Bound in orange cloth with title and decorative vignette on front cover in blue. Binding loose in places, corners and edges bumped, marks on cover. Contents clean but some pages slightly torn or chipped at corners. Dedication inside front cover, Xmas 1944. Dust jacket missing.Nine traditional tales from the Balkans, broadly similar to those collected by the Brothers Grimm. Retold by Joan Haslip (original source not credited). The stories feature greedy dragons, enchanted princesses, brave younger brothers, and the witch Baba Yaga. Haslip is better known for her historical biographies and journalism.There are 8 colour plates tipped in, and numerous monochrome illustrations in text, by Dodo Adler. Adler was a German born artist, theatre designer and fashion illustrator who emigrated to London in 1936, where she worked as a book illustrator and greetings card designer. Her work was heavily influenced by her personal contacts with Jung and his theories of the Unconscious. Her illustrations for the book are stylish, with an Art Deco feeling. A charming book which brings together the 1940s interest in Eastern European culture, new trends in book design, and the work of German Jewish refugee artists.