A delightful quirky collection of eight of Aiken’s short stories: modern fairy tales which are by turn mundane, mythical and magical. The tone is sometimes wistful, sometimes comic, sometimes bizarre, and the tales range in scope from the vast expanses of the universe where Icarus plays football among the galaxies, to the depths of the ocean where Neptune marries a sailor-girl called Josslyn Abelsea. Some of the stories (particularly 'Over the cloudy mountains') felt as if they wanted to grow into a longer tale; but mostly these are perfect miniatures.

This is a short read - only 96 pages in my edition, which is also enhanced by plenty of Quentin Blake's illustrations. I recommend anyone who has enjoyed The Wolves of Willoughby Chase to sample this or other collections of Joan Aiken's shorter stories, of which there are many. ( )