Care and Feeding of Sprites

The Spiderwick Chronicles - Companion Books

by Tony DiTerlizzi, Holly Black

Got Sprites?Many would have you believe that sprites (or "fairies" as they're often called) are sweet and pretty and ultimately peaceful creatures. But don't let the carefree nature of these dazzling beguilers fool you. Because while they do make for awesome pets (or, if you prefer, companions), these are not creatures to be handled lightly. So forget everything you know - or think you know - about sprites, and listen to the experts from the International Sprite League as they, with the assistance of the creative team that brought you the bestselling Spiderwick Chronicles, provide a resource that will prove to be as essential for the novice sprite keeper as a strong cage and eyes in the back of his or her head.

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Middle Grade, Fiction, Fae, Art, Magic

48 pages, Hardcover

First published November 6, 2006

About the author

#1 New York Times bestselling author and illustrator, Tony DiTerlizzi, has been creating children’s books for twenty years. From fanciful picture books like The Broken Ornament and The Spider & The Fly (a Caldecott Honor book), to chapter books like Kenny and The Dragon and The Search for WondLa, DiTerlizzi imbues his stories with rich imagination. With Holly Black, he created the middle-grade series, The Spiderwick Chronicles, which has sold over 20 million copies, been adapted into a feature film, and translated in over thirty countries. He teamed up with Lucasfilm to retell the original Star Wars trilogy as a picture book and his collaboration with celebrated author Mo Willems created the bestseller The Story of Diva & Flea. The Norman Rockwell museum’s retrospective, “Never Abandon Imagination”, featured artwork from the beginning of DiTerlizzi’s career as a contributing artist for Dungeons & Dragons and broke attendance records. He has been featured in Time magazine, USA Today, CNN, PBS, NPR the BBC and The Today Show.

Reviews

[Nilsson]

Has a few inaccuracies, but in general is a very informative guide to taking care of sprites. I've used it as a reference on several occasions. Just wish there was a little more info on how to get them out of porch lights. That would be handy.

[Juli Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was disappointing, especially when compared with the wonderful Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You. Not only was the premise exceedingly contrived, there was something creepily imperialistic about the language used concerning the "collection" of humanoid sprites. This crossed a line for me that the other Spiderwick books stay away from.

[Miranda Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty fun caretaking series - the artwork was rather nice (though a lot of it was lifted from the Arthur Spiderwick's Field guide) but the accompanying text was rather interesting.

[Gita Savitri Putri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yesterday, I was reading one of my new book from BBW KL. It'a a side book of Spiderwick Chronicles from @BlackHolly
After reading that beautiful book. I feel like I want to reread all the books and rewatch the 2008 movie.

[Jay Semeniuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

dont know much about the spiderwick chronicles but this is so cute

[Kacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute and informative! Love the sprite designs!

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the last of the books between the Spriderwick Chronicles and the Beyond Spiderwick trilogy. It is a guide for Care and Showing of Sprites, endorsed by the International Sprite League. There is an illustration of each species and a symbol key for habitat, locomotion, disposition and additional traits.

The sections are:
The Magnificent Sprite
Anatomy of a Sprite
Selecting your Sprite
Obtaining your Sprite
What's Not a Sprite
Sexing your Sprite (not what you think)
Housing Your Sprite
Proper Nutrition for Your Growing Sprite
Sprite Accessories
Grooming Your Sprite
Illnesses of Sprites
The Many Moods of Your Sprites
Keeping Multiple Sprites
Reintroducing Your Sprite Into the Wild
Showing Your Sprite
International Sprite League Mission Statement

The original website for the International Sprite League website appears to be abandoned so the Games, downloads and videos referenced at the back of the book are no longer available. But there is a website with some similar content. For fans of the Spiderwick books this one will give some more insight and adventure if you're the young and young at heart.

Read the review and with links to other reviews of books by the authors on my blog Book Reviews and More.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m on a childhood binge right now. I loved the Spiderwick Chronicles as a kid and this guide sparked so much wonder. I remember being in the car, whizzing by bushes and trees, and wondering if there were orchid sprites in them. It’s odd that even then, I knew deep down that it was all imaginary. But this book has a way of justifying the imagination: with illustrations and short descriptions and general guidelines, it asks the reader to fill in the blanks about what their imaginary friend should be like and makes them feel that sprites are always flitting about in nature, just on the cusp of being discovered.
I’m so glad this book exists. Hopefully my kids one day will also like it.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The pictures were beautifully illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi and I found myself captived by each drawing. I loved the snipits of humor that were scattered throughout the book. Some pages even made me laugh out loud in their detailing of sprites and their behavior. Overall I thought that was a fascinating book that will give a young child with a wild imagination hours of enjoyment and fantastical thoughts.

