A Midsummer Night's Faery Tale (1999)

Amazon.com Amazon.com Review (ISBN 0684855593, Hardcover)

Not once upon a time, but right now, in a British forest called Old Oak Wood, faeries frolic, invisible to those humans who choose not to believe in them. In A Midsummer Night's Faery Tale, doll maker Wendy Froud (best known for creating Yoda and other creatures for Muppet master Jim Henson) and award-winning fantasy author Terri Windling collaborate to tell the story of one of these elusive fellows, a young tree-root faery named Sneezle. Each page of this delightful book is graced with an elaborately staged photo of Froud's doll creations in their natural habitats, paired with Windling's story of Sneezle's unlikely heroism. Sneezle and his diaphanous friends are adorable enough to charm a kid, and his adventures are interesting enough to hold the attention of an adult reading the book aloud to a favorite youngster.

Sneezle's adventures begin when he sets out to fetch the Midsummer crown for King Oberon. Meanwhile, the Faery Queen Titania is found asleep, victim of a powerful magic spell. The hopes of the faery kingdom ride on Sneezle's little shoulders! While on his journey, Sneezle meets up with fascinating forest characters, discovers the identity of the wicked sorceress who has enchanted the queen, and learns about courage and loyalty. He also figures out that being "the same old Sneezle" is a fine thing to be. Kids and adults will enjoy this richly illustrated, romantic fantasy. (Ages 8 and older) --Therese Littleton