Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In 1917, photographs taken by Yorkshire schoolgirls Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths appeared to capture images of actual fairies. Arthur Conan Doyle disseminated the photos, then defended them from accusations of fraud, and people flocked to the site. Years later, the cousins confessed that the fairies in the photos were paper cutouts, but Frances maintained that one was real. Writing in Frances's voice, Sender imagines the bliss she and Elsie found in the natural world: "We swam in the stream, climbed the trees. We napped in the shade and played with the creatures of the forest." Curving organic forms in softly sketched lines and gentle colors portray the girls' encounters with impish, winged fairies. When the sprites refuse to be photographed-one sticks her tongue out, and another moons the camera-the girls resort to photographing paper models. A final spread shows Frances grown old, gazing out her window: "Almost everything has changed, and sometimes I find it hard to distinguish memories from dreams." This one moment of doubt aside, Sender comes down on the side of the fairies, and readers may find themselves hoping she's right. Ages 4-8. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-In 1918, adults everywhere are focused on serious world events and the devastation of war. Cousins Elsie and Frances, who live in Cottingley, a village in Yorkshire England, wish they could lighten things up a bit. They love spending their days playing with fairies in the nearby forest, and think adults would benefit from some fairy contact, too. "Luckily, we had imagination, pencils, paper, and scissors." They also had a camera and took photographs of each other playing with the fairies. Interest in this might have fizzled out quickly, but the photos were made public and caught the interest of famous author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. "He liked mysteries and believed in fairies." With his support, the story of the fairies spread and soon people were coming from all over to try to catch a glimpse. Finding no fairies in evidence, people began to leave. To those who remained, Elsie and Frances confessed about the paper fairies but maintained that there were other fairies. They stuck to the story that the photographs included at least one of real fairies for the rest of their lives. Full-bleed illustrations use a muted palette, and their ethereal quality fits the subject. The short text passages are scattered throughout. An author's explanatory note is appended. For a more in-depth look into this event, read Marc Tyler Nobleman's Fairy Spell. VERDICT Recommended for larger collections where there is high interest in fairies.-Sara-Jo Lupo Sites, George F. Johnson Memorial Library, Endicott, NY © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
This story, translated from the Spanish, is a fictionalization of the early-twentieth-century incident when young cousins Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths took photos of (what they claimed were) fairies in the woods of Yorkshire, England. Fanciful multimedia illustrations catch the mood of the story, engagingly (and a bit unreliably) narrated by Frances. An endnote discusses the historical event. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
When two English girls photograph fairies near their home in Cottingley, Yorkshire, it causes quite a stir in 1919.Narrator Frances and her cousin Elsie spend most of their free time in the forest, swimming in the stream, climbing trees, napping, and playing with woodland creatures. Hoping adults will "see what we see," the girls photograph themselves with fairies, enhancing the photos with "imagination, pencils, paper, and scissors." Surprisingly, many adults take notice, including famous author Arthur Conan Doyle, whose writings "defending the authenticity" of the photos bring people from all over to Cottingley's woods looking for the fairies. But when no one can see the fairies, Frances and Elsie confess "part of the truth," about the "scissors and paper," and the visitors depart, believing all's a hoax. But is it? Whimsical pencil illustrations, rendered in simple lines, patterns, and a somber palette of grays, blues, and tans, transport the enigmatic text to the fringe of fairyland. Cryptic scenes of the cousins reveal them from arresting perspectives as they frolic in the forest, photographing the mischievous fairies and spying on invading adults. All the humans depicted are white. Based on history, Frances' first-person narration will leave readers wondering what really happened.Imported from Spain, an intriguing, enchantingly rendered real fairy tale. (note) (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
