Neil Gaiman's The Sleeper and the Spindle is a short fable that combines the legends of Sleeping Beauty and Snow White.

The book is beautifully illustrated with ink drawings by Chris Riddell - mostly black and white with a few splashes of gold.

Gaiman's gift for storytelling keeps one engaged, even with a familiar story; and his imagination provides a twist at the end which turns on its head our concept of villain and victim.

Although the story is a bit dark, the length of the book and the familiar topic make it a good book for children; but I found myself captivated by the magic in the book and in the telling.