cover image Tam Lin: An Old Ballad

Tam Lin: An Old Ballad

Jane Yolen. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt P, $14.95 (31pp) ISBN 978-0-15-284261-1

In Yolen's vibrant prose, this retelling of an ancient Scottish ballad leaps from the page in riveting strokes. Here, in all its moonswept mystery, is the story of how Jennet, red-headed daughter of the MacKenzie clan, rescues Tam Lin, the man she loves, from certain death at the hands of the Fairy Folk. In defying the Fairy Queen, the fiery-spirited girl also reclaims her family's abandoned, long-enchanted ancestral home. Mikolaycak's sensitive illustrations bring stirring, wistful overtones to the action and add rich depth of characterization to the protagonists. Every moment in this marvelous fairy tale works beautifully. Ages 6-12. (Oct.)