A Book of Charms and Changelings

Every charm has a price. Every changeling has a secret.

What is a charm? It is a magic spell worked through an enchanted object — an amulet, a bridle, a hat, a jug — capable of bringing about wonders both good and terrible. And what is a changeling? Something far rarer and stranger: a fairy creature secretly swapped for a human child, leaving a bewildered family to discover that the baby in the cradle is not quite what it seems.

In this spellbinding collection, Ruth Manning-Sanders gathers fifteen fairy tales from an astonishing range of cultures — Bosnia, China, Korea, Finland, Estonia, Russia, Sicily, Transylvania, Brittany, Silesia, Cornwall, the Nile Valley, and the traditions of the Slavic peoples, the Romani, and the North American Indians. It is one of the most far-reaching and diverse collections in the entire Manning-Sanders series, carrying readers from the snowy forests of Finland to the sunbaked banks of the Nile and back again.

Here you’ll find a magic bridle that can transform anything into anything else; a piece of amber that refills a jug the moment it is emptied; a hat that makes its wearer vanish into thin air; and a flute whose music holds extraordinary power. Alongside the enchanted objects are tales of transformation itself — beautiful maidens turned to lambs by wicked stepmothers, ravens who are more than they appear, and children taken by the fairy world who must be won back through courage, cleverness, and love.

As always, Manning-Sanders retells these ancient stories with her celebrated wit, warmth, and precision — not a word wasted, yet every page shimmering with magic and wonder. The award-winning Robin Jacques provides exquisite illustrations that bring each enchantment vividly to life.

Stories include: The Magic Bridle (Bosnia) • Chief-Nang (China) • The Enchanted Jug (Korea) • The Flute Player (Finland) • The Dwarf with the Long Beard (Slavic) • The Hat (Estonia) • Fedor and the Fairy (Romani) • Pancakes and Pies (Russia) • The Forty Goats (Valley of the Nile) • The Ogre, the Sun, and the Raven (North American Indian) • Peppi (Sicily) • The Sun Mother (Transylvania) • The White Lamb (Brittany) • Rubizal (Silesia) • Tredrill (Cornwall)

Perfect for read-aloud sessions, bedtime storytelling, and young readers ages 6–12 who love magic, transformation, and fairy tales from every corner of the world. A treasured volume in Ruth Manning-Sanders’ celebrated “A Book of…” folklore series.