Description

This enchantingly illustrated natural history of fairies, compiled in the 1920s by the botanist Professor Elsie Arbour for her niece, is now unveiled for readers of today.

Featuring a gold foil-embossed cloth cover, a ribbon marker and sprayed gold edges, this gorgeous volume is filled with colourful sketches and precise notes detailing the secret life of fairies and their important role in the natural world.

Inside, you will discover the wide and wonderful array of different species of fairy around the globe and explore where and how they live. Delight in this hidden world as you learn all about:

The anatomy of a fairy (Land-based fairies have individual, separated toes, just as humans do. However, many species of water fairy have webbed feet.)
The life cycle of a fairy (When walking in the heather, be careful of the tiny flutterpillar of the Wicklow Fairy, decked out in greens and purples.)
Clever fairy camouflage (Reed fairies living in wetlands usually wear striped clothes to hide among the tall reeds.)
Fairies around the world (Meet the Lily Hopper of sub-Saharan Africa, the Queen Fairy of New Guinea, the Penguin Fairy of the Antarctic and many more.)
Fairy habitats (Fairies make their homes in all types of places: woodlands, jungles, deserts, the Poles and even human homes.)

Concluding with a reminder that we must protect the endangered habitats of fairies, and all other creatures too, this is a book to be treasured for a lifetime.

Publisher Review

'I'm a huge fan of Emily Hawkins' books and her style of writing. This pairing with Jessica Roux's minutely detailed illustrations is nothing short of sublime, with beautifully timeless elements like a foil-embossed cloth cover ribbon marker, majestic endpapers with a stunning bookplate and sprayed gold edges that make it feel like an instant heirloom.' -- The Little Literary Society "A magical, mysterious volume full of vintage-inspired sketches and precise field notes." -- Fiona Noble * The Bookseller, September Previews *