The MacMillan Book of Bedtime Stories

The format of this collectionone story for each night of a leap yearshould appeal to those children who want to map out their story-reading in advance. It all begins in January, with ""Cinderella'' as the fairy tale of the month. The sources are varied: tales from Aesop, Russian fables, stories by Hans Christian Andersen, and others. But the tellings are brief and lack most of the riveting detail of the originals. For parents, the most helpful aspect of the volume is the index at the end of each month's section, with a listing that identifies the real or possible sorurces of the stories. Static illustrations stamped into a dull design are the only decorations in this inexpensive volume that will put children on the very beginning of the trail to traditional folk and fairy-tale literature. Ages 4-8. (October)