Adventure Awaits! Our Folio Editor's Top Picks for Children

What do you do when your parents don’t see your full potential? When you feel too small to ever make a difference? When the world feels like it is against you at every turn? When there are evil farmers, witches, Twits, spoiled children? You fight back, of course. I defy anyone not to be put under the spell of Roald Dahl and his phizz-whizzing characters. The perfect mixture of naughtiness and nostalgia, he is beloved by children and adults alike.

Our three box sets contain all the greats and take me right back to being a curious reader, to seeing a big wild world that existed well beyond my own and to learning that even the smallest of beings can learn how to stand up to others. Quentin Blake’s iconic illustrations are crisp on the page, whilst Dahl biographer Donald Sturrock explains the man behind the wondercrump words in his introductions.

When Bastian discovers a mysterious book, he is drawn into an adventure beyond his wildest imagination. Hidden within the pages is a whole new world, one where he is the hero for once. This is the perfect escapist novel for younger and older adults alike, one that teaches the importance of reading and literature for escapism, but also the importance of learning to love all parts of yourself, even in the face of adversity. Marie-Alice Harel has brought Michael Ende’s fantasia to life in our gorgeous edition in honour of Folio’s 75th anniversary.

In a world that feels overwhelming and beyond our control, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince is the perfect antidote. His fable address's themes of loneliness, love, loss and friendship in a way that is both tender and non-judgmental. He gives us the ingredients to live a fulfilled life, one not dictated by money or greed, but filled with gratitude and friendship.

Folio’s edition is the ultimate version, a two-volume set that has everything from an introduction by Saint-Exupéry’s biographer to beautifully restored original illustrations. This is one to feed your inner child in the best way possible.