A Child's Book of Faeries

A bewitching collection of stories, poems, and snippits of faerie lore from Britain and Ireland introduces children to all kinds of faeries, including elves, pixies, leprechauns, and hobgoblins.

Grade 2-5-Faeries of the British Isles are featured in this collection of stories, poems, and explanations. Not to be confused with the sweet fairy godmothers and tooth fairies of modern American myth, these are the little folk who play mischievous tricks, cause humans to lose their way when traveling, and replace babies with changelings. The four stories, all based on folklore, will be familiar to experienced storytellers and can be found in other collections, but they are gracefully retold here and work together to paint a picture of the prickly faerie folk. The poems are mostly from 19th-century sources. Depending on their predilections toward faeries, children will be either entranced or confused by the arcane language: "With a bridge of white mist,/Columbkill he crosses,/On his stately journeys,/From Slieveleague to Rosses." The explanations interspersed between stories and poems tell of the different types and tricks of faeries, how to guard against them, and what Elfland and the Faery Queen are like. The watercolor illustrations in jewel tones show the faeries with beautiful, wild dress and hairstyles and appropriately doll-like, detached faces. Broad borders surround the text, and full-page paintings have narrow borders of stars, moon, and planets. An attractive addition where folktale collections are popular.
Ellen Heath, Orchard School, Ridgewood, NJ
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Victorian-era stories, poems, and legends from Britain and Ireland combine in A Child's Book of Faeries retold by Tanya Robyn Batt, illus. by Gail Newey. Works by the likes of Shakespeare, Thomas Hood and William Allingham are framed by borders reminiscent of folk art and tinged with gold. Back matter contains source notes and a bibliography.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 3-5. Jewel-tone colors reminiscent of shimmering enamel paints decorate the fairies that fly and frolic around Batt's selections from the literature and legends of Great Britain and Ireland. Fanciful poems, lines from Shakespeare, and bits of traditional fairy lore are interspersed among four entertaining stories that illustrate the age-old interplay between humans and "wee people." In the rewarding tale "Leprechaun Gold," a leprechaun shoemaker outwits a bullying boy. In another tale, "The Faeries and the Cake Baker," Margaret, a renowned baker kidnapped by fairies who crave cake, succeeds at both obtaining her freedom and delivering the longed-for confection. Culled from a variety of sources, this sampling of wit, humor, fantasy, and magic offers children a manageable introduction to the fairy realm. Ellen Mandel
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