*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2008...

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated, most of these sprites are insect-like, some with four appendages, some with six, most with wings. The names of these sprites include Bearded Hopper, Common Orchid Sprite, Flower-Head, Dancing Pondneedle, Little Blueberry Sprite, and more. The text includes information on a sprite's anatomy, how to select and obtain a sprite, and how to house and feed a sprite. This is a fun companion to the Spiderwick Chronicles series.

[Kattie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations in this book are very cute, and match the series exactly. This book is just a companion book, and won't really work as a bedtime story or anything, but it is cute and interesting to look at. It takes about 2 minutes to read, and about 20-30 minutes to pour over the artwork. The information it gives you on care of sprites is funny and believable. Overall I loved it, and if you have the rest of the series, I think you should get this as well.

[Linda Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little gem of a book is hard to define. It is set up as almost a scientific text on creatures that don't really exist. The guide is an attempt by the International Sprite League to educate the public and compile lasting breed standards. The ultimate goal seems to be that sprites could compete in their equivalent of the Westminster Dog Show. The artwork by Tony DiTerlizzi is exquisite. In addition to beautiful depictions of the various genres of sprites (also known as fairies), there are anatomical sketches of various body parts, like wings and antennae. Each sprite species has a Latin name, as well as a common name. The written description includes preferred habitat, primary locomotion, general disposition, and additional traits. This latter section includes items such as: thinks it can sing, picks locks, and steals infants. The Spiderwick Chronicles: Care and Feeding of Sprites is a guidebook instructing the reader on where to acquire a sprite and how to take care of it. It is similar to books that I bought when I had lovebirds and goldfish. By the time that you finish this short read, you will believe that sprites are real. But it certainly did not convince me that I would ever want such a tricksy pet in my house.

[Jamie Jonas · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is by far the weakest of the many DiTerlizzi/Black collaborations I've read. As with several other books I've racked up this year, it has the feel of having been rushed into print. Instead of having an organic, dynamic flow as most of his other illustrations do, the bulk of these DiTerlizzi send-ups seem static and uninspired, not to mention a little awkward. And the overarching idea, that of treating these creatures like pets, is more than a little disturbing. Is this a parody, a satire, maybe even a quasi-jokebook? Clearly if these little captives are constantly trying to escape, as is specified in the text, they are being held against their will. Following through on that idea, the next and inevitable question is whether, being part of the kingdom of Faerie and known for their vengeful ways, relatives and friends of the captives won't be on their way to wreak swift vengeance on the humans who dare to stoop to this mischief . . .

Yes, there are a few clever observations, as well as a handful of ingenious images, but all in all this little outing simply doesn't make the grade.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best part of this book is definitely the creative and beautiful DiTerlizzi artwork. This includes the slightly gimmicky slip cover, which not only folds out into a poster with glow-in-the-dark accents, but can also be folded to provide three different versions of cover art with different sprites (in the copy I have, purchased cheap from a library book sale, the slip cover is somewhat warped, perhaps a result of careless folding, or maybe an inevitable result of trying to fold such heavy, laminated paper as makes up the poster).

The accompanying text isn't bad, and is at times clever and humorous, but it is very light, and I just can't get into the mindset to really care about the little fictitious details they have devised. And there are some weird little problems and contradictions with it, but not really worth going in to. Overall a cute work, though not one I would have purchased at its original price.

[⋆☆☽ Jen ☾☆⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Avete presente quando vedete qualcosa che vi fa paura/vi mette ansia/vi disgusta e viene un prurito immenso su tutto il corpo?
Ecco, una delle cose che mi provocano una reazione del genere sono gli insetti.
Si dà il caso che gli spiritelli disegnati in questo libricino siano tutti troppo... Insettosi? 😂 Ho passato letteralmente tutto il tempo a grattarmi ovunque, che sensazione orribile! 😱
Ovviamente questo è un mio limite, quindi non ha influenzato la valutazione..

È un libricino di poche pagine, le illustrazioni sono bellissime (io speravo in fate più "fatose", ma mi è andata male 🤣), e leggendo le varie istruzioni su come allevare fatine e folletti mi è venuta una voglia pazzesca di averne una tutta per me ♥... Possibilmente una fatina fatta come dico io, queste me le ritroverei solo in un incubo 😪😂

[Aaron Warner's wife · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok. Me gustó mucho bajajajajsj. Me hizo reír y me dieron ganas de adoptar un Flower-Winged Sprite (se ve tan cute, aunque dice que roba niños y muerde😞) y un Thicket Sprite (sus zapatitos me mataron de amor😭) y, mi favorito, el Little Blueberry Sprite (el más adorable de todos😭😭😭😭😭, amé que se ponga la fruta que se va comiendo en la cabeza🥺).

