Retelling 22 classic folktales of Eastern Europe in modern English, Neil Philip preserves their richness, meaning, and magic for readers and listeners of all ages, with expressive watercolors and drawings by Larry Wilkes. Gods on a mountaintop help a young girl to wealth and happiness in "The Twelve Months," while a man transformed into a noble animal finds his true love in "The Feather of Bright Finist the Falcon," but many of these tales also tell of bad behavior rewarded with comeuppance. Whether the setting is a poor cottage deep in the forest or a king's court, each reveals a fascination with routines of family and community life, and a humorous ironic perspective on people and their affairs.