The Gardener's Son and the Golden Bird and other Tales of Gentle Young Men

Finn travels the world in a magical quest to find the golden bird, in the company of a wise old fox.

Rory releases a captured mermaid from his fishing net, and her father gives him a ring that will bring him his heart's desire. Bahram saves the life of a cat, a dog and a snake so, when he loses all he loves, the three beasts join together to help him.

Jack and his mam are poor and homeless, but with the gift of a stick, a feather and a mechanical singing bird, Jack fights giants and outwits a dragon to win the hand of the squire's daughter.

Prince Ivan sets out to find his long-lost sisters with nothing but his harp and his own wits, while Gervaise joins forces with a serving-maid to rescue his best friend from the wicked enchantment of an unnaturally beautiful princess.

And Perseus sets out, with the help of the gods, to defeat the gorgon whose glance has the power to turn all living things to stone.

With an introduction by Jack Zipes, The Gardener's Son and the Golden Bird & Other Tales of Gentle Young Men contains tales from Russia, Scotland, Iraq, England, Wales, Greece, Ireland and the Appalachian Mountains.

About the Author

Kate Forsyth wrote her first novel at the age of seven, and has since sold more than a million copies around the world. Her books for adults include Bitter Greens, a retelling of Rapunzel which won the 2015 American Library Association Award for Best Historical Fiction and The Wild Girl, the story of the forbidden romance behind the Grimm Brothers' famous fairy tales, which was named the Most Memorable Love Story of 2013.

Kate's books for children include the collection of fairy tale retellings Vasilisa the Wise & Other Tales of Brave Young Women, illustrated by Lorena Carrington; The Impossible Quest, her five-book fantasy adventure series, which has been optioned for a film; and The Puzzle Ring, named an 'Unsung Hero' of 2009 by international bloggers.

Kate has a BA in literature, a MA in creative writing and a Doctorate of Creative Arts in fairy tale studies. Her doctoral exegesis, The Rebirth of Rapunzel: A Mythic History of the Maiden in the Tower, won the Aurealis Convenors' Award for Excellence in 2016 and the William Atheling Jr Award for Criticism in 2017. Kate is a direct descendant of Charlotte Waring Atkinson, the author of the first book for children ever published in Australia. An accredited master storyteller.

About the Illustrator

Lorena Carrington is a photographic artist and illustrator with an interest in lost and forgotten fairy tales.