WHAT? Fairy Tales

WHERE? British Library, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB

WHEN? Now until 23rd August

WHY GO? To be bewitched. Channel your inner child and give way to fantasy in this magical exhibition aimed at families but also a treat for imaginative grown ups who appreciate rare books and original artworks by famous names like Mervyn Peake, Arthur Rackham and Quentin Blake. Beautifully illustrated early books by the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen are analysed offering plenty of opportunities for little ones to interact with some of their favourite fairytale characters. The exhibition opens with a huge Hansel & Gretel gingerbread house and leads into a hall of mirrors, mattresses piled high for little readers of The Princess and the Pea to clamber up. There’s a cosy corner where Cinderella would have swept away the dust before donning her shiny slipper, which is replicated in a sparkly box. All this, with accompanying sounds and smells of magic potions to dip in and out of along the way. From ancient pop-up books inspired by Little Red Riding Hood to modern letters for The Jolly Postman, a vast range of fairy tales from different continents and eras are explored and ultimately reveal a universal message, that authors and artists have always strived to deliver messages of positivity to children of all ages. With a storytelling corner, boxes of costumes for youngsters to role play and even a table to sit down with The Three Bears for breakfast, it's a magical exhibition likely to be rammed at half term, so choose a time to visit carefully.

IN THE KNOW? To celebrate the joy of children’s literature, the British Library partnering with the BBC, are presenting a series of CBeebies Bedtime Stories for the duration of the exhibition. Check Events online for a full programme of library family workshops, musical performances and magical storytelling sessions, many of them free for families.