Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Folklore Field Guides

Historia natural de las hadas

Rate this book
This enchantingly illustrated natural history of fairies, compiled in the 1920s by the botanist Professor Elsie Arbour for her niece, is now unveiled for readers of today.

Featuring a gold foil–embossed cloth cover, a ribbon marker, and sprayed gold edges, this gorgeous volume is filled with colorful sketches and precise notes detailing the secret life of fairies and their important role in the natural world.

Inside, you will discover the wide and wonderful array of different species of fairies around the globe and explore where and how they live. Delight in this hidden world as you learn all about:



The anatomy of a fairy (Land-based fairies have individual, separated toes, just as humans do. However, many species of water fairies have webbed feet.)

The life cycle of a fairy (When walking in the heather, be careful of the tiny flutterpillar of the Wicklow Fairy, decked out in greens and purples.)

Clever fairy camouflage (Reed fairies living in wetlands usually wear striped clothes to hide among the tall reeds.)

Fairies around the world (Meet the Lily Hopper of sub-Saharan Africa, the Queen Fairy of New Guinea, the Penguin Fairy of the Antarctic, and many more.)

Fairy habitats (Fairies make their homes in all types of places: woodlands, jungles, deserts, the Poles, and even human homes.)
Concluding with a reminder that we must protect the endangered habitats of fairies, and all other creatures too, this is a book to be treasured for a lifetime.

64 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2020

37 people are currently reading
1374 people want to read

About the author

Emily Hawkins

79 books62 followers
Once a children’s book editor, Emily Hawkins is now a full-time author. Her work has been featured on the New York Times bestseller list (Oceanology, 2009) as well as winning the Children’s Travel Book of the Year Award (Atlas of Animal Adventures, 2016). Along with her background in children’s non-fiction Emily has a strong interest in myth, folklore and storytelling. In 2020 she wrote A Natural History of Fairies, which has been translated into twelve languages, selling more than 100,000 copies worldwide. Emily holds a first-class English degree from Nottingham University, and lives in Winchester, UK.

You can find her on Instagram @emilyhawkinsbooks.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
258 (60%)
4 stars
117 (27%)
3 stars
45 (10%)
2 stars
6 (1%)
1 star
2 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
Profile Image for PattyMacDotComma.
1,776 reviews1,057 followers
January 8, 2021
5★
“A Note From the Publisher: The original edition of this book, a volume dating from the 1920s, was discovered in the archives of the British Museum of Natural History, in a folder labelled ‘Unverified’. Although the publisher has made efforts to track down Professor Elsie Arbour, no trace has been found of her. For this reason, the publisher cannot confirm the authenticity of the book’s contents, so presents it merely as an item of interest. Readers who are keen to find out whether fairies really exist are advised to carry out their own investigations.”


Oh my, this is a delightful little book for lovers of fairies, magic, art, and – dare I say? – history! The colour scheme is old-fashioned in tones of sepia and what I’d call woodland pastels. Just lovely.

Aunt Elsie is off to the Amazon rainforest to track down a “little known hummingbird fairy” and is leaving her book with Annabelle for safekeeping.

Aunt Elsie in her garden in 1923

“Over the last thirty years, I have climbed treacherous mountains, waded through mosquito-infested swamps, and braved scorching deserts, all with the goal of finding and studying fairies in their natural habitats. I have lost count of the hours I’ve spent perching next to streams in the pouring rain to observe river sprites or crawling around in damp woodland to get close to forest fairies. This book is the result of all my hard work. It is a complete collection of my research into these little-known creatures.”

There is a discussion about fairies being difficult to classify because they don’t exist. Aha! Aunt Elsie offers us The Platypus. In the 1790s, nobody believed that this wonderful little Australian creature existed either, but it does. So there.

The chart below shows how the Meadow Fairy may be classified with various other animals. If you look carefully, you'll see her in each section. She's the one with the light golden wings.

Suggested classification chart of the Meadow Fairy

There are so many stages of development where one might discover a fairy.

Life cycle of a fairy

And here are a couple of early stages.

Flutterpillar identification and Cocoon identification

There are so many different kinds of fairies, but I’ve chosen this one to show you an example. This is a small section of the Mountain Fairies page.

Mountain Fairies

There are fairies around the world, in all the different habitats, and Aunt Elsie has included lots of pictures and descriptions of them all. Mountains, deserts, houses. This is just a small example.

A couple of freshwater fairies, a River Sprite and a Jogah Sprite

Of course, you need to know Fairy Language and the Fairy Alphabet!

