Fairies

Gr 4-6-In a matter-of-fact tone, these compact overviews describe traditional beliefs about these creatures (size, gender, disposition, magical abilities) and the types of interaction they have with humans. Brief summaries of legendary stories and examples of sightings are provided. Frequent color and black-and-white photos, drawings, and paintings illustrate the subjects. Boxed insets present failing eyesight, imagination, superstition, and other cultural influences as explanations for the widespread belief in magical creatures. Intrigued students will find the books listed in the chapter notes and further-reading section useful, but the Web sites much less so.-Janet S. Thompson, Chicago Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.