"Natalie Portman's Fables" published soon by Macmillan, conjures up three amazing tales that instantly feel like you've read them a million times before, wrapping them in an amazingly illustrated cover (who knew she could draw and paint so beautifully eh? Must be her, I didn't see a mention of an illustrator anywhere on that luxurious cover).
There's "The Tortoise and the Hare", a tale so breathtakingly original that I had to pause by the side of the road for a moment to catch my breath and absorb the simple yet effective message that being a complete arsehole isn't always the best way to win the race (though casting your eyes around the world as it stands today, the lesson might be lost on you a bit).
Then there's "The Three Little Pigs" - Not to be confused with the classic fairy tale of the same name, this is undoubtedly the work of a young lady who knows how to spin a good yarn, I mean who but an immense talent could cook up a story where three brother pigs overcome their modest upbringing and surroundings to step onto the property ladder, despite the machinations of a hungry wolf, hell bent on their utter annihilation.
Last but by no means least, "Country Mouse and City Mouse" teaches children another valuable lesson about the joy of being poor and loving what you've got, as opposed to being, say, a multi-millionairess hollywood actress forced to eke out a living by sticking her name on the front of blatant christmas-cash-in products she had absolutely no actual hand in.
It's bound to become a massive hit. Already folk have taken to Twitter to offer up their praise (I think it's praise, there was certainly a lot of talk about it from many, many authors and illustrators across the children's book industry, all rushing eagerly to raise the profile of the book before it hits the shelves).
In a tough old world where raw talent and great ideas alone aren't enough to get you, talented amateur, into the children's publishing industry, experiencing the thrill of cracking open that case of books with your name on the cover, it's heartening to see humble Natalie crossing the threshold and "making it big". We wish her all the best in the world with her next collection of tales, "Red Riding Hood", the story of a girl from the wrong side of the tracks who ignores the advice of her parents and falls under the terrible influence of a nefarious large-eared vulpine. "Jack and the Beanstalk" the simple but classic-feeling story of a young boy finding his fortune after a spot burglary and "Puss in Boots", the shocking expose of the grittier side of the hideous modern phenomenon of people dressing their pets up in human clothes to parade them all over Instagram.
(Editor's Note. We were not sent a copy of the book to review. We have not actually read the book. We have only seen the cover. We are aghast at the very existence of such a thing and yes, we are taking the piss).
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