Hello, friends! We’re continuing our bonus gift guides with today’s review: The Stories Behind the Stories by Danielle Higley, an awesome look at the inspirations, stories, and histories of some of the world’s most popular children’s stories.

Did you know that Winnie the Pooh was based on a real-life bear resident of the London Zoo? Or that Nancy Drew’s name was originally Stella Strong? Or that a change to the title of Where The Red Fern Grows nearly resulted in the story being lost to history? Fans of children’s literature can learn the history behind the creation of these stories and dozens more, including The Hobbit, The Giving Tree, and A Series of Unfortunate Events.

A visually stunning look at how timeless stories are made. This incredibly informative volume includes fairly comprehensive looks at the different ways stories can come to be, with each subject covered in one to three pages of well-researched material that includes quotes, dates and figures, and even a short “Did You Know?” factoid in the margins. The text itself is compelling on its own, but the beautifully-arranged mixed-media collages by David Miles elevates the book to a piece of art, and one that children’s book lovers from elementary school to adulthood will adore. I loved combing over the articles, and JJ was fascinated by the artwork. This would make a fantastic gift for any fan of kidlit; it’s as beautiful to look at as it is entertaining to read, and we loved it. Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)