The Secret of the Tattered Shoes; Jackie Morris, illustrated by Ehsan Abdollahi

Magical, mysterious and very, very special. The Secret of the Tattered Shoes is a beautiful retelling of the Brothers Grimm’s ‘The Twelve Dancing Princesses’ by the exceptionally talented Jackie Morris.

After meeting a woman in a forest, a weary soldier learns of a desperate King and a mysterious riddle of his twelve beautiful daughters. Locked in their bedroom at night the daughters should be sleeping soundly. But each night something strange happens and the following the morning the daughters wake so incredibly tired that they struggle to stand and the shoes that lie at the end of their beds are tattered and torn.

It is up to the soldier to solve this mystery. If he does so then he will be rewarded with a bride of his choice and the power to rule but if he fails, he will be punished with death, just like those before him.

Can the soldier uncover the truth and if he does will he be willing to share the truth with the King…

A delightful fairy-tale which throws a slight curve-ball in that the main character doesn’t want to marry a princess or rule the kingdom. He wants a happy and simple life where he can enjoy his days and hopefully recapture his passion for life after fighting in wars in that have left him weary and heavy-hearted.

Morris’ delightful prose are rich and sumptuous and are married perfectly with gorgeous illustrations that will transfix the reader by Ehsan Abdollahi. The hardback edition is beautifully published on thick paper which just makes this book feel all the more special.

The tale unfolds with suspense and mystery hanging in the air right until the last page has been turned and when readers do turn the last page they are met with the most unexpected of endings.

Recommended for 6+.