Not all kings wear golden crowns. Not all queens sit upon thrones.

In the world of fairy tales, royalty comes in the most unexpected forms. A queen might be a little snake who loves to dance. A king might be a great eagle who battles the Devil himself for the sake of a friend. And sometimes the most ordinary person, such as a country midwife, find themselves in the presence of royalty.

In this captivating collection, Ruth Manning-Sanders gathers ten fairy tales from countries such as Greece, Russia, Sicily, Madagascar, Czechoslovakia, Pomerania, Bosnia, and Ireland. Each tale features kings, queens, or both. These are not the stiff, distant rulers from history books. These are the kings and queens are vivid, strange, surprising, and deeply human.

Meet Selim, who plays music for a mysterious snake queen and receives a tree that bears apples one day and oranges the next. Follow the poor orphan Angela, whose dream of marrying a king comes true and causes more problems than she could imagine. Cheer for King Eagle as he takes on the Devil to save his loyal friend Andron. From a monster with seven heads in Madagascar to two warring kings , these stories are by turns thrilling, funny, heartbreaking, and triumphant.

Manning-Sanders retells each tale with her celebrated warmth, wit, and precision — not a word wasted, yet every page alive with the grandeur and strangeness of royal fairy tales. The award-winning Robin Jacques provides delicate illustrations that bring each monarch’s world vividly to life.

Stories include: Selim and the Snake Queen (Greek Isles) • The Queen’s Children (Russia) • Dough (Sicily) • King Eagle (Russia) • The Monster with Seven Heads (Madagascar) • King Josef (Czechoslovakia) • Vanooshka (Russia) • The Two Enemy Kings (Pomerania) • What Happened to Ivan (Bosnia) • The Teapot Spout (Ireland)

Perfect for read-aloud sessions, bedtime storytelling, and young readers ages 6–12 who love tales of royalty, adventure, and the kind of magic that turns ordinary people into kings and queens. A treasured volume in Ruth Manning-Sanders’ celebrated “A Book of…” folklore series.

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