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lagobond's review
5.0
My niece & nephew (5 & 7) recently developed an interest in fairies and magic, so I got this book for them from the library. What a hit! They were absolutely enchanted, spending hours together leafing through the gorgeous pictures, drawing pictures of their own, designing fairy dresses, and giving their parents a much-needed break ;) In fact they are so smitten that they ended up having a fancy fairy-themed tea party later. This book really sparked their imagination and kept them engaged long after I had to return it to the library. I hear they're getting a copy for Christmas!
I personally am not "into" fairies, but I have to say this truly is a rare visual treat. The purple-and-silver canvas cover and the shiny silvered edges are quite attractive. The contents grouped into four sections: flora & fauna; fashion & beauty; arts & culture; home & food & entertainment. The book is filled with dreamy illustrations, paintings, and photos plus information & instructions on topics such as fairy houses, flower pressing, how to make fairy dust, flower arranging, folklore & art history. There's a mix of old and new art, and different takes on the subject -- some of them playful and some of them a bit darker, like the chapter on changelings.
This is not intended to be a children's book, but it offers something for everybody, including obviously children. (My niblings' grandma was also impressed with the book!) I would say that anyone who enjoys beautiful, flowery, fairy-tale type material will get a kick out of this. I also liked the fact that not ALL the fairies were young white women/girls, though to be honest there could have still been more diversity.
I personally am not "into" fairies, but I have to say this truly is a rare visual treat. The purple-and-silver canvas cover and the shiny silvered edges are quite attractive. The contents grouped into four sections: flora & fauna; fashion & beauty; arts & culture; home & food & entertainment. The book is filled with dreamy illustrations, paintings, and photos plus information & instructions on topics such as fairy houses, flower pressing, how to make fairy dust, flower arranging, folklore & art history. There's a mix of old and new art, and different takes on the subject -- some of them playful and some of them a bit darker, like the chapter on changelings.
This is not intended to be a children's book, but it offers something for everybody, including obviously children. (My niblings' grandma was also impressed with the book!) I would say that anyone who enjoys beautiful, flowery, fairy-tale type material will get a kick out of this. I also liked the fact that not ALL the fairies were young white women/girls, though to be honest there could have still been more diversity.
lynn_k's review
3.0
A cute book that tackles fairy lore, recipes, crafts, and generally tries (and does pretty well) to be an all encompassing fairy compendium. Full of whimsy, I recommend this to anyone who is enchanted by the Fae.
agudenburr's review
5.0
A very complete book about everything you ever wanted to know or do related to faeries. I had to buy a copy because there was SOOO much content. The cover and silver pages are beautiful, along with the art inside, and the projects are AMAZING.
nycterisberna's review
4.0
Además del impecable trabajo que hace la autora, quien está a cargo de la revista "Enchanted Living" antes conocida como "Faerie Magazine", este libro es una preciosidad. Aparece mucha información que no es muy conocida (por ejemplo: desde cuándo las hadas aparecen como seres con alas: desde el poema de Alexander Pope: "The Rape of the Lock" de 1714, que luego fue ilustrado por Fuseli y Stothard), se destaca el trabajo de Alan Lee con Brian Froud como ilustradores. Además de imágenes clásicas, se agregan muchas imágenes de trabajos contemporáneos sobre maquetas de casas de hadas, ropa y zapatos, además de recetas de comida y "meriendas de hadas".
Las fotografías son bellísimas y la edición está muy cuidada. Vale mucho la pena en papel. Trataré de leer pronto los dos libros que siguen en la serie: [b:The Unicorn Handbook: A Spellbinding Collection of Literature, Lore, Art, Recipes, and Projects|46041463|The Unicorn Handbook A Spellbinding Collection of Literature, Lore, Art, Recipes, and Projects|Carolyn Turgeon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1585140166l/46041463._SX50_.jpg|70946048] y [b:The Mermaid Handbook: An Alluring Treasury of Literature, Lore, Art, Recipes, and Projects|36039838|The Mermaid Handbook An Alluring Treasury of Literature, Lore, Art, Recipes, and Projects|Carolyn Turgeon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1520967064l/36039838._SX50_.jpg|56364156]
Las fotografías son bellísimas y la edición está muy cuidada. Vale mucho la pena en papel. Trataré de leer pronto los dos libros que siguen en la serie: [b:The Unicorn Handbook: A Spellbinding Collection of Literature, Lore, Art, Recipes, and Projects|46041463|The Unicorn Handbook A Spellbinding Collection of Literature, Lore, Art, Recipes, and Projects|Carolyn Turgeon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1585140166l/46041463._SX50_.jpg|70946048] y [b:The Mermaid Handbook: An Alluring Treasury of Literature, Lore, Art, Recipes, and Projects|36039838|The Mermaid Handbook An Alluring Treasury of Literature, Lore, Art, Recipes, and Projects|Carolyn Turgeon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1520967064l/36039838._SX50_.jpg|56364156]
toad_maiden's review
5.0
I was so happy to finally get my paws on a copy of this incredibly beautiful book by the editors of Faerie / Enchanted Living Magazine and I was not disappointed. It may even be a volume that I eventually purchase for my own collection. As with [b:The Mermaid Handbook: An Alluring Treasury of Literature, Lore, Art, Recipes, and Projects|35068721|The Mermaid Handbook An Alluring Treasury of Literature, Lore, Art, Recipes, and Projects|Carolyn Turgeon|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1517581587s/35068721.jpg|56364156], this book fills a particular niche for nonfiction books about folkloric creatures for adults. There are recipes and craft projects, as well as a plethora of lore and editorial-style articles. In addition, this book is filled with iconic and beautifully reproduced illustrations from the course of several centuries. An absolute gem.
carlyoc's review
4.0
An absolutely gorgeous book, with its silver-embossed cover and edges. The content is magical too, like one looong issue of Faerie Magazine (now called Enchanted Living). I'm not sure that I will have occasion to actually try any of the recipes or craft tutorials, but they were still fun to read about. If you are a faerie fan, you'll probably be familiar with some of the people mentioned or featured such as Brian Froud and Signe Pike. The book contains an assortment of articles about faerie homes, food, fashion, etc.; stunning photographs or historical paintings; and quotes and excerpts from famous faerie literature such as Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. A great gift for the whimsical fantasy-lover in your life and a beautiful adornment for any coffee table or bookshelf.
(At this rate I have so many coffee table books - three of them faerie-related - that I will have to live in a mansion just to have enough tables to show them all off on! Or, you know, rotate them out or something.)
(At this rate I have so many coffee table books - three of them faerie-related - that I will have to live in a mansion just to have enough tables to show them all off on! Or, you know, rotate them out or something.)