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Almost every fairy tale shares many common elements, such as wicked witches, brave and resourceful younger sons, princesses in distress, and various magical objects such as rings and lamps. Americans are also aware of fairy tale people such as dwarves and elves from books like Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and Lewis’ The Narnia Chronicles. Forests are preserved in our country and are places of beauty in which to take hikes. However, long ago, forests were considered to be unknown places, whose mysterious centers were to be avoided since dark, magical creatures such as elves lived there. These elves were not the benevolent, beautiful creatures of Tolkien but were powerful, fickle beings who might reward you or condemn you if you met them.
Philippa Pearce was a British children’s author, best-known for her book Tom’s Midnight Garden, a delightful and touching time-travel modern fantasy that won the Carnegie Medal (British equivalent of our Newbery Award). In The Squirrel Wife, she blends the idea of a dark and gloomy forest, where people only lived on the outskirts, with the classic tale of a kind younger brother with the classic fairy tale name of Jack, who has a jealous, greedy older brother. There are elves in the forest who are powerful and not to be trifled with. And like the best fairy tales, Pearce includes the theme of a sweet romance and marriage when Jack wins a bride, although in a rather unusual way. The almost primitive wood cut illustrations, by Derek Colland, are effective, especially for this tale set in and nearby a dark, primeval forest. The reading level is upper elementary or higher, although the story and illustrations are in a picture-book format in terms of length and layout. The book could be effectively read to a younger child.