The Fairy Alphabet

I’m sure this as scientifically accurate a study as you’re likely to find anywhere. It is chock-a-block full of information, all of it beautifully illustrated with detailed descriptions. I must go down to the bottom of our rainforest garden and see who I can find!

Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Books, Frances Lincoln Children’s Books for the stunning preview copy from which I’ve shared a few pictures.
Profile Image for Story.
899 reviews
October 5, 2020
What a fun and gorgeous book about the natural history of fairies all over the world. I loved the illustrations and the writing and can't wait to get my hands on the paper version of this book as well as to bring it to the attention of all the young readers I know.
Profile Image for BookofElves.
58 reviews15 followers
January 8, 2022
What a wonderful, magical and special book!🥰🧚‍♀️🧚‍♂️💫 I am so grateful to both Emily Hawkins and Jessica Roux for creating such a wonderful book! Honestly, every sentence, every page was filled with complete magic! I cannot fault it one bit!❤

This book is about all the different types of fairies, what they all do, what they look like, their habitats, their anatomy, their language and speech, their circle of life and I could go on and on! This book is super detailed and imaginative!!💫

I appreciate the amount of effort and detail this book entails! For example, we are introduced to the Polar Fairies and the different types of Polar Fairies that exist, such as Polar Wanderer (one of my favourites), and the Frost Fairy. So much detail has been put in from the detail of their clothes, to the detail of their habitats, and from their features to their behaviors, everything has been written and illustrated wonderfully!💫 Every country, Continent, area have their own fairies, and this book really goes into detail, not only with words, but with beautiful illustrations of the fairies, their homes, their companions etc.

This book is so descriptive and detailed, we even learn about the bones of fairies! We even learn how they're life cycle works; From fairy Egg to Flutterpillar, to Moppet and to Cocoon🧚‍♀️

We're given in depth knowledge of every fairy, alongside stunning pieces of art. I'm truly in love with this book, and I'm in a hurry to re-read this😫😂🧚‍♂️🧚‍♂️

The illustrations are magical, and every fairy is unique!🧚‍♂️🧚‍♀️ I've actually learned a good few things too, since this book has factual information of habitats, other animals and plants🌿

This book would make anyone believe that fairies exist😉🧚‍♂️🧚‍♀️ As a big fairy and fantasy lover, I 100% recommend this book! Simply amazing, and one must own it!💫

PS. One of my favourite fairies from this book is the Firefly Sprite that lives in the bamboo forests of China💫 They're so beautiful and I love everything about them!🧚‍♀️🧚‍♂️
Profile Image for Rodney.
171 reviews
January 28, 2021
One of the most beautiful children's books I've ever seen. My daughter just sits and stares at it for hours. Absolutely delightful.
Profile Image for jessica.
150 reviews22 followers
Read
November 3, 2023
when i have a child one day i will make them a goodreads account and track every single book they read in their childhood 🧚‍♀️🧚🧚‍♂️
Profile Image for Mojan.
67 reviews
December 24, 2023
This is one of my go-to books whenever I'm feeling down, or when I want to treat myself with something magical.
Profile Image for Jatar.
158 reviews7 followers
June 22, 2024
jedna z najpiękniej wydanych książek, jakie czytałam 🥹 ale nie zainteresowała mnie treścią tak bardzo, jak chciałam 3 ⭐️
Profile Image for Marina.
99 reviews1 follower
September 30, 2021
Un libro que me hubiera encantado leer de chiquita. Te deja el cora calentito💚
Profile Image for Beverly.
5,955 reviews4 followers
March 5, 2024
A very interesting book presented as a naturalist's notebook on the various species of fairies, including their habitats, appearance, and behaviors. Lots and lots of illustrations of fairy species throughout, including their animal friends and animal foes. Although marketed as a children's book, it will be of interest to all ages of readers who love fairies.
Profile Image for Ada.
2,146 reviews36 followers
Want to read
December 2, 2020
***who sucked me in***
Beautiful Books on YouTube in their
40+ Most Beautiful Books of 2020 | A Holiday Gift Guide video published on wo 2 Dec. 2020

But the books can also be found on their website: https://beautifulbooks.info/2020/12/m...

***Reason why I want to read it***
I have loved fairies since a child. My mom would point out trees that grew a certain way that it looked like it had a door. And sometimes some of the trees had furniture outside the 'door' (seriously thank you people who do this!). Also if mushrooms grew in a certain pattern she would tell us that leprechauns would dine there. My mom is very level-headed so I would kinda believe her when she told this.
Which is weird because I heard those kind of stories only after I was 8.

