Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You (Spiderwick Chronicles) (Hardcover)

by Holly Black (Author), Tony DiTerlizzi (Author, Illustrator)
Key Phrases: stray sod, Invisible World

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Spiderwick fans will adore this gorgeous guidebook to the fantastical creatures featured in Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi's spectacular series. The superdeluxe, lavishly illustrated "field guide" features 142 information-packed pages, 41 full-color plates, 6 spectacular gatefolds, 6 watercolor landscapes, scores of black-and-white and color sketches, and enough information to satisfy even the most demanding faerie enthusiast. Not only will readers learn all about the 14 fantastical creatures featured in the series, but they'll be delighted and astonished by an additional 15 creatures featured in this elaborate volume--including mermaids, gargoyles, and more. And if that weren't enough, we've included dozens of snippets from Arthur Spiderwick's personal journal--information that links the Guide specifically to the Spiderwick Chronicles--as well as cameos from a few of the series' favorite characters.

From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6–This field guide purports to be a copy of Arthur Spiderwicks sketches and investigations into the beings and beasties of the Invisible World–the brownies, boggarts, kelpies, and other creatures that populate the stories. The beautiful illustrations in gouache and pencil, seemingly modeled after Audubons work in Birds of America, are printed as if they were real century-old artworks that have left their shadowy imprints on the opposite pages. The descriptions are bits of Spiderwicks hard-learned lore, many apparently in his own handwriting, that make the art all the richer. Fantasy readers will love immersing themselves in the lore of the hidden–those things that only they, and people who are like them, can see. Field Guide will be pored over by anyone, of any age, who believes in sprites, phookas, and nixies.–Walter Minkel, New York Public Library
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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 121 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing; Library Binding edition (October 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689859414
• ISBN-13: 978-0689859410
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (67 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #13,257 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #48 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Mythology > Children's Books
  #92 in	Books > Children's Books > Literature > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful!, October 17, 2005

By	Dawn Maurice (OS, TN, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The artwork in this book is absolutely incredible! Every page is a delight for the eyes and no doubt will be treasured by lucky children everywhere for years to come! Gorgeous work-you couldn't possibly be disappointed in this book!!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome pictures, June 4, 2007

By	M. Bennett "Dragon Tears" (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I love this book! I can look through it over and over again and never get tired of the beautiful illustrations. This illustrated book ties into the Spiderwick Chronicles books. It is the actual field guide that they talk about in this series that all of the fantasy creatures are trying to get ahold of. It is not supposed to be in human hands. No telling what the humans would do if they knew their secrets!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A remarkable guide that is both beautiful to look at and full of valuable information, November 17, 2005

By	Kidsreads.com (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

Do you hear something knocking on the walls of your house at night? Do you keep losing bobby pins, pencils, or spools of thread? Have you woken up to find that all the laces of your shoes are tied together and that your dog has a large bald spot on its head? If you answered "yes" to any or all of these questions, then there can be no doubt that you have a member of the faerie world living in your home. Is it a boggart, a brownie, or a knocker? What do these mysterious creatures look like?

Within the pages of this remarkable guide you will find the answers to these and many other questions. Without a doubt this is one of the most comprehensive and fascinating books of its kind. Co-authors Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi have taken pages from Arthur Spiderwick's famous Guide and used them to create a book that is beautiful to look at and full of valuable and useful information. Where else will you learn how to stay on the right side of a brownie, and how else will you know that the gargoyles you see on buildings may in fact be alive?

Packed with luscious color illustrations and numerous pencil sketches, this book is a must for fans of The Spiderwick Chronicles. Readers of all ages will get lost in the pages (some of which fold out to reveal beautiful illustrations) and in no time will be convinced that they indeed are looking at the life's work of Arthur Spiderwick, which thankfully has been reproduced here by the talented duo of Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi.

--- Reviewed by Marya Jansen-Gruber, editor of Through The Looking Glass Children's Book Review (http://www.lookingglassreview.com)
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