#717 of 1001 · July 18, 2022

Next in our week of Tam Lin adaptations comes a version written by Susan Cooper and illustrated by Warwick Hutton. Margaret, a bold and independent-minded king’s daughter, is warned never to wander near the enchanted wood of Carterhays, for fear of the Elfin knight Tam Lin. Naturally, that is just where she goes. She does indeed encounter Tam Lin, and spends a day with the charming young man. However, when she returns to her castle, the household informs her that she has been missing for an entire week. Margaret returns to see Tam Lin and learns that he will be sacrificed to the Devil unless she rescues him from the Elfin procession on Midsummer’s Eve. As she clings tightly to his body, the furious Elfin Queen transforms him into a snarling wolf, a venomous snake, a wild deer, and a red hot iron bar. Once Margaret drops the iron bar into a nearby well, the Elfin folk flee and Tam Lin is released from his bondage. Cooper’s elegant text is well complemented by the pale colors of Hutton’s art. #elf #elves #love #magic #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #beautifulbookcovers #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookillustrations #picturebookart #classicchildrensbooks #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks