REVIEW: The Nixie of the Mill Pond and Other European Stories

The Nixie of the Mill Pond & Other European Stories
Anthology editors: Kel McDonald, Kate Ashwin
Authors: various

I love folklore and fairy tales! Ever since childhood I have been drawn to stories passed down from past generations ... legends, folk lore, fairy tales, ghost stories, historical tales, morality stories. I enjoy them all! And that life long love is why I enjoy the more modern versions too - urban legends, reddit scary tales, and creepy pasta stories. Those are just the internet-era versions of folk lore and legends. Books, audio, YouTube videos, message boards, podcasts.....I love those stories that pass from person to person and embrace the old and the new. Usually at the very very center there is a kernel of truth (or more than a kernel sometimes) or at least an important moral lesson (stay away from weirdos, lock your doors, beware of dangerous people, use your brains in a bad situation, etc etc) So, when I saw this modern graphic novel re-telling of some classic fairy tales, I knew I had to read it!

Cautionary Tales. Stories to teach, stories to protect, stories to warn. The Nixie of the Mill Pond gathers eight European fairy tales with a cautionary theme:

         Jack and the Beanstalk - Mary Cagle
         The Singing Bone - K. C. Green
         Puss in Boots - Kate Ashwin
         Tatterhood - Kate and Shaggy Shanahan
         Rapunzel - Ovens
         Kid Brother - Carla Speed McNeil
         The Nixie of the Mill Pond - Cory McNeil
         Bisclavret - Kel McDonald
         Hamelin's Piper - Jose Pimentia

The target audience for this collection is middle grade kids. The stories are age appropriate, so each story is relatively simple and short. The more grisly parts of the original stories are toned down a bit....still there, but not quite as in-your-face as the originals. Example: The giant still smells the blood of an Englishman...but he only says it a couple times not 1000 times and he isn't chewing on people parts. It's  implied....but not in an age inappropriate way. Big scary giant....no spurting blood. Fun, quick read! I liked all the stories and enjoyed seeing the different art styles.

My favorite? Hamelin's Piper. Very cool art! And a wordless re-telling. Nice!

There are four other graphic novels in this series showcasing stories from other areas of the world. I definitely want to read the rest!!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this graphic novel from Iron Circus Comics. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**