For the Journey

I love this little book.  Gaiman had already whispered the words in my ear -- they are found in one of his collections that I have on Audible -- but Charles Vess's wonderful illustrations illuminate the journey through a land that is a composite of all the fairy tales and myths that I grew up reading.
I'm already imagining reading this to my granddaughter -- once she's old enough to know some of the fairy tales referenced in the picture below.  I see Puss in Boots, the Giant from Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, the Three Little Pigs, Cinderella's pumpkin coach and her glass slipper, the Little Goose Girl. the Frog Prince, and are those the White Rabbit's ears I spy? This beautiful little book absolutely captivated me in a way I find hard to explain. The instructions are simple and explicit -- "if any creature tells you that it is hungry, feed it . . . trust the wolves but do not tell them where you are going. . . Trust your heart and trust your story . . ."