It isn't often we see a Faerie book with a boy faerie! Terrific story that really spoke to my boys. ( )

What a beautiful book! So many layers and opportunities to talk about the different aspects of this tale. A faery book with a male protagonist and a male faery... perfect for my boys!!

A woodcutter lives very poorly with his wife and aging parents. One day he saves a little man, a Faery, who grants him the gift of a single wish in return. Taking the wish home to his family, each has an idea of what the woodcutter's wish should be: a child for him and his wife, the return of his mother's eyesight, or lots of gold so that they will never know hunger or cold again. These are real choices, real needs, and the woodcutter struggles with his gift feeling more like a burden. My eight year old said the most surprising part of the book was how the woodcutter managed to resolve the problem and make a wish that would make everyone truly happy.

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Are you as clever as the woodcutter? Don't read the last page until you can guess what he wished for! Illustrations are creative, but not to my taste. ( )

Young Reader Reaction: My daughter (4) enjoyed the book, but I'm not sure she understood all of it. She especially liked listening to the CD.

Adult Reader Reaction: The Faerie's Gift is a sweet story. The pictures were soft and beautiful, perfect for a folktale book. It was a bit mature for my four year old to fully grasp.

Read the Pros and our Recommendation in the full review at The Reading Tub®. You can add your review, too.

When a poor woodcutter rescues a faerie from a hawk, he is rewarded with one magical wish. Should he ask for the child for which he and his wife have been longing? Should he ask for his old mother's sight to be restored? Or should he follow his father's advice, and ask for gold? Which is the worst - childlessness, blindness, or poverty? Luckily, a falling star provides the woodcutter with the inspiration he needs, in order to make the right choice...

Based upon a traditional Irish tale related to the author by storyteller Eibhis De Barra on the Cape Clear Island, this story seems to be fairly widespread in Ireland, with this example from the far south paralleling such northern examples as Just One Choice (found in the recent collection, The King with Horse's Ears and Other Irish Folktales), in which an Antrim farmer is faced with a similar choice, when the seals of the Giant's Causeway grant him a wish. Batt's engaging narrative is paired with Nicoletta Ceccoli's luminous acrylic and oil paintings in The Faerie's Gift, creating an appealing picture-book sure to please young fairy-tale lovers. ( )