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27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
Like the tree and the forest - these stories are magical!, 30 Jun 2001
These enchanting and magical tales have delighted me since my childhood, when my mother read them aloud. My siblings and I loved them. Twenty years later, I still love them. This three-in-one volume is bumper edition of 500 plus pages containing the complete text of three of the six adventures about the magical Faraway Tree: "The Enchanted Wood", "The Magic Faraway Tree" and "The Folk of the Faraway Tree." Simple black and white illustrations accompany the stories throughout.The adventures begin when three children, Jo, Bessie and Fanny, discover an enchanted wood inhabited by brownies, talking rabbits, and other fantastic creatures in the vicinity of their new country home. In the center of this wood is the mysterious and magical Faraway Tree, home to the friendly Moonface, adorable Silky, irritable Angry Pixie, cheeky Dame Washalot, and clattery Saucepan Man. In the homes of their new friends, the children enjoy wonderful treats like magical Pop Biscuits and Toffee Shocks. And any time they want to quickly head down the tree, they grab a cushion and slide down the exciting Slippery Slip. But best of all, at the top of a tree is a white cloud, the mysterious entrance to a magical land above the tree. In turn, magical lands - good and bad - visit the tree, giving the children opportunities for glorious adventures. There are wonderful lands that every child dreams about, such as the Land of Take-What-You-Want, the Land of Birthdays, the Land of Toys, the Land of Goodies, the Land of Presents, and the Land of Treats. But there are also dangerous lands, such as the Land of Topsy-Turvy, the Land of Tempers, the Land of Giants, and the Land of Dame Slap, all of which lead the children into terrible dangers and exciting adventures. My only concern with these tales is that Blyton's focus on material things is not always upbuilding for children, and to dream of imaginary utopian lands of goodies and toys can result in an unwholesome form of materialism. But on the whole, Blyton takes pains to present positive moral attributes in her characters, and there are definite implicit lessons about virtues and vices. Similarly, there is a very clear conflict between good and evil. All in all, Enid Blyton's magical world is a delight to children and will hold them spell-bound. Although written in the 1930s and 1940s, these stories have become classics that have stood the test of time, and are just as enjoyable today as ever. They are not deep, but they are enchanting, and this is the perfect book to read aloud to your children. They'll beg you to read it again and again. Come to think of it, as an adult, you'll secretly be glad of the opportunity to read it again yourself! You may outgrow childhood, but you won't quickly outgrow your enjoyment of these enchanting and magical stories!
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