(1) 4-6 Illustrated by Vince Natale. In a scrupulously detailed note, the author explains that these are "original tales or retellings based on traditional folkloric motifs." Del Negro's mesmerizing storytelling begs to be shared aloud; its deceptive informality, dramatic timing, and challenge to figure out "what really happened" are sure to grab listeners. Natale's full-page art is appropriately equipped with fierce visages, looming shadows, and grasping hands.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2007

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Leonid Gore. When the laird offers a sack of gold to anyone who would sew him a pair of trousers by the light of the full moon in a haunted cemetery, Lucy Dove accepts the challenge, hoping thereby to gain a comfortable retirement. The story's climax is a thriller, indicating how skillfully the teller has polished her story to a mirror-like reflection of her sources. Gore's illustrations are as bewitching as they are haunting.

Reviewer: Mary M. Burns | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 1998