Once upon a time, artist Scott Gustafson set out to illustrate classic stories, fairy tales, and nursery rhymes. Decades later, his immediately recognizable paintings have made bestsellers of Peter Pan,The Night Before Christmas, Classic Fairy Tales, and Favorite Nursery Rhymes from Mother Goose. Now he gives us Classic Bedtime Stories, a lavishly illustrated, oversized collection of some of his favorite tales.

Stories such as “Sleeping Beauty,” “Jack and the Beanstalk,” and “Sambha and the Tigers” leap off the page thanks to Gustafson’s exquisite paintings and lively retelling of these classics. “The Lion and the Mouse” and “The Country Mouse and the City Mouse” demonstrate his talent at creating uncanny anthropomorphic characters who keep us smiling even as they teach us about tolerance, diversity, and the Golden Rule.

A book that even adults will enjoy reading aloud again and again, Classic Bedtime Stories will keep youngsters of all ages engaged for hours. Gustafson’s unique style makes this a volume to be cherished by children, parents, and grandparents for generations to come.