Children's Books

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4. This collection of 29 short stories, folktales, and poems dealing with faeries and other little folk spans many different cultures and periods of time. Selections from Shakespeare and Tennyson, Hans Christian Andersen, and e. e. cummings as well as Mayan, African, and Native American folklore are among those included. The similarity of themes across the ages and cultures is noted in the foreword, which compares many of the selections. With references to Joseph Campbell and Bruno Bettelheim, this introduction seems to be intended for adults. Some of the stories are given lively retellings, while others are preserved intact. A thorough bibliography lists general sources about faeries, citations for the poems, and the different versions consulted by the reteller. Charming illustrations in delicate watercolors appear on nearly every page and greatly enhance the book's appeal. Sally R. Dow, Ossining Public Library, NY Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 3-6, younger for reading aloud. Mills' collection of fairy tales from around the world can be read alone or aloud to young listeners, or it can be studied by fairy tale buffs. Following a foreword commending the cultural and psychological value of myths for children are 13 stories and 16 poems. The stories and accompanying color illustrations by the author are enchanting. Familiar favorites such as "The Elves and the Shoemaker" and "Tom Thumb" are included, as well as the lesser known Native American "Leelinau" and Hawaiian "Laka and the Menehunes." The poetry is interspersed throughout, adding interest to the stories and depth to the author's theory that there are common fairy themes across cultures. A bibliography and an afterword enhance the beautiful book. Susan DeRonne

Delightful collection of faery stories and poems, beautifully illustrated

By Z Hayes HALL OF FAMETOP 50 REVIEWERVINE VOICE on February 16, 2010

Format: Hardcover

I have become an ardent fan of Lauren Mills' work and so has my 5-year-old daughter. We loved bothFairy Wings and Fia and the Imp,and hoping to find more in the series, I browsed through Amazon but there were no other books in the Fia series. However, I did find this gem of a book titled "The Book of Little Folk". It is a delightful collection of stories and poems about fairies from around the world, and is beautifully illustrated by the author. Besides the expected stories from the English and the Irish, there are also stories of fairies from the Native American culture, the Danes, Mexican/Mayan, Indian, Japanese, Swaziland, Hawaiian, German, Korean, Russian, Swedish, etc. This makes an excellent read-aloud and my 5-year-old daughter loves listening to the poems and stories before bedtime. Just a note of caution - there are some depictions of fairies in this book which might scare younger children such as the Japanese Oni, and so parents might want to take note. On the whole, this is a wonderful selection of fairy stories that can be cherished for years to come. I wish Lauren Mills would continue the Fia series too!