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  • The Coming of the Unicorn: Scottish Folk Tales for Children
  • Kate Quealy-Gainer
Williamson, Duncan . The Coming of the Unicorn: Scottish Folk Tales for Children; ed. by Linda Williamson. Floris, 2012. 140p. Paper ed. ISBN 978-0-86315-868-1 $15.95 R 8-12 yrs.

This engaging collection of Scottish folktales opens with a splendid bit of scene-setting in the introduction, in which the niece of noted Scot storyteller Williamson tells of her experiences as a "wee one" sitting around the campfire listening to the "cracks and tales" told by her uncle and his fellow Travellers (Scotland's version of Gypsies): "There was no such thing as the 'children's place'—everybody's place was round the campfire." Following this inviting opening is an assortment of eighteen traditional stories that run the gamut of familiar thematic elements, from the virtues of humility in "The Tramp and the Boots," to the triumph of cleverness over power in "Jack Goes Back to School," to the benevolent beauty of nature in "The Broonie of Cara." The conversational style, replete with colloquialisms and slang (helpfully defined in the glossary in the back), not only draws the reader in with its direct addresses and playful winks but also serves to pay a powerful tribute to the oral tradition that gave rise to these stories. Most of the tales, therefore, are far better suited to be read aloud than alone—just make sure you've got plenty of kindling to keep the fire going.

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