Scots poet Carol Ann Duffy teams up with the immensely talented artist Jane Ray in this original fairy-tale picture-book about the power (the terrible power!) of stories. Jub, whose job it is to disperse the Happy Endings that give the world's children such pleasure at bedtime, is robbed by a malicious old witch of her sack of endings, leading to widespread despair and unhappiness. After a night in which the tales told to children get more and more horrifying, Jub happens upon a golden pen in the woods, and is inspired to write a tale in which the witch meets a terrible fate, and the Happy Endings are regained...

The pen is indeed mightier than the sword in The Lost Happy Endings, as Jub's story comes to pass, just as she wrote it. I found Duffy's narrative here both engrossing and thought-provoking, but I wonder whether it might not be a little too gruesome for some young children, especially the more sensitive ones. Bushes crouch like muggers, the witch dreams of biting little birds' heads off and crunching on them, and so on. Of course, traditional folk and fairy-tales are awash in gore, so I might be worrying needlessly. Perhaps this tale only seems more frightening because of Duffy's knack for intense, evocative description. Whatever the case may be, I found this tale within a tale fascinating, and thought that Jane Ray's accompanying artwork was gorgeous. I can easily see why this one was short-listed for the Kate Greenaway Medal. Recommended to fairy-tale and story lovers who appreciate (despite the happy ending) a darker, grimmer selection. ( )

Jub is a little girl who collects happy endings from the trees in the forest and sends them out at night for all the children to enjoy. One night, an old wicked woman comes to her and demands Jub to giver her the happy endings. Without a choice, Jub loses them and thus causes all the happy stories of Snow White, Cinderella, and other stories to end horribly and sadly. While dreaming, Jub comes across a gold pen that can write on the sky. Jub uses this pen to create her own story in which the old woman burns to death and leaves the happy endings in the forest. Jub then goes and finds them and allows happy endings to be restored everywhere.

Media: Watercolor ( )