TOM TIT TOT

The text of this book is the old English equivalent of the Rumpelstiltskin story. A good deal of the dialect has been retained, but there is an easy rhythm to the words which will lend it to reading aloud. In this version the girl is not at all the usual romantic heroine (""... she'd always been such a gatless girl..."") but she is a refreshing homespun character with comic appeal. The illustrations use the same technique as Miss Ness' previous books (Pavo and the Princess; Exactly Alike). The softly colored green, grey and blue woodcuts are well adapted to the rustic, Elizabethan tone of the story.