About the Holiday

Full of sparkle, magic, and mischief, it’s no wonder that fairies captivate the imagination of young and old around the world! Today we celebrate these mythical creatures and all the joy they bring through cultural associations, books, movies, and pretend play. For an interesting look at the history of International Fairy Day, plus lots of ways to celebrate with your family and friends, visit Days of the Year and Punchbowl. 

Thank you to Candlewick Press for sharing a copy of Fairy Walk with me!

Fairy Walk

By Gaia Cornwall

As their mothers relax and talk, three children and their curly-haired dog “skip, skip, skip, trip” into the woods behind the house, hopping from stone to stone to cross the little river “into the misty magic” of fairyland. “Where are you, fairies?” they call. Are they among the honey snowdrop flowers on the ground or under the boulder, so heavy it takes all three of them to tip? They don’t see any fairies, but they do find “a dragon!”—an orange salamander.

Are there fairies across the clearing, enjoying a feast on a “cozy, snug” mushroom table? No—or are there? Maybe they’re just a little farther, under the blanket of pixie moss. A peek underneath reveals “Bugs!” that “scramble, scamper, roll, and burrow,” but not a single fairy.

Text and illustration © 2025 by Gaia Cornwall. Used with permission of Candlewick Press. All rights reserved.

After all this fruitless searching, the kids grow frustrated and exhausted. It’s time for a snack. While they eat their sandwiches, the children decide that perhaps the fairies are shy. They then engage their other senses and can “hear them whisper in the trees.” They feel “thrums” in the ground below and appreciate the “whisper soft” wings of a butterfly.

They reconsider the gifts of flowers, stones, and mushrooms they’ve found, smelling them more deeply, creating a rock cairn, and inspecting them with a magnifying glass. The children leave a present for the fairies as well. The day is waning, and the trio bids goodbye to their fun and to the fairies, with hope for the future: “See you later!”

Text and illustration © 2025 by Gaia Cornwall. Used with permission of Candlewick Press. All rights reserved.

In her lovely, lyrical story that sings with sumptuous sensory language and the cadence of childhood fancies, Gaia Cornwall invites children into the magical realm of a lush woodland fed by a rocky stream and brimming with glorious flowers, mushrooms, and the kind of creepy crawlies that set the imagination whirling.

While the kids within the pages never see a fairy, the kids reading the pages will be delighted to spy plenty of tiny blue, sparkle-winged fairies hiding in the foliage; perched on the edge of a bird’s nest; enjoying the day among the mushrooms; and flitting playfully here and there with the kids’ charmed dog, who can see them. Eagle-eyed kids will also want to look for the tiny ladybug in each illustration. Cornwall’s soft-hued pencil, watercolor, and collage illustrations are dappled with texture and rich in details of the natural world that children and adults will also want to linger over.

Fairy Walk is an enchanting and clever combination read-aloud and fun I-spy story that children and adults will love sharing again and again. The book is sure to inspire nature walks through the neighborhood, in the backyard, or on hiking trails, where, even if you don’t see fairies, you’ll find lots of the gifts they scatter about. Fairy Walk will enjoy brisk circulation in any library and is highly recommended for home collections.

Ages 3 – 7

Candlewick Press, 2025 | ISBN 978-1536230710

About the Author/Illustrator

Gaia Cornwall loves to write and illustrate for children. She is the author-illustrator of Jabari Jumps, which was a Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book and an American Library Association Notable Children’s Book, and its follow-up, Jabari Tries, as well as The Best Bed for Me. Gaia Cornwall lives in Connecticut. Visit her at gaiacornwall.com.

International Fairy Day Activity

Text and illustration © 2025 by Gaia Cornwall. Used with permission of Candlewick Press. All rights reserved.

Fairy Walk Activity Kit

Learn how to draw fairies and bugs and go on a nature hunt with this four-page Fairy Walk Activity Kit from Gaia Cornwall and Candlewick Press!

You can purchase Fairy Walk from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop (discounted books and support for your local independent bookstore)

Picture Book Review