Faeries

Twenty-five years ago, self-proclaimed "faery authorities" Froud and Lee published the first edition of their imaginative faery field guide. Since then, the two have gone on to publish numerous faery books and contribute their ideas to such fantasy films as The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, Legend and the new Lord of the Rings. This expanded version, like its predecessor, features pencil drawings and watercolors of mythical creatures, as well as brief descriptions of their origins and powers; it draws on a long history of phantasmagoric iconography in the generally occidental vein. It boasts new art and introductions by the artists, as well; in its silver anniversary, the bewitching quality of its content remains. Besides faeries, the authors also include renderings of many other denizens of faery land-goblins, dwarves and leprechauns, for instance-as well as stranger breeds, such as the Fachan, a one-armed, one-legged oddity from the Scotland highlands and the Jack-in-Irons, a "Yorkshire giant who haunts lonely roads." For the child learning the pleasures of magical worlds, or for adults who never forgot, this book remains a delight. 176 color and 38 b&w illustrations.