Should bakers’ daughter want to marry princes? (Lucinda’s father didn’t think so.)

Should kings and queens let princesses play with dragons?

Should Orpheus have made so much of a fuss about his wife?

Should Ben rely on Magic Eye creatures to help him find his mother in Brazil?

Should Father Christmas retire and let us give presents to him for a change?

So many questions—but these are the burning questions of the day, if you live in storyland.  With children’s writers inventing new formats every day, Janina David has gone back to traditional forms—Grimms’ fairy tales and ancient legend—and matched classic themes and modern sensibilities to produce stories that feel as if they’ve always been around, just waiting for us to discover them. The Princess and the Baker's Daughter: Five Stories for Five Children is a collection of captivating tales intended for readers of different ages and different interests, but all linked by a common love of make-believe. Some have appeared in translation in overseas annuals and collections. One has been staged, to great success.