I found this a cute version of the true story about the Cottingley Fairies. The story is often billed as a malicious hoax, where two little girls tricked adults. However, this version of the story takes a more gentle perspective: two children, in uncertain times, use their imagination and creativity because they want to show adults the wonder around them. This is a fictionalized account and not 100% accurate of what actually happened, but I do like that this version of the story takes the approach that the girls were just being mischievous and the silly fun getting out of control with how much attention it drew, as a lot of the stories I've seen about this event paint them as doing something bad or mean; or other stories I've read where it treats the story as 100% real and not faked.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.

I didnt realize it was for a little kids. But I enjoyed the artwork and the story. After i realized it was for little kids i read it to my kiddios and they enjoyed it as well.

You may have heard the adage “photos or it didn’t happen” and “The Cottingly Fairies” may deserve credit for it.
Lovingly crafted illustrations help tell the story of cousins Elsie and Francis as they use their imagination and spirits to try and bring some light to a war torn world.
It is a fun story with a child’s viewpoint and should be a welcome addition of i any young reader’s library - especially if they believe in a little bit of magic.

This was a book that intrigued me since I have heard bits and pieces of the Cottingley Fairies. As such even though it was directed for children I was hoping to get a bit more information about the events.

Instead the book was just a fictional account that was meant to be told from one of their points-of-view. As such it did confess to where the events had been doctored while at the same time describing a bit about the events. At the same time, though, it held the suggestion that the narrator did believe herself able to see and interat with actual fairies along with her cousin.

The artwork was also not my cup of tea. It was a blend of decent artwork for the backgrounds combined with a type of amateur sketching that flopped. The fairies that were presented as being real were also given to the whim of a childish scribbler so although they were unique they weren't what I would consider fairies.

Instead for the artwork I wish they could have made it a bit more realistic or at least included in the back some copies of the photos so less familiar readers know what the story is truly about.

I also had problems with downloading this book as a digital read. It took quite a while and some jiggling around before I could, which made me frustrated straight from the start and even more disappointed with the overall story.

All in all it was decent and some children may like the total effect of the book in general. But if you want to learn more about the Cottingley Fairies or even find a good non-Disney fairy book this isn't the one that I would suggest.

***I received access to a copy of this book in exchange for a free review.***

Since I was familiar with the story of the Cottingley Fairies and the cousins Frances and Elsie, I was super excited to read this book. However, I will admit that the lack of historical accuracy was very disappointing to me. I did enjoy the illustrations though and I think the cover is really stunning.

This was a little lackluster for me. The story was a little boring, and I just expected more. The cover is gorgeous, and I feel like it had potential but it just missed the mark for me. Illustrations were rather dull and the story lacked depth and emotion.

This is a sweet book, but felt a little more geared toward a book that adults could appreciate and not one that my children could love.

A gorgeous book about an almost unbelievable true story!! My grandparents lived in Cottingley so I knew this story well. I loved seeing this new illustrated book introducing the tale to new generations.

I had the chance to read a preview copy of the book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers.

As a fan of both children's literature and the tale of two young girls with enough imagination to make fairies come to life in photographs, I absolutely loved this book. A definite 'yes' for purchasing next year!

I think the story of Elsie and Frances and their fairy photography is fascinating, so I was really excited to read this book. Unfortunately, the book as a whole - both the story and the illustrations - did not feel as magical as I was hoping. There was just something missing for me. Some of the illustrations were quite lovely and had kind of a sketchbook feel to them; others felt a little unfinished, or like they were rushed through. I think the author did a nice job of summarizing the true story for a picture book from Elsie's point of view, but I was expecting a bit more detail about the historical events. There is a page of backmatter that explains a bit more about the history, but I just wish a bit more was included in the story itself.

I would encourage anyone who is interested in the story of the Cottingley fairies to give it a read, as I think it's a nice, brief introduction to the story for children who might not yet be familiar with it, and it can lead to an interesting "what do you think really happened?" discussion. For me, personally, it just didn't give me the magical, mysterious, ethereal feel that I usually get when I read about the Cottingley fairies.


{ Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy. You can find more reviews posted on my blog, PidginPea's Book Nook. My reviews are honest and my opinions are my own; your reading experience may vary, so give it a read and see what you think. :) }

I loved this book! It was an enchanting take on the story of the Cottingley Fairies. The illustrations are lovely.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As a child, I loved the story of The Cottingley Fairies. Two girls who convinced the world, including some famous names such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, that they had encountered fairies in their garden.

This book is a gentle retelling of their story with very simple, calming illustrations. This would make a lovely addition to a class library.

This book told the story of the Elsie and Frances who photograph fairies in their garden. This was a story I had heard before (and seen used as an idea in Torchwood) and I was intrigued by the story.

I had hoped there would be a little more of the magic and childlike wonder in the story, but it focused more on the story of the two girls and how they inspired Arthur Conan Doyle. Told more through the pictures than the words, Ana Sender carefully illustrates the tale of the girls who photographed fairies and caught the attention of the world.

I'm not sure about this one. I was familiar with the story: the initial furor, the later recanting, and the eventual claim that only part of it was faked. I was on board with the decision to tell the story from the perspective of one of the girls. My first complaint is that the girls are portrayed as much younger than they had been in real life. Secondly, the narration presents the idea that the faked photos were a white lie, an attempt to represent fairies they were actually seeing. This is shown as absolute truth, not the story they were telling.

