All The Better To Read You With: Volume 1

WARNING: These are not safe, cosy stories.

Inside this book you'll find:

• a skeleton whose job is to scare people – and he's good at it
• a spider trying to trick a god
• heroes making very bad decisions
• endings that aren't always happy
• at least one story that risks making you snort-laugh

Some of these tales are funny. Some are creepy. Many are surprising. All are impossible to forget.

So if you like stories with teeth, tricks, danger, and just a tiny bit of chaos...

...read this book.

But don't say we didn't warn you...

With trickster spiders, wicked ghouls, pirates, princesses, and unexpected heroes, this thrilling collection of folk tales from around the world mixes humour, suspense, adventure, and warmth to take you on unforgettable journeys.

Carefully chosen for both solo reading and sharing aloud, the stories balance snort-out-loud moments with deeper themes of courage, cooperation, and cleverness.

Featuring striking illustrations by Korky Paul and friends, this is an ideal introduction to the richness of traditional storytelling.

Chip Colquhoun began storytelling professionally in 2007. He has since presented Traditional Tales for Oxford Reading Tree, toured six UK family theatre shows, performed at Glastonbury Festival, represented Roald Dahl on ITV, and set a Guinness World Record with the World Storytelling Café. Oh – and also written many children’s books, and trained hundreds of teachers worldwide to inspire a love of literacy. He lives in Cambridgeshire with his wife Emma and two kittens.

Rebecca Colby is an award-winning American author, poet, and screenwriter. Her children’s books are published by Penguin, Nosy Crow, and National Trust, among others. Before that, she taught English in Taiwan, worked for a Russian comedian, and travelled as a tour director. She now lives in Yorkshire.

Amy Scott Robinson began storytelling in 2007, and was soon presenting Traditional Tales for the Oxford Reading Tree. She writes for church organisations as well as books like the Gladstone the Gargoyle trilogy and the Adventuring Girls series. She lives with her husband Tiffer and their two children in Suffolk. 

Janina Vigurs (rhymes with “ya see na tigers”) is a storyteller who’s worked in schools, nurseries, festivals, and even once commandeered a Shetland pony stable (it was snug). She lives in Essex with her husband Leaf (who works as a gardener – how nominatively deterministic is that!) and daughter Alice.

Pauline Cordiner is a storyteller from the fishing and farming traditions of Aberdeen. Since 2001, she’s eagerly pursued projects which expand her enthusiasm for science, history, and the environment. She was privileged to learn from Stanley Robertson, and loves sharing his stories anywhere there’s an audience.