The Complete Book of the Flower Fairies

Flower Fairies

by Cicely Mary Barker

Twenty years after her death, Cicely Mary Barker's originality and skill as an artist continues to charm and delight readers in this complete compilation of all her world-famous fairy illustrations and poems."

Genres: Poetry, Childrens, Fantasy, Art, Picture Books, Classics, Nature

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1923

About the author

Cicely Mary Barker was the illustrator who created the famous Flower Fairies; those ethereal smiling children with butterfly wings. As a child she was influenced by the works of the illustrator Kate Greenaway, whom she assiduously copied in her formative years. Her principal influence, however, was the artwork of the Pre-Raphaelites.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection contains the fairy books:

Flower Fairies of the Spring
Flower Fairies of the Summer
Flower Fairies of the Autumn
Flower Fairies of the Winter
Flower Fairies of the Garden
Flower Fairies of the Trees
Flower Fairies of the Wayside
A Flower Fairy Alphabet

It’s a lovely bound book and this is what I would like to own instead of individually.

[Jess the Shelf-Declared Bibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most stunning, exquisite books I’ve ever seen in my life. This is a treasure.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new edition of a previously published book. My daughter has the earlier version and I purchased the newer version for my niece, as they both adore it. Both are hardback, with good quality paper and includes the original books: Flower Fairies of the Spring, Flower Fairies of the Summer, Flower Fairies of the Autumn, Flower Fairies of the Winter, Flower Fairies of the Garden, Flower Fairies of the Trees, Flower Fairies of the Wayside and A Flower Fairy Alphabet.

None of my children have ever liked the paper covers on hardback and always remove them, so I was pleased to see that this has a nice cover underneath (some hardbacks just have plain cloth covers, but this looks good with or without the slip cover). There is a useful index, an introduction about Cicely Mary Barker – which is fairly short but long enough that most children will probably read it - and (of course) the poems and the pictures are just gorgeous. My daughter and niece not only love the poems and illustrations – but they enjoy copying the drawings.

I think this collection is just wonderful and one of the books my daughter pores over the most. Not only does it work as a collection of poems, but it also helps teaches children about flowers and plants and enriches nature for them. I think it is a must for every child’s bookshelf – beautiful and just as enchanting as when the first book appeared in 1923.

[Lia Strange · Rating 5 out of 5]

yo AMO las hadas, como buena chica de la patagonia (re mentirosa, solo vivi dos años ahi) las hadas son cosa serie y este libro? ES PRECIOSO




aca hay un link para leerlo: (por que no se consigue)
https://archive.org/details/completeb...

[MarinaLawliett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Qué cosa más bonita de libro!
Me ha encantado conocer a la autora 🥺 vivo enamorada de cada uno de los poemas y dibujos!
Ahora solo quiero postalitas o recopilación de sus dibujos

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a Flower Fairies calendar when I was young and saved all of the art from it, because I loved it so much. I was ecstatic when I found this book, which is a compilation of many smaller books that Cicely Barker created. Barker was a Victorian age artist and poet.

The book is separated into categories (of the original books)--Spring Flowers, Summer Flowers, etc. Each page features a particular flower with it's fairy, and a poem about the flower. Barker does a beautiful job with the details--they were considered equal to "botanist" standards at the time (since things were drawn more than photographed in her time). The fairies are beautiful Victorian children, scaled to size, with a set of wings and clothes made from parts of the plant. The poetry, while not the best I've ever read, is sweet and often clever.

If you have a little girl or ever loved fairies yourself, this is a great book to have. The artwork is not like some of the freakish fantasy fanatic stuff that you usually think of. And actually, even my boys (ages 2-8) don't mind me reading this to them. The lyrical text always grabs their attention, and they love finding plants that they recognize.

[Hannah Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous book. A lovely addition to any child's library.

[Sharah McConville · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourites when I was young.

[Ashley Dow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading “The Complete Book of The Flower Fairies” by Cecily Mary Barker in midsummer. 🧚🏻‍♀️🩷✨

The childlike feelings that I had definitely came in as I turned each page. I was mesmerized by the illustrations, the detail on every single page, and the beautiful words that describe the flower fairies. Barker's poetry and artwork seamlessly transport readers into a whimsical world where fairies dwell among flowers, evoking a sense of wonder and nostalgia. This collection is a delightful escape and a perfect read for anyone looking to reconnect with the magic of nature and childhood. 💖

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've loved the Flower Fairies for as long as I can remember and always thought it was nice that she had both boy and girl fairies. I appreciate it even more now that I'm a mom to boys. I'm so happy my boys liked this enough to revisit it several times. CMB's fairies are full of exuberance and joy (and, sometimes, the gentle pause of contemplation) love of nature and the wonder of childhood. Some of them are even spunky and scrappy in the most lovable way. I just adore them. If I'm being honest, some of the poems are better than others, but I love the whole concept so much and the art is always five stars in my book. The Flower Fairies have become a bit commercialized and there are many derivative books out there now and many only use use pieces of her artwork ignoring the poetry or using only a few tidbits. This collection is most complete and authentic that I've found, though reading a review elsewhere it sounds like editions pre-1990s are best as even these "complete" books in recent years have left out a few of the fairies.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book so much, I read it all the time as a child and I still enjoy it now.