It was from that age I also began reading the old 'classic' fairy tales. Those from German, Scotland and Ireland. As a kid who grew up with comics and cartoons about superheroes, the fairy tales gave me the same feeling. Both terrifying. Both had some moral components to them. Both let me escape.

But the fairy tales never had people who looked like me or my mum (no not my mom). They had tigers, lions, dragons but every time someone looked like my mum the were called or portrayed as 'savage'. Which fine, historical perspective and all, still I'm glad that my mom also got fairy tales books which included tales from different countries, religions and cultures.

So when I saw the first few pages of A Natural History of Fairies it drew me in because it looked gorgeous but I also scoffed. Of course it had tigers and lions but only light-skinned fairies... UNTIL SHE FLIPPED THE PAGES!

First a saw a somewhat darker-skinned fairy and yes my first thought was: "Oh that's actually nice to include someone who actually looks somewhat like a person from India. Still a token effort though." OEH BOY I WAS WRONG.

A fairy with a big ass 'fro. I'm not ashamed to admit that I teared up. Even writing this I'm tearing up. Child-me wouldn't get this, but Adult-Me couldn't be any more delighted.

What most people don't seem to get when they are asking why representation matters is this: if you include animals from all over the world but still pair them up with light-skinned people you willfully ignore the people who actually live next to these animals. You imply something and to me that is:

"This world isn't meant for you. Your story isn't worth telling and you will never be included in mine. We still like the animals though."

Bit dramatic but even so, it does feel like that at times.

So I want to own this book. I want to flip through this at multiple times in my life. I want to remember my love for fairies and indulge (wentelen) in the feeling that Child-Me wouldn't have to look for other stories that included her.
Profile Image for Catarina.
244 reviews2 followers
August 14, 2023
---- ENG ----
I am absolutely in love with this book 🥰

Firstly, I feel it necessary to mention all the inherent aesthetics. The material that the cover is made of, the golden details, the green so well chosen and the very special engravings that illustrate everything that is being narrated make everything even better and was the main reason that led me to acquire this masterpiece.

Then there is the content... It's completely magical. For a moment, we are almost challenged to leave the house and wander through nature's spaces in search of these little beings. For me, who loves nature walks and being near the sea or waterways, this book was a beautiful surprise.

If nothing else, it is a beautiful way of asking everyone to respect the environment, to take care of it and protect it, if not for the fairies, for all the beings that inhabit these curious places, some of them very close to our homes.

---- PT ----
Estou absolutamente apaixonada por este livro 🥰

Em primeiro lugar, sinto que é necessário referir toda a estética inerente. O material de que é feita a capa, os detalhes dourados, o verde tão bem escolhido e as gravuras tão especiais que ilustram tudo o que está a ser narrado tornam tudo ainda melhor e foi o principal motivo que me levou a adquirir esta obra prima.

Depois, o conteúdo... É completamente mágico. Por momentos, quase somos desafiados a sair de casa e a vagar por espaços da natureza em busca destes pequenos seres. Para mim, que adoro caminhadas pela natureza e estar junto do mar ou de cursos de água, este livro foi uma bonita surpresa.

Quanto mais não seja é uma forma bonita de pedir a todas as pessoas que respeitem o meio ambiente, que cuidem dele e o protejam, senão pelas fadas, por todos os seres que habitam estes curiosos lugares, alguns deles bem pertinho de nossas casas.
Profile Image for Elevetha .
1,931 reviews197 followers
January 10, 2022
*A copy was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

If the illustrations had been just a bit better in regard to the fairies' faces, this would probably be 5 stars. As it was, they could look a little ugly and I don't think they were meant to be. I also got this from my local library and the physical copy is where it's at - it's a lovely book, gilt edges to the papers, and the colors and lay-out of the individual pages are quite pleasing.

Not that it means anything, but I was surprised that in Hawkin's version, fairies lay eggs. It was an interesting concept, especially the flutterpillar, cocoon, and moppet stages of life, but I don't know that I like it.

Similar in vein as Fairyopolis: A Flower Fairies Journal, though this is not meant as a child's journal but an actual informational history, listing fairies by location mostly and gives plenty of "facts" about individual fairy species and their habitats, distinctive features and habits. I am partial to CMB's portrayal of fairies insofar as art goes, but this had a lot more thought put into the writing aspect of it. I would have gone nuts over this as a young girl.
Profile Image for Rachel.
389 reviews6 followers
October 6, 2020
This is a beautifully designed book and would make an amazing present for a fairy-obsessed kid. Which I was— so, if I had a time machine and could go back to give myself a present, this would have been perfect.

