Books I've read this week - Fairy Hunters, Ink.

Fairy Hunters, Ink.: A Book of Fairies for Children and (Not So) Grown-ups ©2009 by Sheila A. Dane. Illustrations by Rose Csorba.

About the book: “Have you ever wondered why your child's clothes, or even your own, always end up on the closet floor? Or why your socks go missing from your laundry? Or why ants inevitably show up at your picnics? If you want the answer to these and many other vexing questions, then Fairy Hunters, Ink. is the book for you.

All this and more await you as you follow the adventures of the intrepid band of Fairy Hunters made up of a little girl named Ashley, her friend Big Rabbit, and their fellow companion, Turtle. You will discover which fairy hates to fly, what Teacup Fairies eat, and the favorite games of the Mud Puddle Fairy. And you'll delight to the dry, amusing voice of Laura, the narrator whose age is uncertain, but whose gentle management of occasional conflict among the band's members teaches wisdom and tolerance in a way that children can fully understand.”

This was a delightful book full of fantastical fairy illustrations. I wished as I read it that I had a child here to share it with me. I know a couple who are going to love it. Here’s an excerpt about the Sock Fairies –

“Sock Fairies come in various colors and will often steal Socks that match their coloring. This isn’t because they’re vain: it helps them hide from us. They sometimes steal handkerchiefs, too, which they use as blankets in the winter, with tiny pillows of Sock lint. In the summer they use their stolen handkerchiefs in elaborate games of “Charades” and “Guess When". I am uncertain as to the rules of the “Guess When" game; I am told the Sock Fairies get confused sometimes, too, and end up playing an odd mixture of the two games. When this happens, they began waving their handkerchiefs wildly, shouting Incomprehensible Things like, “What am I on Wednesday?” “What weathervane was Thursday?” “When will I be a Spotted Purple Weeblebarger?” (S.P.W. B. for short).”

As you can see, a child (or not so grown-up adult) would find this very amusing. It has stories about Chimney Fairies, Blue Bottle Fairies, Mud Puddle Fairies, Sock Fairies, even Book Fairies, and many others. It’s a very fun book and the author has a sequel in the works. For more information, you may check out the author’s web site at http://www.fairyhunters.net/ .