#912 of 1001 · January 29, 2023

Today I’ve been enjoying the fairy tale magic of Sherry Meidell’s The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs. When the king overhears that the newborn son of a peasant is destined to marry his daughter, he throws the baby into a nearby river. Fortunately, a miller rescues the infant and raises him as his own child. Years later, the king discovers the boy alive and bids him carry a letter to the queen that would have him put to death upon arrival at the royal palace. However, a band of robbers reads the message while the young man is asleep, takes pity on him, and replaces it with instructions that he is to be married to the princess. When the king returns to the palace, he is furious to see that the prophecy has come to pass. He demands that his new son-in-law go to hell and bring back three golden hairs from the head of the devil himself. The clever lad succeeds in this quest with help from the devil’s wily grandmother; along the way he solves the mysteries plaguing two troubled villages and a beleaguered ferryman. As for the king, his cruelty is met with a just reward. Meidell’s winning text and expressive illustrations make for a winning experience. A note for folklore enthusiasts: This book is adapted from a story of the same name collected by the Brothers Grimm. #devil #three #golden #hairs #baby #king #princess #hell #grandmother #book #books #childrensbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks