The feisty heroines of these six folk tales all share one important quality: they are extremely SMART!
The smart heroines of these folk tales come from different countries around the world. Natasha from Russia is full of comical fantasies but can still outwit the devil; Yamuna from India has eyes like the sun a mind to match; English Marian ... well, she wants to be an outlaw like Robin Hood!
Robert Leeson (1928-2013) wrote many books for children, including Smart Girls (shortlisted for the GuardianChildren's Fiction Prize), Smart Girls Forever, The Adventures of Idle Jack, Lucky Lad and Why's the Cow On the Roof? He also wrote five stories about Grange Hill school, based on characters from the popular 1980s TV series, and ran writing workshops for children; in 1985 he received the Eleanor Farjeon Award for his services to children's literature.
Axel Scheffler is an award-winning, internationally acclaimed illustrator of some of the most well-loved children's books, most famously The Gruffalo, written by Julia Donaldson. His books have been published in many languages and his work has been exhibited all around the world.