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Old Oak Wood series #2
The Winter Child
Carefully combing his ears and tail and wearing his finest red felt boots, a furry young faery named Sneezle prepares for the Midwinter festival in Old Oak Wood -- the oldest faery court in the British Isles. All the denizens of the wood have gathered for this grand winter holiday...but this year something is strangely wrong. By now the forest should be blanketed with snow, but the air remains warm, the leaves have not fallen, and branches remain laden with autumn's fruit. Somehow, the cycle of nature has been halted, and even the faery king, Oberon, cannot fathom why winter has not arrived. From this mystery will come a great adventure, one in which young Sneezle and his best friend, Twig, will confront menacing goblins and an evil sorcerer. By turns charming, menacing, and hilarious, "The Winter Child" follows Sneezle and Twig as they bravely ferret out the terrible truth behind Winter's absence and witness a dramatic duel of sorcerers in which the future of the faery kingdom hangs in the balance. In this marvelous collaboration between renowned doll maker Wendy Froud and award-winning writer Terri Windling, the entrancing story twists and turns its way through the magical beauty and ominous shadows of the faeries' world. Art-directed by Brian Froud, beloved creator of such classics as "Good Faeries/Bad Faeries," the book's spectacular photographs capture Sneezle, Twig, King Oberon and Queen Titania, the sorcerer Malagan, the Royal Council of Sorcerers, and the faeries of Old Oak Wood, all in such vivid detail that they seem to come alive...as indeed, perhaps, they are.
Following the success of Wendy Froud and Terri Windling's first Sneezle adventure, "A Midsummer Night'sFaery Tale," this new volume opens the magical window of enchantment once more with an extraordinary combination of story and art. A mythic tale of nature humbled by whim and ambition -- and of good and simple souls triumphant -- "The Winter Child" will be a classic among lovers of fairy tales, fantasy literature, and all things Froudian.
Following the success of Wendy Froud and Terri Windling's first Sneezle adventure, "A Midsummer Night'sFaery Tale," this new volume opens the magical window of enchantment once more with an extraordinary combination of story and art. A mythic tale of nature humbled by whim and ambition -- and of good and simple souls triumphant -- "The Winter Child" will be a classic among lovers of fairy tales, fantasy literature, and all things Froudian.
59 pages, Hardcover
First published October 9, 2001
2 people are currently reading
375 people want to read
About the author
Wendy Froud
19 books56 followers Wendy Froud has been a doll maker since the age of five. As soon as she could bend a pipe cleaner and tape bits of fabric together she began to make the kind of dolls she couldn't buy. Dolls of centaurs and satyrs, unicorns and faeries, all to populated her childhood world. She continues to do so to this day.
Wendy worked as sculptor and puppet builder for Jim Henson for many years, primarily on the films THE DARK CRYSTAL, LABYRINTH and THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. She sculpted "Jen" and "Kira" for THE DARK CRYSTAL and fabricated "Yoda" for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. Other work for Jim Henson included THE MUPPET SHOW and THE MUPPET MOVIE. In addition to her film projects, Wendy has also made puppets for use in television commercials.
Wendy's dolls and figures are highly sought after and are in many prestigious collections around the world. She now devotes most of her time to making dolls and figures for exhibition and sale throughout the US and England. Her work has been featured in three books created with fantasy author Terri Windling: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S FAERY TALE, THE WINTER CHILD and THE FAERIES OF SPRING COTTAGE. Reproductions of her dolls have been created by Sideshow Collectibles.
Her first book, THE ART OF WENDY FROUD was published in 2006 by Imaginosis. Her latest book with Brian is THE HEART OF FAERIE, a book and card set was published by Abrams Books in 2010.
Wendy lives in Devon, England with her husband Brian Froud.
"I like to think of the figures I make as companions for a personal journey. I try to fill each one with healing energy that responds to the person who owns it, and conversely, I hope that the person who owns it will respond with a true heart connection. I feel that my work is a sign post to the half forgotten world that we all carry inside of us. When people look at my work, I want them to think "Oh, now I remember." If they do that then I know that they have been successful." - Wendy Froud
Wendy worked as sculptor and puppet builder for Jim Henson for many years, primarily on the films THE DARK CRYSTAL, LABYRINTH and THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. She sculpted "Jen" and "Kira" for THE DARK CRYSTAL and fabricated "Yoda" for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. Other work for Jim Henson included THE MUPPET SHOW and THE MUPPET MOVIE. In addition to her film projects, Wendy has also made puppets for use in television commercials.
