No child ever gets tired of fairy tales, whether told and illustrated in traditional fashion or with a slightly skewed twist.

A traditional English tale, “The Loathsome Dragon,” is presented dramatically by illustrator David Weisner and his writer wife Kim Kahng. The volume (Clarion Books, $16), originally released in another form in 1987, is arresting for its portrayal of a dragon that is loathsome on the surface but also displays a decidedly spiritual side.

Weisner’s images of the dragon tug at readers. A good and kind princess caught in a dreadful body, the dragon with the beseeching eyes tells the true story of what lies beneath the surface. Despite its name, this creature will not totally frighten anyone because it looks out of its body in such a human way.

This is a book that elicits alarm and compassion at the same time. Magical and memorable, the book teaches a lesson about familial ties and the overpowering need to recognize true beauty.

Hans Christian Andersen’s “Thumbelina” gets lovely treatment by storyteller-illustrator Lauren Mills (Little, Brown and Company, $16.99). Rich watercolors create all kinds of densities and delicacies in hues, while the narration recreates Thumbelina’s adventures in flowing language.

Mills captures the tribulations and final triumph of the miniature heroine in pictures that are filled with detail. Thumbelina’s battle with winter is caught in an illustration filled with huge lifeless corn stalks and snowflakes so big they threaten to knock her down. And the ugly toads who try to submerge her in the mud with them seem eerily human — one in a bonnet, the other in a purple waistcoat.

The girl’s eventual happiness with a prince just her size will be a suitable ending for children small enough to relate to the obstacles she faces.

“Carmine: A Little More Red,” cunningly crafted by writer-illustrator Melissa Sweet, is undoubtedly the most outrageous, and outrageously positive, spin ever done on “Little Red Riding Hood.” Not only does no one get eaten or hurt, but even the seemingly menacing wolf turns out to be a good guy, who takes home bones (from Granny’s soup, not from Granny) for his pups.

This romp (Houghton Mifflin Company, $16) doubles as a free-wheeling alphabet book so funny that it will educate kids while simultaneously leaving adult readers doubled over with laughter. Words as disparate as “haiku,” “nincompoop” and “yodel” can’t all be taken in during a first reading, but then, re-reading this book for all the nonsensical twists and turns is what makes the venture so appealing.

Although none of these stories makes any pretense at being real, each is definitely proof that the positive power of fairy tales is reality of the highest order.

Lois Henderlong is a freelance writer who has reviewed children’s books for publications across the Midwest. She lives in La Porte, Ind., and can be reached at loisirene@csinet.net.