The Arabian nights

For these ten masterly retellings, entrancing and gloriously funny by turns, Robert Leeson has selected a feast of tales that give a rich flavour of the Thousand and One Nights.

The collection ranges from well-loved tales of treasure, magical power and quick wits (Aladdin, The Fisherman and the Jinni, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves) to hilarious romps (The Woman with Five Suitors, The Story of the Hunchback, The Sleeper and the Waker); it includes a magical romance (The Ebony Horse), and also a scattering of spiced sweetmeats (The Dream, The Donkey).

Christina Balit's splendidly decorative illustrations together with a glossary and sources, create a classic that will enthral readers young and old.