Tales of Court and Castle

Selected by the Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College of Education as one of the 2004Best Children's Books for the Year The late Joan Bodger was known internationally as one of our foremost storytellers. At the heart of her repertoire were the great medieval tales of lords and ladies, treachery, and chivalry. Among these beautiful courtly tales from Europe are the stories of Tristan young and old Childe Rowland, Burd Janet, and Iron John. These are stories that were heard at the long tables of the great halls, stories repeated around modest peat fires in cozy cottages, stories that traveled with the tellers across the seas.Tales of Court and Castleis an irresistible invitation to young readers to discover stories of enduring power.

<b>Joan Bodger</b> was the author of many books for both adults and children. In 1948 she studied storytelling at Columbia University, then co-founded the world-renowned Storytellers School of Toronto. Her books include <i>Clever-Lazy</i>, <i>The Forest Family</i>, and <i>How the Heather Looks</i>, a literary travelogue for adults. Joan Bodger was born in California, and lived for many years in Toronto. She died in July 2002.<br><br><b>Mark Lang</b> is a painter, illustrator, and graphic designer. His work has appeared in the <i>Boston Globe</i>, the <i>New York Times</i>, the <i>Village Voice</i>, and other publications. He has illustrated several children’s books, most recently <i>One for Day/One for Night</i> by Irene N. Watts, and <i>Capturing Joy: The Story of Maud Lewis</i> by Jo Ellen Bogart. This is his third collaboration with Joan Bodger. Mark Lang lives with his family in Montreal.