Dove Isabeau is a beautiful little fairytale that wasn't written all that long ago, but it reads like it could have been.

Jane Yolen has long ago proven herself a master of words. In this short story, she tells the tale lyrically, almost poetically, and when read aloud it kept my children entranced.

The story involves a prince and a beautiful maiden, an evil stepmother and a curse, a witch, a cat and a dragon. And, while you might successfully predict the ending, I suspect you won't anticipate how the characters -- Dove Isabeau, Kemp Owain and the unnamed witch -- arrive there.

Some bad things happen, and I wager you'll find at least one twist of the story entirely unexpected. Illustrations by Dennis Nolan are absolutely lovely, perfectly suited to bringing Yolen's story to life.

I will be reading this book to my children again.