Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Fairy Houses and Beyond!
Nonfiction Picture Book
For ages 6 to 8
Light Beams Publishing, 2008 ISBN: 978-0970810465
One day Tracy Kane was exploring the woods on a coastal island when she came upon little houses, fairy-sized houses, nestled in the roots of trees and around rocks. All the houses were made of out of natural materials, and they were cunning and beautiful. Seeing the houses inspired Tracy to try making houses of her own. The experience delighted her and it gave her imagination a lift. Tracy wrote a picture book and shared her love of fairy house building with others. She saw how building fairy houses connected people with nature and with each other. The activity also connected people with their own inner creativity.
In this book we get to read four stories about some of the people who discovered the joy of fairy house building. We see how making houses out of leaves, stones, berries, feathers and other found natural objects can be rewarding, satisfying, and pleasurable.
Following the stories, the author shows us some fairy houses that other people have created. We see that fairy houses can be built in many different kinds of environments. You can also create whole villages, similar perhaps to the coastal village that we see in the photographs in the book. If you like to take a trip into the past you can try a medieval castle, or a frontier settlement. She also shows us photos of a fairy art community and a fairy garden community. There are spas and retreats for fairies who need a little down time.
For potential fairy house makers who are more interested in interior decorating, there are many examples of beautiful fairy rooms. There are even cunning little play areas for fairy children.
Young people who enjoy making things with their hands are going to be inspired by the lovely photos in this book. Who knew that some sticks, some pieces of moss, a few white pebbles, petals, and other materials from nature could be used to create little works of art that are fun to make.