Wendy's dolls and figures are highly sought after and are in many prestigious collections around the world. She now devotes most of her time to making dolls and figures for exhibition and sale throughout the US and England. Her work has been featured in three books created with fantasy author Terri Windling: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S FAERY TALE, THE WINTER CHILD and THE FAERIES OF SPRING COTTAGE. Reproductions of her dolls have been created by Sideshow Collectibles.
Her first book, THE ART OF WENDY FROUD was published in 2006 by Imaginosis. Her latest book with Brian is THE HEART OF FAERIE, a book and card set was published by Abrams Books in 2010.
Wendy lives in Devon, England with her husband Brian Froud.
"I like to think of the figures I make as companions for a personal journey. I try to fill each one with healing energy that responds to the person who owns it, and conversely, I hope that the person who owns it will respond with a true heart connection. I feel that my work is a sign post to the half forgotten world that we all carry inside of us. When people look at my work, I want them to think "Oh, now I remember." If they do that then I know that they have been successful." - Wendy Froud
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 20, 2011
This story of cute little faeries helping a cute little baby was too cute for me. I probably would have liked it when I was 8 -- old enough to follow the rather dense text but still young enough to love pretty pictures of fairies. Although, I am not positive I would have liked the illustrations even then. They are pretty and elaborate, but they are also photos of dolls, which always seem too static and posed to me, making that whole suspension-of-disbelief thing more difficult. Also, I spend too much time on Regretsy and couldn't stop thinking about how this book would be perfect for middle aged women who still where little girl dresses and collect stuff like [image error]
December 27, 2013
Froud and Windling take us back to the forest of Sneezlewort, but this time they centre the story around the Winter Solstice (how fitting). An evil and ower hungry wizard has put a spell on the forest to stop winter simply because he dislikes the cold. Clearly he's a bit of a wask-a-doo, so Sneezlewort and company have to help stop him. Of course, Sneezlewort acts more as a facilitator for the story - since he's only a magicless root dweller - but he's a great and relatable focal point for the story.
July 27, 2015
A beautiful concept book about the importance of integrity.
November 26, 2018
This elfin book by Wendi Froud and Terri Windling is the second in the series about the young Sneezle, a humble root fairy. He’s attending the Midwinter ceremony and this time he’s determined to stay awake for it.
This story is filled with all the fun, delight and color of the first. The author and illustrator immerse us in this make-believe world and draw us in on another thrilling adventure. This time Sneezle is joined by Twig, a reluctant handmaiden to Titania, the Fairy Queen. Twig is just as eager for adventure as Sneezle—more so, actually. She gets them into trouble but delights in the thrill of it all.
Their quest to recover the Fairy King Oberon’s amethyst cup takes them over considerable ground and is entangled in other daring feats along the way: stopping an ambitious, deadly sorcerer, restoring a lost child to its mother and, above all, bringing Winter back to the forest.
I don’t like winter myself. I just can’t stand the cold. But this book shows you all the glories and wonder of the season and displays how necessary it is for the seasons to progress in their natural way. There is a sly poke at human interference—the sorcerer Malagan turns out to be the one behind Winter’s exclusion from the forest—but not all humans are terrible, as Sneezle comes to realize.
The illustrations feature the wonderful puppets and figurines that Ms. Froud is justly famous for and the full-length pages make the story come alive. Of course you stare and wonder, “How does she make water without getting things wet?” with other questions popping to mind. But mostly you just let yourself be swept away into the story. This book should entertain and please children and adults alike.
This story is filled with all the fun, delight and color of the first. The author and illustrator immerse us in this make-believe world and draw us in on another thrilling adventure. This time Sneezle is joined by Twig, a reluctant handmaiden to Titania, the Fairy Queen. Twig is just as eager for adventure as Sneezle—more so, actually. She gets them into trouble but delights in the thrill of it all.
