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A Road of Tempations

© Melanie Howard

The Enchanted Wood, by Ruth Sanderson, is my favorite illustrated or children's "picture" book. Though not nearly as famous as King Bidgood's in the Bathtub or The Song and Dance Man, The Enchanted Wood tells a good story, and the illustrations are incredible! I am also particularly fond of the lesson it teaches, and although it is one often seen in literature, it's one that never gets old, and holds meaning for people of all ages.

The story begins in "a land green and fair," with a wise king and a beloved queen. However, the queen dies, and the king deeply grieves the loss of his wife. The land, seeming to share his grief, shrivles and dies, and there is a famine on the land. Concerned for his subjects, the king decides he must send one of his three sons to seek the Heart of the World, the only thing that can heal the land.

He sends his eldest son, Edmund, who loves to hunt more than anything, to seek the Heart of the World in the Enchated Wood. He does not return for a fortnight. So Owen, his second eldest son, takes up the quest. He-too-does not return for a fortnight, and neither does his brother.

Galen, the youngest son, and barely a man, then decides to take up the quest, and to find his brothers. With the help of Rose, the gatekeeper's daughter, he must face all of the temptations of the Enchanted Wood to gain the Heart of the World.

This is a story about what in life is really important, about self-sacrifice and turning away from temptation for the greater good. I thought the story was exciting, and the illustrations really made it come to life.

On a scale of one to ten, The Enchanted Wood is a nine.

I highly recommend this book for reading to young children.

Happy reading! - Mel

Here are some sites about Ruth Sanderson and her work:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/sto...

http://www.ruthsanderson.com/