Fairy Tales have occupied a large part of my imagination since I was a young child.

The first book I ever read was my mother's 1936 copy of  The Brothers Grimm with several stories from the Arabian Nights added at the end. My mother won it as a child from a reading contest in the local paper, and that connection to my mother's own childhood made the book magical to me.

As the youngest, I was sent to bed early. I never minded. I would sneak the book of fairy tales from under my pillow and read and read until I got scolded. The illicit nature of my reading made the fairy stories even more thrilling. I was four years old when I learnt the power of books; of storytelling and naming, the gift to create whole worlds extant in my imagination.  

Now, as an adult, I can read any book at any time, but fairy tales still tug at my heart. Show me a fair maiden, a struggling squire, a dog with large eyes, or a talking frog and I'm hooked.

The last few weeks, I've been collecting wonderful fairy tale art from the late 1800's thru the early 1900's, considered by many to be the golden age of illustration.  I'll be creating several coloring books of these lost illustrations, but in the meantime, enjoy this free coloring page.

(More are on the way...)

The Dragon - A Free Coloring Page from Firi Miri