Book Review of The Book of Fairies
The Children’s Book Review
The Book of Fairies
Written by Susie Spikol
Illustrated by Renia Metallinou
Ages: 5+ | 96 Pages
Publisher: Gibbs Smith (2025) | ISBN: 978-1423665908
What to Expect: Fairies, Folklore, Nature, and Imagination.
Susie Spikol’s The Book of Fairies is an enchanting guide to fairy folk, blending nature, folklore, and the author’s imagination to inspire wonder in the natural world.
Welcome to a world of over 30 fairy types, organized into Earth, Air, Fire, and Water Fairies. A lifelong animal lover and naturalist, Spikol shares her guide, which is an invitation to look at the world with “imagination, creativity, and play”. The book includes practical tips on how to find fairies in your neighborhood and attract them to your home, encouraging readers to slow down, be patient, and be kind to nature to earn the fairies’ trust.
This work is the culmination of a book that the author started writing when she was eight years old. Spikol’s writing is accessible and conversational, drawing heavily on the author’s background in folklore, legends, mythology, and nature. The author’s personal experiences, such as her love for fairy tales and her becoming a naturalist after searching for fairy circles, infuse the text with an authentic, heartfelt voice—her goal is to inspire a “whole new generation of fairy finders, story spinners, and naturalists.” The book features wonderful illustrations by Renia Metallinou that provide a rich reading experience, immersing kids in a world of rich possibility and imagination.
The Book of Fairies offers guidance and encouragement to those who wish to connect with nature through a magical lens—those who enjoy works that blend naturalism with wonder will find this guide most engaging.
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About the Author
Ever since she can remember, naturalist and writer Susie Spikol has always looked for where nature and story meet. Her love of nature didn’t start with science. It grew out of a rich diet of fairy tales. While out searching her Brooklyn neighborhood for fairies and gnomes, she remembers being charmed by fireflies and enchanted by snails.
Over the course of her 30-year career as a naturalist, she has taught thousands of children, parents, and teachers and given hundreds of public talks at nature centers, schools, colleges, universities, libraries, and conferences.
Her first book, published in 2022, The Animal Adventurer’s Guide: How to Prowl for Owls, Make Snail Slime, and Catch a Frog Bare-Handed, was recognized with a National Parenting Products Award.
Her new book, Forest Magic for Kids: How to Find Fairies, Make a Secret Fort, and Cook Up an Elfin Picnic, is filled with activities inspired by imagination, folklore, and science. It’s an invitation to all readers to step outside and discover the beauty and magic of the world.
Susie’s Book of Fairies will be casting a spell over people of all ages later this year.
