Manuales

March 21, 2011
This quirky introduction to fairies explores the creatures' origins (a girl who grew wings following the death of a beloved butterfly), habits, celebrations, abilities, and types. Carretero's fairies are pretty, blush easily, have gangly legs and wide eyes, and can affect human behavior. Readers looking for information drawn from traditional fairy lore may be disappointed: Carretero's pronouncements feel rather off-the-cuff (her two-winged fairies "fly like birds over fields and cities," while three-winged fairies fly "in a slightly wobbly, zigzagging way"). The translation from Spanish is not seamless, with awkward phrasing, odd punctuation, and outdated terms like Oriental and Eskimo. Still, the fairy-obsessed should be diverted. Available simultaneously: Pirate Handbook. Ages 5â7.