Through the Fairy Door

February 15, 2023
A child discovers a fairyland in this tale that blends photography and illustrations. Willow comes across a fairy door built into a stone wall at the edge of the town. No one else sees it--"They are far too busy rushing about." When she touches it, "she finds herself in a great wood." Willow follows the fairies and birds she encounters there through the seasons, watching them and learning from them. When she returns to the town, it's as though no time has passed, and seeds she carried from the wood take root and transform the village with new, abundant flora. Now the villagers seem far more attentive to the world around them. Van de Goor's digitally altered photographs of lush landscapes and quaint village scenes provide sumptuously detailed 3-D settings for this gentle adventure story. Tomai's illustrations of brown-skinned Willow, diverse people and fairies, and forest animals have a contrasting two-dimensional quality to them. The juxtaposition of characters with the setting gives the people a feeling of paper dolls or little figurines set in the fantastic landscapes rather than being immersed within them. It's a fitting effect that could imply that the story is the product of an unseen child's imagination. Still, though the artwork is intriguing, the overall story and prose are lackluster, with little drama or tension. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Visually engaging throughout despite fairly underwhelming text. (Picture book. 3-6)

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