Customer Reviews

The Giant Golden Book of Elves and Fairies (A Golden Classic)

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was my favorite book as a child. I have been waiting for it to be reprinted for several years. I bought several to give away, as it makes a wonderful gift for a child or expectant parents. When the box arrived, yesterday, it was indeed a glorious day! Buy it before they sell out again.

This was my favorite book as a child! I have fond memories of "reading" the stories through the exquisite Garth Williams illustrations long before I could read the words. When the long-awaited republished version arrived, my hands actually shook as I opened the box! There they were, all of my elf and fairy friends from childhood, just as I remembered them. What a treasure. I purchased two. One for my bookshelf for "grandma's hands only", and one to share with my grandchildren. I'm sure that the second will wind up like my original, with well-loved, worn and torn pages... This book is a real "keeper"!

I love, love, love, love, LOVE this book. My older sister had a copy when I was growing up (I'm 51 now), and it's a close runner up to my favorite childhood book (Scuppers the Sailor Dog). It was re-released in 1998, and I watched the prices soar on ebay upwards to 100.00. Now, after waiting six months for this release, I've finally received my two new copies after someone stole the Amazon boxes off of my front porch while I was out of town (grrrr). I'm getting ready to order yet another one for a dear friend who loves all things connected to fairies. The Garth Williams illustrations are gentle, dear, and lovely - the reading age should say "4 to 100", truly. Buy your copy before it goes out of print (why?!) again.

I was absolutely thrilled when I found out that my favorite childhood book (and the favorite of many others) was being reprinted again! I pre-ordered copies for myself, my children and a few friends. I was so happy when they arrived this week! This book is a true treasure to be enjoyed by all! The illustrations by Garth Williams and stories are priceless. This book would make a wonderful addition to any collection.

I still have the original "Giant Golden Book of Elves and Fairies" from when I was a child and as the binding is not long for this world, I was excited about the reprint. Excitement didn't last when I received the book...the reproductions of Garth Williams brilliant illustrations are missing the vibrancy and brightness of the original book. Glad that this wonderful whimsical book is still available, but wish they had taken more care in the
recreation of the illustrations. I would say, get the book anyway, but those of us who remember the original know that first is sometimes best. If you find one in an old bookstore or still have the book from 1951, treasure it and read it to your grandchildren.

This is a gorgeous children's book; I had it as a child when it was first published, and I fell upon the re-issue about ten years ago and bought several copies for grandchildren and friends' kids. The illustrations were what made it so magical: beautifully conceived and drawn with lush colors.

I ordered this latest edition, again for a new grandchild, and when it arrived I was very disappointed in the quality of the pictures. They look washed out and poorly saturated, as though the publisher were trying to save on ink. Comparing the two editions side by side, the difference is very striking. Although it's still a wonderful book, and not having seen the earlier editions a child won't know what he or she is missing, still some of the magic is gone. The fairy marbles no longer glow off the page and the silken scarf is a pale version of its former self. It's better than nothing, but what a shame to have taken the spirit out of those lovely pictures!

This was my favorite book as a child. When I had my own children, I tried to buy it but it was out of print. The only copies available were shabby old copies on ebay for over $100. I was thrilled when they re-printed it in 2008. My kids love it too. The stories are so sweet and enchanting. I really enjoy reading these stories again to my kids. The pictures are whimsical. The print colors are not as vibrant as the original printing, but otherwise I'm so happy to have a copy again.

This is a book I remember from my childhood (50+ years ago) and I was thrilled to locate it. The book is as wonderful as I remember it with excellent stories and marvelous detailed illustrations. A pleasure for both children and adults.

OMG!! I had this book when I was a little girl - probably got it when it first came out. I was known for reciting the "Down in the meadows where the katydid's hop" poem throughout my parent's social group by the age of 4. It is a wonderful book! The picture of the princess being pulled from the mud on her white horse stays in my mind today. I have a horribly tattered version that I found amoungst my things one day with my name on it in my childish lettering that I cherish. Now I can send it to all of my grandchildren. I have chills as I type and tears in my eyes... Some things cannot be replaced from our childhood memories!

This was another of my childhood favorites that I had been hoping to find in print again. "The Giant Golden Book of Elves and Fairies" is an oversized book that is beautifully illustrated . Here, one will find magical poems of the fairy folk, i.e. pixies, elves, fairies, brownies, leprechauns, and even mermaids and witches! The illustrations are detailed and in full color, enhancing the stories and making this a truly magical reading experience.

The contents are as follows:
When a Ring's Around the Moon - Mary Jane Carr
Singeli's Silver Slippers - Martha Inez Johnson
Song for a Summer Evening - Mildred Bowers Armstrong
Little People's Market - Dorothy Brown Thompson
A Goblinade - Florence Page Jaques
The Brownie in the Garden - Elsa Ruth Nast
The Second-Hand Shop - Rowena Bennett
Pipes and Drums - Lilian Holmes
The Pixie's Scarf - Alison Uttley
The Fairies - William Allingham
The Cannery Bear - Ray St. Clair
The Bored Goblins - Dorothy Brown Thompson
The Gift - Jane Werner
Halloween Song - Marjorie Barrows
Finding Fairies - Marjorie Barrows
The Lost Merbaby - Margaret and Mary Baker
The Little House - Elizabeth Godley
The Room Beneath the Tree - James Stephens
Where Hidden Treasure Lies - Sheila O'Neill
Ring-a-ring o'Fairies - Madelaine Nightingale

The stories and poems are wonderful for reading aloud to lower elementary children ( depending on a child's attention span as some of these stories tend to be a little long) and independent readers will enjoy these stories too. This brings back fond memories of my childhood, for which I am immensely grateful!