[Celine Uijthoven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a delightful read! Gorgeous drawings and poems which evoke serenity and happiness. I also enjoyed the fact that Cicely Mary Barker added some interesting tidbits about the flora which she depicted in her stores. Absolutely loved it! ❤️

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I read some of these when I was a kid. I got the whole collection on thrift books and read it today! Beautiful art, sweet little fairies, lovely poems.

[Naomi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wat een prachtig boek. De gedichtjes zijn vermakelijk, hoewel ze allemaal in dezelfde stijl zijn en daardoor niet erg afwisselend. Maar de tekeningen: oh, ik smelt! Ik vind de flower fairies zo mooi, en dit boek is alleen al een aanrader om doorheen te bladeren en gelukkig van te worden.

[Monique Snyman · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not every day that Killer Aphrodite reviews picture books or children's books, but The Complete Book of the Flower Fairies by Cicely Mary Barker is very special. This new edition, with a pretty new cover - published by Penguin Books South Africa - will make you nostalgic for your youth, and will remind you of all the beauty in the world without needing to step a foot outside. The beautiful artwork is accompanied by the original poetry by Barker, which not only tells you more about the fairy in question, but also shows that painting with poetry is an art form that's no longer as pure as it was.

It's a beautiful book that should be included in every little girl's library.
This particular edition includes:

* Flower Fairies of the Spring
* Flower Fairies of the Summer
* Flower Fairies of the Autumn
* Flower Fairies of the Winter
* Flower Fairies of the Garden
* Flower Fairies of the Trees
* Flower Fairies of the Wayside
* A Flower Fairy Alphabet

The Complete Book of the Flower Fairies is a charming book, which will have your little one entertained for hours with the beautiful art work and wonderful poetry. And it'll make a wonderful gift too, so keep that in mind. On the other hand, if you don't have any kids in your life, nobody will blame you if you get it for yourself. I mean, we all have guilty pleasures and this edition is so wonderful ... so, why not?

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and breathtaking!!!the whole Flower Fairies series is thoroughly amazing from start to finish. The artist`s skill brings all her paintings to life, there is not one fairy that is not beautiful,unique,fascinating and completely delicious. Perfect for anyone with imagination and love of things that well,are not real.Every little girl that I know has completely fallen in love with it and its characters.And if you know (or have) a little girl who likes this sort of thing than it is a absolute MUST!

[Sariah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is charming, so true to children. An important factor to it's charm is that CMB drew the picture and then wrote the poems, truly capturing the personality of it all. It was also very fun, because I took turns reading the poems with my neice, who sometimes put them to her own tunes. I want to own this book!

[Amalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this was an absolutely magical experience. I wonder whether fairies really did exist before Ms. Baker brought them to life through her imagination. She is an amazing artist, poet, botanist, and obviously a nature lover.

If someone is interested in seeing/purchasing these pictures of this collection (without the poems) should go to http://www.flowerfairyprints.com

[Arlette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these little poems of little fairies in their little flower garments. Though I'm not really interested in gardening, I do like knowing that Cicely Mary Barker drew all of the plants botanically correct. It adds to the magic, in my view.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the poetry and the brilliant illustrations. It is too bad that Barker did not have access to the internet, or she would have found flowers for "U" and "X": "ursinia" and "xylobium." However, still a great collection.

[Juli Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful, as always. A little fluffy for my own ideas about the Good Neighbors, but sill a lovely little diversion.

[Skye Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous in every way. Barker’s illustrations have long been inspiring to me as an artist, and her poetry is filled with wonder and childhood nostalgia. This is such a fun one to lay back with and just enjoy on a calm, cozy night.🌼🌸🌷

We read this for book club this month and I can’t wait to gush about it at our fairy festival!🧚🏻

[Saturday's Child · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just too delightful not to read.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous illustrations - Beautiful poems - Helped me identify loads of flowers!

Favourite poem: The Song of the Windflower Fairy

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable and very nostalgic drawings accompanied by sweet little poems 🌷

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet poems but the illustrations take the book above and beyond. This was a lovely read aloud.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful!

[Sasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magique😭

[Maia Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just need to remember what this was called and buy it for myself to have when I move back out. A true comfort classic for child-me and adult/me alike

[Meiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely book!
I've always admired Cicely Mary Barker's beautiful illustrations of fairies, now reading her poems alongside with the pictures was a wonderful experience!