Each page contains fairy, nature and animal information— from wing descriptions to habitat info to fairy languages and much more. Wondering what an x-ray of fairy bones would look like? It's in here. Curious about useful fairy-finding equipment? Listed.

So, overall: the art is really lovely, and the pages are filled with the images of a myriad of multicultural fairies. Really, really beautiful and creative.

Thank you so much to Quarto Books for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Sara Hill.
454 reviews11 followers
September 24, 2020
A Natural History of Fairies by Emily Hawkins was a cute read about fairies.

The illustrations were beautiful. I loved all the descriptions, types, varieties, etc. Some of the words were hard to read. I think that was due to the format of the eBook since it looked pixilated.

I enjoyed all the information and thought that went into this. I found it a little disorganized at the beginning though.

As an adult, I enjoy a lot of illustrated guides like this even when they are made for children. This one did not speak to me as much. I think it is geared much more towards a child. The illustrations and descriptions were my favouite parts.

I received an eARC from Quarto Publishing Group- Frances Lincoln Children’s Books through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.
Profile Image for Catherine Craig (Angelic Light).
1,136 reviews20 followers
October 29, 2020
This is a really beautiful and stunning book about fairies, which was written by an explorer for her niece. The book is wonderfully illustrated and has detailed writing about all different types of fairies, where they live, how they survive and how they interact with plants, animals and their environment.

I loved this book and I learned a lot from it. I highly recommend it and I will read it again with my daughter.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Rebecca Hill.
Author 1 book66 followers
September 23, 2020
This was a gorgeously designed book! I absolutely loved the illustrations, and diving into the different breakdowns of the fairies. If you have a daughter (total boy mom here) or nieces, this would be a fabulous present!
Profile Image for Becky.
283 reviews4 followers
September 20, 2022
Libro leggero con delle illustrazioni magnifiche. Una piccola coccola serale per passare il tempo in tranquillità. Consiglio di leggerlo in autunno con una bella tazza di the. L'atmosfera è così immenrsiva e magica da farti sognare ad occhi aperti.
Profile Image for Cassandra Devost.
112 reviews1 follower
August 7, 2025
this was cute and filled with beautiful art. this is something id like in my bookshelf simply for the aesthetic of it. even though we have no proof fairies are real, it's a good guide in identifying different plants
Profile Image for Bia Bentes.
149 reviews5 followers
June 11, 2021
The most beautiful book of the entire world! 💛🌿
I felt like a child again. Highly recommend.
Profile Image for ElodieWho.
260 reviews25 followers
January 4, 2022
Un livre magnifique et intéressant, mais j'aurais aimé lire un peu plus sur l'histoire des fées plutôt que sur leurs caractéristiques !
Profile Image for alien.
11 reviews
March 3, 2024
its a really beautiful book full of enchanting illustrations. its short and i wish it would leave more room for imaginary play after its lecture but overall, it was really pleasant to read.
Profile Image for Annie.
73 reviews1 follower
December 22, 2024
3.5
Obviamente es para niños, pero es tan hermoso que lo necesitaba en mi biblioteca
Profile Image for leo.
113 reviews43 followers
September 13, 2020
This book is written in a journal-like format, where we follow a certain character on a journey of discovering faeries.

As you can see from the synopsis, the book focuses on five major points: the anatomy of a fairy, the life cycle of a fairy, clever fairy camouflage, fairies around the world, and fairy habitats. I got to say, these points were discussed pretty well. The writing was easy to understand, and I think this book is perfect for children. Even if some of them can't read yet, I'm sure the pictures will really keep their imagination going.
Profile Image for Eule Luftschloss.
2,106 reviews54 followers
August 30, 2020
This book is about a fairy researchers field notes. She always tried to keep her passion a secret because she feared she'd be ridiculed otherwise, so you have to discover them for yourself.

I'd adored this as a child. It would have been one of my favourite things. Not necessarily because it's about fairies, but because I love mockumentary style things. I still have my dragonology books by Ernest Drake and could remember that name just now without even wanting to. It simply popped in my head.

This book is illustrated, and a great way to sneak some knowledge into your child, about different habitats, what a habitat is, how to identify different trees by the shape of their leafs.

It is fun, so share it!

I recieved a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
Profile Image for Brittany.
633 reviews10 followers
October 7, 2020
This is a gorgeous book with tons of illustrations and information about various different faeries. I could see this being on any child's bookshelf and them pouring over it for hours.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.