I love fairy tales and I LOVE Scholastic Storybook Treasures, so I couldn’t be more excited about Fairytales Magic & More Scholastic Treasury of 25 Storybook Classics being released on May 19th!

This collection is over six hours of classic children’s stories brought to life with gentle animation on four DVD’s.

I don’t allow my boys to watch movies endlessly or mindlessly, and I whole heartedly endorse the educational value of these Scholastic Treasuries.

They really are treasures! Fairytales Magic & More Scholastic Treasury of 25 Storybook Classics contains stories from James Marshall, Hans Christian Anderson, and classic folk tales.

Even more fun are the celebrity narrations from the likes of people like John Lithgow, Danny Glover, Patrick Stewart, Christopher Lloyd, Kathy Bates, and others!

The James Marshall Fairytale Collection is the first disc and has familiar stories illustrated in James Marshall’s signature style, like Red Riding Hood (Narrated by TK), James Marshall’s Cinderella (Narrated by Stephanie J. Block), Goldilocks and The Three Bears (Narrated by TK), The Three Little Pigs (Narrated by Fritz Weaver), Hansel and Gretel, narrated by Kathy Bates, and Space Case, narrated by Christopher Lloyd!

The second disc in the Fairytales Magic & More Scholastic Treasury of 25 Storybook Classics is The Hans Christian Andersen Collection, which features these classic tales: The Ugly Duckling (By Hans Christian Andersen, Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, Narrated by Lynn Whitfield with music by Ernest V. Troost), The Emperor’s New Clothes (By Nadine Bernard Westcott), Nightingale (By Hans Christian Andersen, illustrated by Michael Sporn in a Japanese watercolor style), The Red Shoes, The Little Match Girl (thankfully this ending is a little more upbeat from the depressing version I was familiar with), and The Swineherd (By Hans Christian Andersen, Illustrated by Bjorn Winblad with the look of beautiful tapestries from the middle ages).

Disc three, Rapunzel…and more classic Fairytales includes Rapunzel (Retold and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky, narrated by TK), The Elves and the Shoemaker (Retold and illustrated by Jim LaMarche, narrated by Patrick Stewart), The Talking Eggs (Written by Robert D. San Souci, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, narrated by Danny Glover), The Three Billy Goats Gruff (Retold by P. C. Asbjornsen and J. E. Moe, illustrated by Marcia Brown, narrated by TK), Lon Po Po: A Red Riding Hood Story From China (Written and illustrated by Ed Young, narrated by B. D. Wong), and Princess Furball (By Charlotte Huck, Illustrated by Anita Lobel)

Strega Nona …and more stories about magic is the fourth disc and contains five fabulous stories.
Strega Nona (a tale of a witch with a magic cooking pot by Tomie dePaola), Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (a very special pebble makes wishes come true, by William Steig), The Stonecutter, The Amazing Bone (by William Steig), and Teeny-Tiny and the Witch Woman (a story about a boy who outsmarts a witch, By Barbara K. Walker, Illustrated by Michael Foreman).

Each of these is a stellar example of story telling, and watching these DVD’s is akin to having a master storyteller in your home.

Fairytales Magic & More Scholastic Treasury of 25 Storybook Classics would be great to have for times when your children want to “watch something”, but you want it to be something GOOD! Is your caregiver “trigger happy” when it comes to turning the TV on? Next time, send along one of these quality DVD’s so that you know your child is watching “healthy” media!

Would you like to win a brand new release copy of Rapunzel…and more classic Fairytales?

1.) To enter to win Rapunzel…and more classic Fairytales (ARV $14.95), leave a comment here telling me your favorite story title from the Fairytales Magic & More Scholastic Treasury of 25 Storybook Classics collection! (You may enter once a day – subsequent entries don’t require you to answer the question).

Please don’t just comment with “Enter me” or “Sounds great”. That totally annoys me. Those entries are not eligible to win.

One winner will be chosen at random.

This giveaway is open to those with a US mailing address.

*Giveaway closed! Congrats #153,Chrysa !

This contest will close May 26, 2009, 11:59 CST.