'The Cottingley Fairies' with words and illustrations by Ana Sender is a picture book about 2 English girls who claimed to have seen fairies and have the photos to prove it.

In 1918, two girls, Elsie Wright and her cousin Frances Griffith, liked playing outdoors. They also noticed how sad the adults around them were with news of the war. The girls like taking photos and playing make believe and this leads to a discovery that will astonish the grown-ups including Arthur Conan Doyle.

The book is kind of a dull retelling, and the illustrations don't serve to spark much wonder. There is a sort of moral ambiguity to the story in which children might assume that it is okay to lie to adults in order to make them feel better.
I received a review copy of this ebook from North South Books Inc. and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

THE STORY
Elsie and Frances know that fairies exist. They know because they spend their time in the forest playing with them. But the adult seem unable to share their enjoyment, full of worries as they are. What if the two girl photographed the Good Folk to show the grown-ups? But the adults take an unexpected interest in the photos and the two girls become an international phenomenon.


MY REVIEW
The story is fairly short and told in a brief, concise way. I sometimes felt like it could use more words, but you have to keep in mind it is aimed at small children (I'd say 0-3 years old). It would've been nice to get a page or two more about what happened after the photos became famous, to give a better idea of how big was this case back in the 19th century.
I knew the story before reading, but I enjoyed the way Ana Sender made it more fairytale-like; I especially liked how the author played with the ending. It leaves the reader with a halo of wonder that appeals to both kids and adults.

The illustrations are the best part of this book, in my opinion. I am in love with the art style: it is child-like, like Elsie draw it herself, and so colourful! I believe every kid will enjoy looking at them.
I also found the images to complement the text really well; every illustration is full of details that add to the story, which I'm sure will help the smallest readers to understand the narration better.

This is a wonderful book for kids! If you're a fairy tale enthusiast, like me, you will enjoy reading this book to your children. I will definitely gift a copy to my little nieces.

Between dull illustrations, poor explanations of the time period, and a lack of overall wonder Ana Sender's take on the famous Cottingley Fairies story is a real let down. Maybe this true story is just too complex to put into a children's novel; or perhaps the issue is that the story itself is a bit difficult to pull a moral from? Either way I was less than excited by the end.

Authenticity
I'm so disappointed that there is no real set-up or explanation of the time period in which the girls created their fake fairy photos. It mentions the war but doesn't really give the feel or mood of the real depression that had fallen over the world. I also feel like there is a an overall lack of mischievousness to the girls actions. Whereas the way I've read and heard tell this story in the past is that the girls were aware that tricking adults was a poor choice; but by the time the photos had been circulated so far they didn't know how to take back the lie.
Additionally the portrayal about Sir Author Conan Doyle is just sad. Sender makes him seem like some pathetic old man that was desperate to believe anything. Using Doyle's involvement and writings to discuss how much many of us (myself included) wish there was proof of real fairies would have been far more effective, relevant to the audience of children, and upheld Doyle's respect (which I believe he has more than deserved by legacy of his amazing literature he left us all with).

The Ending
I'm going to assume you all know how the story ends and not consider it a spoiler given that it happened almost 100 years ago. There is a distinct opportunity here to leave behind the idea that fairies and magic could still exist. Sender sets us up for the impact of the final line fairly well. Yet the narrative that comes before makes it feel like our old lady is trying too hard, loosing her mind or just a little crazy when she indicates that the fifth photo is real. Perhaps that's my cynical adult mind thinking too hard but I didn't feel like there was a sparkle of a chance that fairies might be real at the end. This is really the moment where children might actually care about this story or become enamored with it. And while the words were mostly right, in context with the rest of the book, it just falls flat.

Overall
The biggest let down here really is really the illustrations though. There is nothing exciting or even colourful about them. I also would have liked to have had an explanation that photos were in black and white back then so that children can understand how the paper colour wasn't obvious. This book assumes children are not smart enough to understand the true story here and that really bugs me. We should be authentic in our story telling to children (especially in true story cases) or just not tell those stories at all. Again maybe this is just not a good story to be in an illustrated book. The only people I can think that might be interested in this are those whom collect or are obsessed with the Cottingley incident.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

I had a pleasant experience reading this, I don't think it was something out of this world, but the drawings were pretty, I enjoyed the comic content (like the faerie
making the little girl take a photograph of her but, lol) and I feel this is one of those books you just pick to pass the time and finish with a smile in your face.

I wanted to love this, but found it too simplistic. Revealing the true story at the end just left me wanting this tale to have had more - more detail, more explanation in the story itself so that the afterword wouldn't be necessary. Plus, I didn't care for the illustrations; I wish they had a bit more finesse (although I get that they were telling the story from Elsie's point of view and perhaps wanted to mimic the amateur style of young children?) I did like that it doesn't conclusively say that fairies aren't real - a lovely way to stoke children's imaginations!

Long ago, two sisters decided that they needed to help adults to see the magic in the world around them. They set about to photograph the fairies, and in turn caused quite an unexpected hubub...

This book is absolutely lovely. Every little girl (and boy!) should be read stories of fairies and wood-folk, and this is one of the most important. The event of the Cottingley Fairies was significant, and deserves to be remembered.
The illustrations in this book are lovely, but bordering on the messy, which I suppose was purposeful.
I love this simplicity of the story and the perspective on the little girls. I would definitely read this to my niece, and hope to see it in stores!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.