Much of society has lost sight of the need for wholesome fairy tales that respect the young reader.
Much of society has lost sight of the need for wholesome fairy tales that respect the young reader.
Which begs the question: Do these stories have a place in modern children’s literature anymore?
Which begs the question: Do these stories have a place in modern children’s literature anymore?
Stories are the way every human being understands himself, the world, and his place in the world. Ideally, they offer a framework that ends in hopeful resolution, something we desperately need imprinted on our imagination in an age of despair. We need stories like those from the “forgotten father of fantasy fiction” George MacDonald.
The Golden Key and Other Fairy Tales will introduce readers to George MacDonald, the influential 19th century Scottish writer and Christian minister whose fairy tales–though not explicitly religious–continue to fulfill the need for wholesome children’s stories that emphasize virtue, especially the virtues of courage and hope.
According to C.S. Lewis, there is “hardly any other writer who seems to be closer, or more continuously close, to the Spirit of Christ Himself,” than MacDonald, who deeply influenced the Christian fantasy writers who followed him, including G.K. Chesterton, J.R.R. Tolkien and Madeleine L’Engle.
This delightful collection of classics includes MacDonald’s stories “The Golden Key,” “The Light Princess,” and “Little Daylight,” as well as stunning full-color illustrations by Anastasia Nesterova and an introduction for the young reader by children’s book author and Editor of Word on Fire Votive Haley Stewart.
About "The Golden Key"
In "The Golden Key" Mossy and Tangle must go on a journey because they are longing to visit a place they have never been, "the place from whence the shadows fall." Not even knowing what that place may be but guided by fantastical creatures, they begin searching for the keyhole where they can use the Golden Key. Will their wandering lead them to the place calling them home?
About "The Light Princess"
"The Light Princess" is funny, witty and even a bit silly. In the kingdom where the story takes place, an evil witch has stolen something very unexpected. She has taken away the princess's gravity (meaning not only that the princess can fly about like a feather on the wind but also that she cannot be serious about anything.) In a world where evil holds great power, is there anything that can break the witch's spell?
About "Little Daylight"
“The wisest people have always known that fairy tales are important. We might make the mistake of thinking that such stories aren’t true because they’re full of make-believe. But as these stories lead us through enchanted worlds, they teach us that we also live in an enchanted world that is full of wonder and mystery if we only have the eyes to see.”
from the Introduction
About the Author
George MacDonald (1824-1905) was a Scottish writer and Christian minister. He wrote over fifty books, including Phantastes, Lilith, and The Princess and the Goblin. He and his wife, Louisa Powell, were the parents of eleven children. He is considered the “grandfather” of the Oxford Inklings and had enormous influence on the fantasy genre.
About the Illustrator
About the Editor
Haley Stewart
Here’s What People Are Saying...
“Readers of this beautiful book will encounter the strangeness and wonder of George MacDonald’s imaginary worlds—places where fish and princesses fly. They are also places where quests can’t be achieved without virtues like courage, love, and sacrifice. Anastasia Nesterova’s illustrations combine the childlike and enchanting in much the same way as MacDonald’s stories.”
—Marianne Wright, editor of Plough’s The Gospel in George MacDonald
“To enter into the fantasy worlds of George MacDonald is a lasting experience, not to be forgotten but pondered, rather, over a lifetime. This elegantly illustrated volume contains three of MacDonald’s most imaginative fairy tales. The young protagonists in these stories will remain a lesson taught and inspiration to virtuous living. The Golden Key, The Light Princess, and Little Daylight are by all estimates three of MacDonald’s best fairy tales. They have the power to enrich a child’s moral imagination like few fairy tales can.”
— Vigen Guroian, author of Tending the Heart of Virtue: How Classic Stories Awaken a Child’s Moral Imagination
