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The Fairy Atlas: Fairy Folk of the World
Magical, mysterious and sometimes mischievous, the fairy folk of the world are notoriously elusive, but this charming compendium will reveal their secrets. From Cornish pixies and Spanish goblins to the forest gnomes of the Congo, welcome to the world of the fairy folk!
This captivating book features a mix of fairy 'facts' and short retellings of some of the most magical fairy tales.
This captivating book features a mix of fairy 'facts' and short retellings of some of the most magical fairy tales.
48 pages, Hardcover
Published August 18, 2022
7 people are currently reading
163 people want to read
About the author
Anna Claybourne
687 books47 followersFreelance children’s writer and editor, based in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Anna Claybourne writes children's information books on all kinds of topics: science experiments, ancient history, the human body, things to make, the environment, robots, evolution, art, fashion, Shakespeare and many more - as well as retellings of myths, legends and Shakespeare plays, and rhyming stories.
She studied English literature at university, but has always been interested in science, technology and art and design as well. She loves making and crafting, especially sewing, and her house is full of fabrics, craft materials, tools and books. Other interests and passions include camping, cats, outdoor swimming, news and politics, and music - she plays the trombone and has played in many different bands and orchestras, including performing live on a John Peel session in 2002 with Scottish band Ballboy.
Anna was born and grew up in Yorkshire, but has also lived in Canada as a student, Iceland as an au pair, and Costa Rica as a conservation volunteer, where she saw tarantulas, tapirs, monkeys, sloths, crocodiles and giant katydids. She now lives in Edinburgh with her two children and two cats, Skye and Socks.
Anna Claybourne writes children's information books on all kinds of topics: science experiments, ancient history, the human body, things to make, the environment, robots, evolution, art, fashion, Shakespeare and many more - as well as retellings of myths, legends and Shakespeare plays, and rhyming stories.
She studied English literature at university, but has always been interested in science, technology and art and design as well. She loves making and crafting, especially sewing, and her house is full of fabrics, craft materials, tools and books. Other interests and passions include camping, cats, outdoor swimming, news and politics, and music - she plays the trombone and has played in many different bands and orchestras, including performing live on a John Peel session in 2002 with Scottish band Ballboy.
Anna was born and grew up in Yorkshire, but has also lived in Canada as a student, Iceland as an au pair, and Costa Rica as a conservation volunteer, where she saw tarantulas, tapirs, monkeys, sloths, crocodiles and giant katydids. She now lives in Edinburgh with her two children and two cats, Skye and Socks.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 31, 2024
Well and definitely, for children interested in fairies, Anna Claybourne's 2022 picture book The Fairy Atlas: Fairy Folk of the World should be delightfully fascinating, presenting a basic but extensive, readable and approachable both textual and visual introduction to as the book title states fairy folk on a global scale (with Miren Asiain Lora's accompanying both colour and monochromatic artwork for The Fairy Atlas: Fairy Folk of the World not only successfully mirroring and reflecting what Claybourne is writing but also sometimes beautifully expanding on this, providing visual details not textually being encountered in The Fairy Atlas: Fairy Folk of the World).
And indeed very nicely and appreciatively, Anna Claybourne's words as they show themselves in The Fairy Atlas: Fairy Folk of the World are more than sufficiently informative for her intended audience (for readers and listeners from about the age of five to around nine or ten), without too much verbal intensity and also without rendering Claybourne's voice and style when she is describing non beneficial and/or potentially evil fairies as gory or creepy, simply presenting in The Fairy Atlas: Fairy Folk of the World unembellished and straight-forward facts regarding all kinds of different fairies (both good and evil), fairy lore, possible signs of fairies and "proofs" of sightings from Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia, New Zealand, the Solomon Islands, the Cook Islands and Fiji (and with The Fairy Atlas: Fairy Folk of the World for my inner child totally and absolutely representing not only a five star verbal and visual experience but also leaving me rather wishing that I could have encountered a book like The Fairy Atlas: Fairy Folk of the World as a child, when I was an actual member the so-called picture book crowd and also kind of believed that our garden had fairies dancing and partying).
But yes and finally, my older adult reading self does find it a trifle frustrating that there are no supplemental lists of fairies and their countries/areas of origin provided by Anna Claybourne in The Fairy Atlas: Fairy Folk of the World (as there do exist in the world many more fairies than just the ones that are being textually described by Claybourne and illustrated by Asiain Lora), and well, that both no such lists and even more so the non existence of suggestions for further reading and no bibliographic sources are for me personally speaking both annoying and also rather academically lacking, so that therefore, my average and final rating for The Fairy Atlas: Fairy Folk of the World will be not five but rather four stars (albeit still warmly as well as joyfully recommended).
And indeed very nicely and appreciatively, Anna Claybourne's words as they show themselves in The Fairy Atlas: Fairy Folk of the World are more than sufficiently informative for her intended audience (for readers and listeners from about the age of five to around nine or ten), without too much verbal intensity and also without rendering Claybourne's voice and style when she is describing non beneficial and/or potentially evil fairies as gory or creepy, simply presenting in The Fairy Atlas: Fairy Folk of the World unembellished and straight-forward facts regarding all kinds of different fairies (both good and evil), fairy lore, possible signs of fairies and "proofs" of sightings from Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia, New Zealand, the Solomon Islands, the Cook Islands and Fiji (and with The Fairy Atlas: Fairy Folk of the World for my inner child totally and absolutely representing not only a five star verbal and visual experience but also leaving me rather wishing that I could have encountered a book like The Fairy Atlas: Fairy Folk of the World as a child, when I was an actual member the so-called picture book crowd and also kind of believed that our garden had fairies dancing and partying).
But yes and finally, my older adult reading self does find it a trifle frustrating that there are no supplemental lists of fairies and their countries/areas of origin provided by Anna Claybourne in The Fairy Atlas: Fairy Folk of the World (as there do exist in the world many more fairies than just the ones that are being textually described by Claybourne and illustrated by Asiain Lora), and well, that both no such lists and even more so the non existence of suggestions for further reading and no bibliographic sources are for me personally speaking both annoying and also rather academically lacking, so that therefore, my average and final rating for The Fairy Atlas: Fairy Folk of the World will be not five but rather four stars (albeit still warmly as well as joyfully recommended).
October 18, 2022
The Fairy Atlas: Fairy Folk of the World is an illustrated children’s book for those with an early interest in fairies, elves, pixies and other magical beings from all over the world.
The book covers the six continents of the world and briefly talks about different folklores and a range of magical creatures. Between these sections are pages giving more details about fairies, such as how you might see one, where to find them and how to treat them kindly.
It is a lovely book with beautiful colour pictures which would be ideal to read with a younger child or to give as a gift for any child with an interest in fairies.
The book covers the six continents of the world and briefly talks about different folklores and a range of magical creatures. Between these sections are pages giving more details about fairies, such as how you might see one, where to find them and how to treat them kindly.
It is a lovely book with beautiful colour pictures which would be ideal to read with a younger child or to give as a gift for any child with an interest in fairies.
March 24, 2025
This is a book I would have absolutely treasured as a child. The breadth of fairies covered was great and included so many that I had never heard of. The illustrations were so beautiful that I literally looked to see if the illustrator sold prints of any of them so I could display them in my home (seems like no, alas). I looked up a bunch of the folk to find out more because the descriptions were intriguing. Very seriously considering buying my own copy.
January 13, 2024
Très chouette album documentaire sur le merveilleux monde des fées. Présenté par continent, cet atlas fait l’inventaire des nombreuses créatures féeriques qu’on retrouve à travers le monde. Certains portraits sont aussi accompagnés de petites histoires. Et les six continents sont entrecoupés de pages informatives plus générales, c’est hyper bien fait! Vraiment un documentaire riche mais simple à découvrir!
March 30, 2023
A brief introduction to some of the magical creatures all over the world.
October 6, 2022
Fairy Atlas, written by Anna Claybourne and illustrated by Miren Asiain Lora is a comprehensive overview of fairy folk and their relatives. As mentioned in the title, this book is an atlas that presents commentary from many countries in each of the continents of the world, about fairy myths and legends. After an initial introduction defining the fairy world and fairies, the reader is first taken to Europe and introduced to various fairy creatures (Puck, Brownie, Lutin, Galtzagorri, and more) from England to Hungary.
Through lively vignettes accompanied by a colorful illustration, the author and illustrator provide the reader with brief highlights of the fairy creatures in each country. For example, in Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, the author writes “The Nisse (known as a Tomte in Sweden) is a gnomelike creature who resembles a tiny old man. Despite his small size, a Nisse is incredibly strong and skilled in toolmaking, craftwork, and magic. He is rarely seen because he can make himself invisible.” She then proceeds with a few more sentences educating the reader about where a Nisse lives, what he eats, and how you shouldn’t annoy them by treating animals badly. There is also an accompanying illustration depicting a Nisse kindly feeding hay to a horse.
Overall, the book is like a travelogue, proceeding to enlighten the reader about the numerous fairy creatures in Africa, Asia, Oceania, and North and South America. Scattered among this fairy travelogue are pages where the author and illustrator also provide the reader with more background into the fairy world such as a guide to individual fairy folk such as the fairy, elf, imp, brownie, and pixie. These background pages also present information on fairy traditions, fairy powers, how fairies live among us, fairy signs around us, and fairy sightings. The book concludes with a “fairy guide” that tells the reader what they should do if they find themselves in fairy territory (which seems like everywhere after you read this book…) to “keep the fairies happy and stay safe from fairy magic.”
Opinion:
When you think of fairies, if you immediately think of Tinkerbell in Peter Pan, Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother or even your own Tooth Fairy, then this book is definitely for you. It turns out that “fairy folks” come in all shapes and sizes, with all sorts of personalities, and live pretty much everywhere, all over the world. The book beautifully presents the ubiquitous nature of fairy folk and the text throughout the book is reinforced by clever, imaginative, and colorful illustrations.
I found the atlas engaging on several levels, in addition to providing readers with a unique overview of our world and its vastness. By moving from country to country and continent to continent, the reader travels around the world exploring the fairy world. This travelogue does not just tell us about the fairy folk in each country but it gives us a sense of the vastness and the differences among the world cultures. I found this worldly view to be a very educational aspect of the atlas. Also, through fairies and the fairy tales and myths of each country, one gets a sense of our world’s diversity and complexity in a unique and refreshing way. The wonderful vignettes which describe the fairy in each country, when read one after the other, will also help young readers appreciate the different ways world cultures see not just fairies but the world around them.
Readers will find that all people of the world share common fairy folk tales and myths, although differently named or described. Fairies, whether a Puck in England or a Culupira in Brazil, reflect a common belief in the magical world around us. Hopefully these different perspectives will help these readers to learn to respect cultural differences too. I found that the book, through the myths and tales of fairies, also promotes a theme of kindness. Be kind to one another, be kind to animals, and be kind to nature.
I recommend this book for parents of children ages 8 – 12 and for young adults interested in myths and the magical world around us, and even adults who still believe in magical creatures like fairies and how they can explain the unexplainable in life. Oh, by the way…maybe this book is for you too? After all, when is the last time you looked under your bed or in your garden for a fairy?
Through lively vignettes accompanied by a colorful illustration, the author and illustrator provide the reader with brief highlights of the fairy creatures in each country. For example, in Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, the author writes “The Nisse (known as a Tomte in Sweden) is a gnomelike creature who resembles a tiny old man. Despite his small size, a Nisse is incredibly strong and skilled in toolmaking, craftwork, and magic. He is rarely seen because he can make himself invisible.” She then proceeds with a few more sentences educating the reader about where a Nisse lives, what he eats, and how you shouldn’t annoy them by treating animals badly. There is also an accompanying illustration depicting a Nisse kindly feeding hay to a horse.
Overall, the book is like a travelogue, proceeding to enlighten the reader about the numerous fairy creatures in Africa, Asia, Oceania, and North and South America. Scattered among this fairy travelogue are pages where the author and illustrator also provide the reader with more background into the fairy world such as a guide to individual fairy folk such as the fairy, elf, imp, brownie, and pixie. These background pages also present information on fairy traditions, fairy powers, how fairies live among us, fairy signs around us, and fairy sightings. The book concludes with a “fairy guide” that tells the reader what they should do if they find themselves in fairy territory (which seems like everywhere after you read this book…) to “keep the fairies happy and stay safe from fairy magic.”
Opinion:
When you think of fairies, if you immediately think of Tinkerbell in Peter Pan, Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother or even your own Tooth Fairy, then this book is definitely for you. It turns out that “fairy folks” come in all shapes and sizes, with all sorts of personalities, and live pretty much everywhere, all over the world. The book beautifully presents the ubiquitous nature of fairy folk and the text throughout the book is reinforced by clever, imaginative, and colorful illustrations.
I found the atlas engaging on several levels, in addition to providing readers with a unique overview of our world and its vastness. By moving from country to country and continent to continent, the reader travels around the world exploring the fairy world. This travelogue does not just tell us about the fairy folk in each country but it gives us a sense of the vastness and the differences among the world cultures. I found this worldly view to be a very educational aspect of the atlas. Also, through fairies and the fairy tales and myths of each country, one gets a sense of our world’s diversity and complexity in a unique and refreshing way. The wonderful vignettes which describe the fairy in each country, when read one after the other, will also help young readers appreciate the different ways world cultures see not just fairies but the world around them.
Readers will find that all people of the world share common fairy folk tales and myths, although differently named or described. Fairies, whether a Puck in England or a Culupira in Brazil, reflect a common belief in the magical world around us. Hopefully these different perspectives will help these readers to learn to respect cultural differences too. I found that the book, through the myths and tales of fairies, also promotes a theme of kindness. Be kind to one another, be kind to animals, and be kind to nature.
I recommend this book for parents of children ages 8 – 12 and for young adults interested in myths and the magical world around us, and even adults who still believe in magical creatures like fairies and how they can explain the unexplainable in life. Oh, by the way…maybe this book is for you too? After all, when is the last time you looked under your bed or in your garden for a fairy?
October 4, 2022
This is such a gorgeous volume for anyone of any age who has an interest in fairy folk the world over. I highly recommend getting it in hardback, as the paper quality is absolutely wonderful: luxuriously thick and offering a wonderful canvas for the art and information on offer inside.
And what art and information! Anna Claybourne takes a thoughtfully continental tack to her examination of fairy traditions the world over, beginning in Europe and circumnavigating the world to end in South America. Each section starts with a two-page spread of an illustrated map, followed by explanations of each type of fairy highlighted in said map, before addressing a common theme of fairies worldwide. It brings to light different and often little-known mythological creatures, attributing them to their originating cultures in a way that's succinct yet flavorful. Honestly, I could read pages and pages more of this kind of stuff, especially in the way that this book merges academic anthropology with the kind of classic folk tales you often hear growing up. Whether discussing the regal Ao Si of Ireland or the thumbless Duende that range as far afield as Patagonia, Ms Claybourne writes with both knowledge and wit.
The art, for the most part, keeps up beautifully with the text, tho there were certain choices made that had me grimacing. As a Malaysian, I'm far too used to grinning and bearing it when popular maps are more vague than precise when it comes to depicting my part of the world, tho in fairness, this book does not claim geographical accuracy. I also wasn't the biggest fan of having important information land so close to the interior gutter, forcing me to flatten the book further than I wanted to -- ironically, a layout issue that I have to constantly worry about in my other career as an independent game designer.
Otherwise, the book is gorgeous, with lovely, whimsical art and a sumptuously foil-highlighted cover. It's a terrific addition to the library of anyone who cares about fairy and folk tales (and honestly is a great supplement, especially for character ideas, for my own fae-centric role-playing game, Equinox, if I do say so myself!)
The Fairy Atlas: Fairy Folk of the World by Anna Claybourne & Miren Asiain Lora was published today October 4 2022 by Laurence King Publishing and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
And what art and information! Anna Claybourne takes a thoughtfully continental tack to her examination of fairy traditions the world over, beginning in Europe and circumnavigating the world to end in South America. Each section starts with a two-page spread of an illustrated map, followed by explanations of each type of fairy highlighted in said map, before addressing a common theme of fairies worldwide. It brings to light different and often little-known mythological creatures, attributing them to their originating cultures in a way that's succinct yet flavorful. Honestly, I could read pages and pages more of this kind of stuff, especially in the way that this book merges academic anthropology with the kind of classic folk tales you often hear growing up. Whether discussing the regal Ao Si of Ireland or the thumbless Duende that range as far afield as Patagonia, Ms Claybourne writes with both knowledge and wit.
The art, for the most part, keeps up beautifully with the text, tho there were certain choices made that had me grimacing. As a Malaysian, I'm far too used to grinning and bearing it when popular maps are more vague than precise when it comes to depicting my part of the world, tho in fairness, this book does not claim geographical accuracy. I also wasn't the biggest fan of having important information land so close to the interior gutter, forcing me to flatten the book further than I wanted to -- ironically, a layout issue that I have to constantly worry about in my other career as an independent game designer.
Otherwise, the book is gorgeous, with lovely, whimsical art and a sumptuously foil-highlighted cover. It's a terrific addition to the library of anyone who cares about fairy and folk tales (and honestly is a great supplement, especially for character ideas, for my own fae-centric role-playing game, Equinox, if I do say so myself!)
The Fairy Atlas: Fairy Folk of the World by Anna Claybourne & Miren Asiain Lora was published today October 4 2022 by Laurence King Publishing and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
September 18, 2024
Ah, that cover! So gorgeous. I would have wanted to pick this book up and hug it tight when I was a little girl and it delighted my inner child to read it today. Beyond the typical "fairytale fairies" of European origin, we learn about fairies and similar creatures from around the world. We also learn some fairies may be friends, while others are definitely foes. So, a word of caution if you are sharing this with sensitive youngsters -- don't let the sweetly soothing cover fool you, some of the creatures are frightening and even my eight-year-old was wide-eyed at a few of them. I don't have time to write an adequate review, so refer you to the review from my friend Manybooks to whom I owe gratitude for introducing me to this charming and educational book.
January 22, 2024
I bought this book mainly for the illustrations, and it did not disappoint! The pictures are inviting and so very magical. I also love the concept of this book. I’m sure there is tons of folklore that wasn’t included, because it is such a short book that is intended primarily for children. I would love to see an expanded edition as well. Those creatures that were included are so interesting to read about, and it was fun to see faeries from other regions in the world that I might not have heard about otherwise.
March 26, 2024
This is a good introduction to fairy-type folk all over the world. The book is organized by continent and introduces several creatures in each section, with short paragraphs about each one. Each section also includes one fairy story. The types of fairies vary widely, from small, friendly, helpful, to large, unfriendly, mischievous or dangerous. The many illustrations throughout help the reader visualize the various fairy creatures.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews