Author: Fiona Watt and designed by Helen Wood
Illustrator: Stephen Cartwright and Glen Bird
Publisher: Usborne Publishing Ltd, A23.95
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9780746056646
For ages: 3 - 5
Type: Picture Book
About: This book is designed to appeal to virtually all the senses. It is a riot of colour, fabric and is complemented by a simple, yet effective narrative that describes the role of the different fairies, ranging from the Treetop Fairy to the Night Fairy.
The book is accompanied by overlays of various fabrics. They have clearly been carefully selected to encompass a diverse range of touch sensations, and equally, help to broaden the visual appeal of the book. Little girls and boys can touch the gauzy fairy wings; feel the sandpaper quality of a passing dragonfly and the spongy nature of a colourful toadstool.
It also leads into discussions of how things around them feel, and provides simple and accessible points of comparison of what other things feel similar to the fabrics in the book. The alliteration used throughout the book makes for easy reading for parent and child.
As well as providing simple explanations to children about how rain is made or the rainbows get their colour (which strictly speaking, are not scientifically accurate!) they also allow children to think about the world around them in a creative and engaging way. For a child who is frightened of the dark, the knowledge that the fairies: "light up the twinkling stars in the sky... and make sure every child is sound asleep" is sure to prove soothing knowledge if it is read to them at bedtime.
With its exquisite illustrations, gentle narrative and magical explanations of the world around us, this book is an enchanting read for young children.
- this review by Sarah Pietrzak
Author website
Illustrator websites - Cartwright / Bird
