Do Fairies Bring the Spring?

Could fairies be responsible for the remarkable transformation from winter to spring? In this whimsical outing from the duo behind Where Do Fairies Go When It Snows?, Mitchell’s cheerful images, rendered in pastel shades, show fairies dressed in petticoats and ballet slippers joyfully planting and tending to flowers. Meanwhile, Walsh unspools an array of hypothetical questions for readers to ponder: “Do they use tiny brushes and oil pastels/ to paint crocuses, lilacs, and daffodils?” she writes as tiny hedgehogs and ladybugs assist a multicultural array of fairies hand-painting flowers in full bloom. Befitting the miniature subject matter, Mitchell’s delicate scenes are crammed with tiny details of fairy life that imaginative readers will enjoy poring over. The meter of Walsh’s rhymes can be uneven at times, but children familiar with the energy that comes with spring’s arrival will feel it in the pages. A closing list of fairy-themed outdoor activities (including making a welcome sign and planting milkweed) offer light suggestions for children who are perhaps already well acquainted with the building of fairy houses. Ages 4–8. (Feb.)