The Wild Swans - Naomi Lewis, Angela Barrett
**The following review is for the version translated by Naomi Lewis and illustrated by Angela Barrett.

Hans Christian Andersen's The Wild Swans tells the story of Princess Elisa and her eleven brothers all raised in extreme luxury until their father the king chooses a wicked woman for his new bride. Their new step-mother expels the boys with a curse which turns them all into wild swans and banishes Elisa to a remote country cottage. It is up to Elisa alone to reverse this black magic so that she can be reunited with her brothers in their human form. Unfortunately, the solution is arduous, dangerous and may even cost Elisa her life.

Angela Barret is a favorite illustrator of mine so I was excited to come across this version in a used bookshop recently. Her version of The Emperor's New Clothes is a favorite. I gather from my friend Abigail's review that this was her first picture book - how exciting! My immediate reaction (with nothing to compare this to) was very favorable. My impression may change once I read some of the other versions available - most notably that of Anne Yvonne Gilbert's which looks stunning! Also, another favorite, Susan Jeffers, has also taken on this tale.