This was a hardcover anthology of stories for children. I believe it measured about 6” wide by 8” long, but I could be wrong about that.
The book contained a number of stories, but I can only remember two of them: one was the classic Three Billy Goats Gruff. In fact, I think that was the very first story in the book. I remember it had very stark illustrations; thinking about it now, they kind of remind me of Picasso’s “Guernica.”
The other was a story about making pies, and I remember it very clearly because it was the first time I’d ever heard of a mince pie.
Is it one of Virginia Haviland’s “Favorite Fairy Tales Told In….” books? They all had amazing illustrations by different artists.
I don’t recall that was it, unfortunately. I had a vague recollection of the words “STORIES TO READ ALOUD,” but not 100% sure that’s the same book. I suspect this may have been a reader in a school, like a textbook, but I could be wrong about that too (this was 27 years ago).