence of the originals. However, these abridged versions create a choppy feel in some sections of the stories. The illustrations are bright, bold and stylized. The fairy tales are meant to be read aloud and shared; they are not designed for beginning readers. Order if you need additional versions of fairy tales.
October 6, 2014
I love Little Golden Books, more specifically I love Children's Fairytale Books. The Version of Beauty and The Beast is different, and refreshing- to the one I grew up with.
I also thought this Version of Rapunzel was sweeter and had more conflict and miracles, than some others I've heard before.
I had never heard of Toads and Diamonds before, but, I quite enjoyed the Tale.
This book took me less than 10 minutes to read.
I also thought this Version of Rapunzel was sweeter and had more conflict and miracles, than some others I've heard before.
I had never heard of Toads and Diamonds before, but, I quite enjoyed the Tale.
This book took me less than 10 minutes to read.
July 6, 2014
Rapunzel, Beauty and the Beast, and the tale Toads and Diamonds illustrated beautifully.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2014
I love this book. I have it hardcover and now kindle. It's Rapunzel, Beauty and the Beast, and Toads&Diamonds. The art is beautiful as well.
July 11, 2014
Wonderful tales from my childhood :)
September 27, 2014
Funny illustrations. Very Condensed version of traditional fairy tales.
February 3, 2016
One of my favorite books from my childhood.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews