The Enchanted Wood [Paperback]

The Enchanted Wood is one of Enid Blyton's most memorable and truly imaginative stories, capturing a world where almost anything can happen if you just believe in the magic of nature and its creatures.

Many adults will have fond memories of discovering the world of The Enchanted Wood: from the delightfully gentle Silky the Fairy, to the wonderfully bizarre but terminally jolly Moon-Face who along with a host of strange and mysterious characters live among the branches of The Magic Faraway Tree.

Kate Winslet, the award-winning actress, was captivated by the stories at an early age and during her pregnancy approached the company who own the rights to the Enid Blyton name to ask them if they would be interested in having her record these magical stories on tape. The result is stunning.

Winslet, with her gentle, singsong voice, captures the pure joy of these unforgettable stories from the moment the tale begins, and Joe, Beth and Fanny--the three young children who move from the city with their family to the country house surrounded by the Enchanted Wood--are captured as the wide-eyed and open-minded children they really are, eager to become involved in all manner of adventure and never once questioning that this strange world they have entered might not be quite, well, normal.

Probably the most memorable and certainly the most magical Enid Blyton stories of all are here brought to life with aplomb, with Winslet's enthusiasm for the tales she tells on this five-hour collection shining through.

This recording of The Enchanted Wood is set to become a classic, and would make a fantastic gift for the young, while providing an enchanting trip down memory lane for the adult who has never quite let go of the magic. (Ages 4 and over) --Susan Harrison --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

The first of four books that have been described as Enid Blyton's all-time favourite series, this was originally published in 1939. And, as a fantasy for children aged between 4 and 7, it has aged remarkably well. When their father starts a new job in the country, Joe, Beth and Frannie embark on a completely new life. Theyre excited enough by the prospect of days filled with bucolic freedom and the thoughts of leaving behind the dirty houses and the chimneys of the town they hate so much that they have little time to imagine the adventures that lie ahead. Blyton paints a quaint picture of a countryside teeming with flowers and streams, animals and birds, and one that will appeal to todays younger readers as much as their wartime predecessors. Theres an abundance of hearty breakfasts and sunny play-filled days and it doesnt take long for the threesome to come across a wood that seems just a little bit different. Naturally the attractions of the magical wood are too much to resist and before they know it the children have performed a Good Samaritan act for a group of elves and are standing at the foot of the Faraway Tree, the most magic tree in the world. From the top of this tree you could end up anywhere, the children are told, before being warned never to do so by one of the grateful elves. Again, the temptation is too much to resist and up they climb, opening the door to an enchanting series of encounters with the likes of Silky the Fairy, and the toffee-loving Moon-Face. (Kirkus UK)

Jo, Bessie and Fanny move to the country and find an Enchanted Wood right on their doorstep! And in the wood stands the magic Faraway Tree, and in that tree live the magical characters that soon become their new friends - Moon-Face, Silky the fairy, and Saucepan Man. Together they visit the strange lands (the Roundabout Land, the Land of Ice and Snow, Toyland and the Land of Take What You Want!) which lie at the top of the tree and have the most exciting adventures - and narrow escapes!