A Practical Guide by Miss Edythe McFateAs told to Lesley M. M. Blume
Illustrated by David Foote
To: The children of the world
From: Miss Edythe McFate
Re: The wondrous, dangerous world of modern fairies-READ IMMEDIATELY!
My names is Miss Edythe McFate, and once you've read my practical guide to modern fairies, you will never see the world around you in the same way again.
Perhaps you think fairies are figments of the imagination, or even relics of a ancient past. You may even think that all fairies are lovely winged creatures who dance in bluebell fields, granting wishes to anyone who encounters them.
You would be wrong on all counts.
Fairies are very much alive today, and they are everywhere-in our cities, our backyards, and even our kitchen cupboards. Some of them are indeed the sweet-tempered winged creatures of folklore, but the fairy family also includes goblins, trolls, brownies, and other strange creatures- some of which are revealed in this book for the very first time. While many fairy breeds are harmless, others can be quite nasty or even dangerous.
In my luxuriously-illustrated guidebook, I share my knowledge of the modern fairy world and include practical advice on matters such as:
-How to tell a good fairy from a bad one,
-How to spot a "fairy ring",
-How to tell the difference between dwarves and trolls (one species is far deadlier than the other),
-How to defend against fairies who would do you harm,
......and much, much more. Also included: eight true cautionary tales about children your age who have encountered deadly fairies in ultramodern New York City. You would be advised to read my book closely, lest you find yourself in your own fairy encounter.
After all, forewarned is forearmed.
-from www.lesleymmblume.com
I just finished up this book today while waiting around at jury duty. I'll say this- it was certainly amusing enough to keep my mind off the boredom of waiting around. I absolutely loved this book! It had an old-fashioned quality to it. The eight cautionary tales are very much modern fairy tales. Some of them turn out well, but many of them not so well for the children involved. Of course, that's only because those particular children are selfish, nasty, or just all around mean. There are also the poor innocent children who don't know what they're getting themselves into. Lesson learned-don't mess around with fairies!
The illustrations are really really cool. The artist, David Foote, used pen and ink (which is my favorite style of drawings), then smeared the ink with water in many illustrations for an almost Ralph Steadman-like effect. He also draws round circles of blush on his faces, which I find to be endearing. (Although it can look sinister on the evil fairies).
I like that Miss Edythe McFate gives exact locations in New York City of various fairy dwellings (for example, the exact tree in Central Park that the brownies relocate to from the Algonquin Hotel). I can just imagine being a kid, begging my parents to take me to New York so I can go look for the fairies. Heck, even as an adult I want to go look for the fairies. Who am I kidding?
My verdict is-this book is a great book for kids who liked The Spiderwick Chronicles or fans of magical realism. It would be a great read-aloud!
Rating: Buy it! You will need it for reference!