Their quest to recover the Fairy King Oberon’s amethyst cup takes them over considerable ground and is entangled in other daring feats along the way: stopping an ambitious, deadly sorcerer, restoring a lost child to its mother and, above all, bringing Winter back to the forest.
I don’t like winter myself. I just can’t stand the cold. But this book shows you all the glories and wonder of the season and displays how necessary it is for the seasons to progress in their natural way. There is a sly poke at human interference—the sorcerer Malagan turns out to be the one behind Winter’s exclusion from the forest—but not all humans are terrible, as Sneezle comes to realize.
The illustrations feature the wonderful puppets and figurines that Ms. Froud is justly famous for and the full-length pages make the story come alive. Of course you stare and wonder, “How does she make water without getting things wet?” with other questions popping to mind. But mostly you just let yourself be swept away into the story. This book should entertain and please children and adults alike.
January 14, 2022
Pour terminer l’année, j’avais envie d’une lecture mignonne et douce. Je me suis donc tournée vers The Winter Child, un album dont le texte est de Terri Windling et les illustrations – des figurines sculptées mises en scène – de Wendy Froud.
Je suis une grande fan du travail de Wendy Froud – comme de son mari, Brian Froud, d’ailleurs ! J’avais déjà lu l’album A Midsummer Night’s Faery Tale du même duo d’autrice et illustratrice, et The Winter Child y fait suite. Mais il n’est pas besoin d’avoir lu cette précédente aventure, quelques références y sont glissées dans le texte pour résumer un peu, sans pour autant que le lecteur se sente perdu.
Nous suivons Sneezle, une petite fée appartenant à une espèce qu’en français on nommerait gnome (ou quelque chose d’approchant) et son amie Twig – qui, elle, est une fée avec des ailes. Lors de la grande fête destinée à marquer la plus longue nuit de l’année, la coupe du roi Oberon est dérobée et, plus grave, l’Hiver n’est toujours pas intervenu dans la forêt, où l’automne s’étire en longueur. Un automne qui s’attarde et qui sonne le début d’un certain désordre : les espèces qui devaient s’endormir restent éveillées, certaines développant d’ailleurs des penchants encore plus pernicieux que d’habitude. Et voilà Sneezle et Twig jetés sur les routes, en quête de la coupe perdue comme de l’esprit de l’Hiver.
Servie par les magnifiques scènettes de Wendy Froud, l’histoire déroule les aventures parfois inquiétantes (mais avec mesure : c’est un récit tout public !), parfois rocambolesques, parfois mystiques, mais toujours magiques, de Sneezle et Twig. Les êtres féeriques y ont la part belle, de même que la personnification des saisons. S’y glisse aussi un beau message sur l’importance des cycles saisonniers et un aperçu des désastres que pourrait donner lieu un dérèglement de ceux-ci.
Un album tous les amateurs de Faerie comme pour ceux qui recherchent un récit enchanteur, hivernal, et fort bien illustré ! Il n’est hélas pas traduit en français.
Cette lecture s’inscrit dans le cadre du Cold Winter Challenge, menu Cocooning hivernal, catégorie Vitrines de Noël.
Je suis une grande fan du travail de Wendy Froud – comme de son mari, Brian Froud, d’ailleurs ! J’avais déjà lu l’album A Midsummer Night’s Faery Tale du même duo d’autrice et illustratrice, et The Winter Child y fait suite. Mais il n’est pas besoin d’avoir lu cette précédente aventure, quelques références y sont glissées dans le texte pour résumer un peu, sans pour autant que le lecteur se sente perdu.
Nous suivons Sneezle, une petite fée appartenant à une espèce qu’en français on nommerait gnome (ou quelque chose d’approchant) et son amie Twig – qui, elle, est une fée avec des ailes. Lors de la grande fête destinée à marquer la plus longue nuit de l’année, la coupe du roi Oberon est dérobée et, plus grave, l’Hiver n’est toujours pas intervenu dans la forêt, où l’automne s’étire en longueur. Un automne qui s’attarde et qui sonne le début d’un certain désordre : les espèces qui devaient s’endormir restent éveillées, certaines développant d’ailleurs des penchants encore plus pernicieux que d’habitude. Et voilà Sneezle et Twig jetés sur les routes, en quête de la coupe perdue comme de l’esprit de l’Hiver.
