The Enchanted Wood is one of Enid Blyton's most memorable and truly imaginative stories, capturing a world where almost anything can happen if you just believe in the magic of nature and its creatures.Many adults will have fond memories of discovering the world of The Enchanted Wood: from the delightfully gentle Silky the Fairy, to the wonderfully bizarre but terminally jolly Moon-Face who along with a host of strange and mysterious characters live among the branches of The Magic Faraway Tree.Kate Winslet, the award-winning actress, was captivated by the stories at an early age and during her pregnancy approached the company who own the rights to the Enid Blyton name to ask them if they would be interested in having her record these magical stories on tape. The result is stunning.Winslet, with her gentle, singsong voice, captures the pure joy of these unforgettable stories from the moment the tale begins, and Joe, Beth and Fanny--the three young children who move from the city with their family to the country house surrounded by the Enchanted Wood--are captured as the wide-eyed and open-minded children they really are, eager to become involved in all manner of adventure and never once questioning that this strange world they have entered might not be quite, well, normal.Probably the most memorable and certainly the most magical Enid Blyton stories of all are here brought to life with aplomb, with Winslet's enthusiasm for the tales she tells on this five-hour collection shining through.This recording of The Enchanted Wood is set to become a classic, and would make a fantastic gift for the young, while providing an enchanting trip down memory lane for the adult who has never quite let go of the magic. (Ages 4 and over) --Susan Harrison