Me entretuve, me gustó, me dio ternura y me reí bastante. Igual no me gusta que hablen de los Sprites como si fueran objetos que puedes tener porque son bonitos; es como con los animalitos, no son tus mascotas, son miembros de la familia, son seres vivos que necesitan amor y cuidados; los Sprites son Faes, los Faes sienten, piensan y de todo. En fin, indignada.

[Skye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. It was fun and easy. Cute and quaint. Something that was just a fun diversion for a few moments. The pictures in and of themselves were glorious. And that's not even taking into account the good writing.

My biggest complaint about this is that there isn't more specific information on each of the sprites. I love the world that Black and DiTerlizzi have created. And I would have loved to read more about the particulars of the different species that appear in the pages.

This was incredibly short. But also good fun. Mostly I wish this was longer. But I still loved all of the imagery throughout.

[Re • · Rating 4 out of 5]

okay so this book was such a delight, and I'm like really glad I read this, it's incredibly in-depth considering it's for kids. can I just say as I child I would've...well I am obsessed with all these prices because bugs, flowers, magic, CUTIES.
feels:
common orchid sprites are the fucking best
will-o-wisps are the cutest wowee
moth wings orchid sprites gods I want one

ALL OF THE ORCHID BASED SPRITES as expensive as they would be my bitch ass would spend stupid amounts of money to have one. ALSO TONY'S ARTWORK is my entire everything thank you for being BEAUTIFUL

[ashes ➷]

Exactly what it says on the tin! An adorable addition to the Spiderwick collection, featuring lovely big artwork for all the sprites and a variety of wonderful details about sprite caretaking. While not my favorite of the Spiderwick spinoffs (that honor goes to the Notebook for Fantastical Observations, which is criminally underrated), this is nonetheless worth trying for any completionist, and the accompanying poster (for the hardback edition) only sweetens the deal.

[Lotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a very fun book to read if you love the spiderwick chronicles series. It is more of a children's book, especially in writing and the amount of pages it has, but it is a fun read. I would rather have seen this as a chapter in the Arthur spiderwicks field guide, because the information that you get on the subject is very little. One page with information and one with pictures. Nevertheless the illustrations are very pretty and would recommend it to anyone who has kids that love the series.

[Mary Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was pretty unenthusiastic about some of the art in this book. I know they are fairies, but why do they have to look like half dressed seductive little slut bugs? And really? You had to call deciding the sprite's gender "sexing your sprite?" The first time I read it I misread it as "sexting your sprite". I can just imagine little preteens snickering over that. It was that page, along with the illustration that made me decide I wasn't going to bother bringing it home from the library for my 7 year old girl and her 5 year old brother. It says you can tell the gender of the sprite by the shape of their antennas, but then there is a sprite that looks like she has female anatomy. She is just hanging out like she's ready for her vaginal exam. Honestly, I don't think my kids would even give all of that a second thought. They are pretty innocent minded. I sure felt uncomfortable though.

[valdi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book to get drawing references of sprites, and I ended up enjoying a lot this beautifully crafted guide. I would have loved for it to be longer, but I'm still very pleased with both the textual content and the illustrations. I'm certain I'll read this book again to do research and drawings.

[Tom Grutchfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

do you want to learn about faeries and sprites, and keep them as your own pets? well, then. this is the book for you. this isn't about all those winged, cute people-like fairies(note the change in spelling)prancing around in your garden. this is about orchid faeries, sprites and many more. so there you have it. a perfect review for a perct book.

[Steven Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun spin-off from the main series; I've not read the main series though I love Holly Black's books. The book itself is a short, glossy work, with the wonderful idea of a poster being the slip cover for a hardback. Of a Brian Stroud-like nature, this will appear to those enchantable and those who like clever ideas.

[Larena · Rating 5 out of 5]

C8:AGES 8+: No sex, nudity nor profanity, though it may have language considered socially offensive employed within the context of the story, and violence that is infrequent, discreet and of low intensity.

E:Easy: 3rd grade Vocabulary

[Elizabeth Meadows · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute, but I couldn't help thinking that if fairies were real that we shouldn't be capturing them and keeping them as pets. They are more like little people! LOL! The book was beautifully drawn though.

[Rachel Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful romp through the Spiderwick chronicle's world of sprites. Highly recommended.

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute. Wish it went into a bit more detail in the way the Field Guide did. But a cute, quick read for the kids. And of course, filled with Tony’s breathtaking illustrations.

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential if you want to take good care of your sprite... And don't want to get hoodwinked by it... Very tricky characters...

[Katherine Loyacano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful guide on sprites and how to care for them.