Servie par les magnifiques scènettes de Wendy Froud, l’histoire déroule les aventures parfois inquiétantes (mais avec mesure : c’est un récit tout public !), parfois rocambolesques, parfois mystiques, mais toujours magiques, de Sneezle et Twig. Les êtres féeriques y ont la part belle, de même que la personnification des saisons. S’y glisse aussi un beau message sur l’importance des cycles saisonniers et un aperçu des désastres que pourrait donner lieu un dérèglement de ceux-ci.
Un album tous les amateurs de Faerie comme pour ceux qui recherchent un récit enchanteur, hivernal, et fort bien illustré ! Il n’est hélas pas traduit en français.
Cette lecture s’inscrit dans le cadre du Cold Winter Challenge, menu Cocooning hivernal, catégorie Vitrines de Noël.
February 21, 2024
Did this as a home Ed. Read aloud with my 2 boys; 7 and 10 (turned 11 over the corse of us reading it) we finished it this evening and everyone is happy but also devastated that it's over, and we can't seem to find the next one without paying tons of postage from the USA. I was just as excited to read it to them as they were to listen to it, I literally would have read it to myself had they not been interested. Admittedly, I wanted to read this book as I have been a massive Froud fan since the dark crystal, so it was mainly about the photos.
My excuse for buying was to read it for the winter solstice celebration we do with other home ed children every year. However, all the great things I have heard about Terri Windling as a writer are true! The story was on par with the images, such beautiful description, I stopped and drew out sneezles cousin's house for the children, at one point, from the descriptive passage, as it was in depth enough to do so in detail. And we are going to produce some paintings from our favourite descriptions also, mine was the disappearing garden.
I have also never heard my children laugh so much at a book, this could have been because I put tons of effort into the reading, doing various voices for characters, etc. But it was mainly the story itself and its many little surprises, my youngest literally rolled off the sofa laughing when one of the magic spells went wrong! I did wonder if my eldest boy would think he was far too old to enjoy this, but he said tonight that the language was far from babyish, or ("it wasn't written like it was for little kids, some of the words I didn't even know") and he enjoyed the plot twists and unpredictableness of the story. Sad it's over 😢.
My excuse for buying was to read it for the winter solstice celebration we do with other home ed children every year. However, all the great things I have heard about Terri Windling as a writer are true! The story was on par with the images, such beautiful description, I stopped and drew out sneezles cousin's house for the children, at one point, from the descriptive passage, as it was in depth enough to do so in detail. And we are going to produce some paintings from our favourite descriptions also, mine was the disappearing garden.
I have also never heard my children laugh so much at a book, this could have been because I put tons of effort into the reading, doing various voices for characters, etc. But it was mainly the story itself and its many little surprises, my youngest literally rolled off the sofa laughing when one of the magic spells went wrong! I did wonder if my eldest boy would think he was far too old to enjoy this, but he said tonight that the language was far from babyish, or ("it wasn't written like it was for little kids, some of the words I didn't even know") and he enjoyed the plot twists and unpredictableness of the story. Sad it's over 😢.
March 10, 2019
A wonderful continuation of Sneezle's adventures in Old Oak Wood... and beyond! This story looks at how the actions of one person can make such a difference to the world around them. That when we meddle with Nature, the consequences can be dire. Wendy Froud's artistry is breathtaking, so much so that I wish there were more pictures included in this book. Definitely a lovely way to spend an afternoon!
January 3, 2011
This is a pleasant little faery tale following the adventures of Sneezle, a tree root faery, and his friends as they journey to find out why Winter hasn't arrived in the Old Oak Wood. The fantasy art work of the scenes and characters that accompanies the story is intricate, detailed, and convincing. I was even persuaded to look and see if I could find any of the cute figurines(especially Sneezle)online. For readers of all ages who enjoy faery tales.
March 21, 2009
Nat loved this book!
February 21, 2012
The Winter Child by Wendy Froud (2001)
October 14, 2012
absolutely beautiful
August 27, 2019
I read this to my daughter on winter solstice, a magical experience to share each year.
May 22, 2007
I love the dolls that illustrate the story.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews