Flower Fairies of the Trees

Flower Fairies

by Cicely Mary Barker

For the first time in over 10 years all eight Original Flower Fairies Books[trademark] are being re-designed. Inspiration has been drawn from the original publishers' connections with The Glasgow School of Art to produce an exquisite new cover. With fresh new title pages and endpapers, reset text and printed on a fine quality paper, these new editions make a charming gift for all Flower Fairy enthusiasts. In a format that has enchanted readers for 90 years, each of Cicely Mary Barker's beautiful illustrations of the fairies of wild and familiar flowers is accompanied by a delightful poem. Flower Fairies of the Trees celebrates and introduces children to the flowers and fruits that grow on trees by making them magical. Favourites to be found in Flower Fairies of the Trees include: The Cherry Tree Fairy, The Almond Blossom Fairy and The Mulberry Tree Fairy. The seven other titles in the Flower Fairies series, Flower Fairies of the Spring, Flower Fairies of the Summer, Flower Fairies of the Autumn, Flower Fairies of the Winter, Flower Fairies of the Wayside, Flower Fairies of the Garden and A Flower Fairy Alphabet, are available as single editions or as part of The Complete Book of the Flower Fairies. Also available from Penguin is The Everyday Handbook for Magical Mothers as presented by the Flower Fairies - a handy, pocket-sized book of craft ideas and recipes for mothers who need a touch of magic in their lives.

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, Childrens, Fantasy, Fiction, Fairies, Art

52 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1940

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

[Carolyn Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfection, perfection, perfection!

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read the 4 seasons and I do love these, but nothing new can really be said. It is the same as the others. They are delightful and lovely.

I want to have a tea party and recite them there in a garden. Each person could read a poem. That'd be fun.

I’m grateful for these little poems of fairies.

The niece and I enjoy looking through these.

[Mila · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've seen Cicely Mary Barker's work everywhere but this is the first time I've noticed the tree fairies. It brings back memories of my parent's home with the Almond Blossom, Pear Blossom, Cherry Blossom and Cherry Tree (he's such an imp!). These pictures have a lot of movement - I really like the Willow who dips her "toes in the stream below." The Poplar looks so cute with silky white pompoms on her shoes but in my garden is the despised Cottonwood for that very feature.

[Jenny B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sehr sehr cute, aber sowohl die Gedichte als auch die Illustrationen haben mir bei den Fairies of The Wayside etwas besser gefallen.

[Lia Damask · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute poem book! I read a lot of fantasy so this was a nice break for my mind

[Jane Ashby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book thousands of times since I was a child! I love these poems. My favourite is the Willow Fairy, as willow trees are my favourite trees.
This book is timeless! I love it!

[Graham Sillars · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful nature based poetry with gorgeous accompanying artwork. Poetry based around the trees of Britain and their times of the year to blossom and bloom.

[Nori Fitchett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved these books as a child and reading them brings back happy memories.
I suggest anyone who loves these classic illustrations seek out the poems that accompany them.

[Jaimie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic collection of flower fairies from Cicely Mary Barker, even though many of the flowers weren't strictly related to flowers. Lots of the trees in this collection were obviously chosen because they were of the flowering variety (fruit trees in abundance), but I honestly found the non-flowering trees to be a nice change. The sweet chestnut fairy was a particular favourite because of his ridiculous spiky hat - English chestnuts must be of a different variety than the ones I'm used to seeing, because ours aren't edible and their spiky shells are even more so. Besides Barker's excellent grasp of illustrating her trees, the settings for these fairies gave her a lot of room to play with for innovative poses. Her fairies are shown perched on branches, balancing on falling seeds, and playfully swinging from fine branches or vines, which gives them a truely childlike and carefree attitude that is absent in some of the more staid garden poses. Now to go and find a tree to climb in!

[Yumi Kirtash · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this together with my fiancé around the time I started reading it; a friend of mine had given me a gift card for books (best thing to give me if unsure of what book to choose!).
Because this little book is mainly illustrations and short poems, it is easy to read in one afternoon, however I wanted to take it slowly, so I read it in bed with my partner every once in a while, it added a bit of the fairies' magic to our slumber.
Cicely Mary Barker's illustrations are beautiful, even more admirable considering she was self-taught. The poems are simple, but very sweet and enjoyable. I definitely recommend it!

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

My nan helped to teach me to read with these books. Each night I stayed over we would read together and that made these little books very special to me.

Trees was a good collection. I liked this more that little bit more because I knew the trees involved in the poems, whereas i didn't really know any of the flowers.

I just wished that Barker would have considered doing a story. The poems were beautiful, but a story conbining the fairies would have been magical!

[edennn · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mom read this to me when I was a toddler and it’s always been a favorite. I haven’t read it in years, but I think reading this from such a young age is what instilled in me my love of poetry. That and Anne of Green Gables. My siblings and I would also match the illustrations to ourselves and other children we knew.

[Your Common House Bat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another wonderful addition to Barker's Flower Fairies series. I feel like this one has some of the most beautiful artwork and the most enchanting poems. It was a really really quick read but I loved it no less.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little book is so gorgeous! The drawings are so fine and beautiful.
I love the poems inside and my favourite poem is Willow .

[Mariëlle · Rating 3 out of 5]

De tekeningen van de 'flower fairies' kende ik al, maar wist niet dat er ook versjes bij hoorden. Leuk boekje om even door te bladeren.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and simple poems with lovely, tasteful pictures. My 19 month old boy enjoys these books.

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wouldn't it be nice to live in the Land that Cicely Mary Barker has created with Flower Fairies all around.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I’ve always loved Barker’s flower fairy illustrations, but realized I didn’t have any of her flower fairy books, so picked this and two others up at the antiquarian book fair. Mine is a recent edition, but the illustrations are still lovely. (I think Frederick Warne has particularly good quality when it comes to illustrated children's books.)

I’m not very knowledgeable on poetry, but the poems accompanying the illustrations seemed rather mediocre. But then, I imagine it’s a challenge to write so many different poems about flowers.

Originally published in 1940, this is the fifth book in a series of 8, following a book for each season. Comparing it to her first, Flower Fairies of the Spring (1923), I can see how her artwork developed, becoming more polished, with sharper lines and more detail. I imagine printing technology had also evolved.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

At my local charity bookstore, I found a torn up copy of this wee book called Fairies of the Trees in the old book section. I find that when flipping through poetry books with pictures I usually skim over the drawings. Yet this one calls for you to look at each in detail. Such beautiful illustrations and poetry.

Does anyone know where I could borrow other editions?

[Lissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely artwork with fun poems - a great way to learn the names of flowers!

This one, unlike many of it’s ilk, is still in print.

This is the sixth in the Flower Fairies series.

I read this as part of “The Complete Book of Flower Fairies”.

[Libby Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Song of the Willow Fairy

By the peaceful stream or the shady pool
I dip my leaves in the water cool.

Over the water I lean all day,
Where the sticklebacks and the minnows okay.

I dance, I dance, when the breezes blow,
And dip my toes in the stream below.

[Sirkku · Rating 4 out of 5]

Think this was one of my favourite ones. Just love CMB's fairy books. And I really like the pictures. I would like to have all of the fairy books in my self. But I think I want this one the most.

Although I would have wanted to see one about the oak tree.

[Riane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hymnal collection of verses written as song lyrics with the glimmer and spark of educational background and information on the trees the fairies live in and are named after. Truly exquisite artistic representation of nature and its charms.

[Chantal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great drawings of all the fairies, they are delightful and lovely. That was also the best part of the book. I didn't care much for the rhyme and it could have been a little softer more sweet. Still a great short read.

[Alana (semi ia) · Rating 5 out of 5]

My little palette cleansers in between reads have been a life saver. Pro tip, find some whimsical little books to space out your reads. It has been such a life saver. Also, Cicely Mary Barker. Need I say more?

[kitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just really cute. Very different tone from William Blake- Ha ha!

[Kayleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

just delightful. I loved the little extra information about the trees. The illustrations are just gorgeous.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barker's illustrations of the fairies are particularly endearing.

[Ikschikdersoms · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5

[Ehryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite poem, also being one of my favorite flowers, was THE SONG OF THE LILAC FAIRY. I loved her dearly, but my favorite fairy painting was that of the Sweet Chestnut Fairy.