Jethro Byrd, Fairy Child

From the creator of MAX—a PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Best Book—comes a whimsical reminder that a family of fairies can be found in the unlikeliest of places, if you have the time to look

Annabelle’s dad has little time for fairies, which he assures her she won’t find in the cement and the weeds of their urban backyard. But Annabelle has lots of time, so she keeps looking - even under her baby brother, Sam. And one day she finds what she’s looking for: a thumb-sized fairy child named Jethro Byrd, whose family has made an awkward landing in a tiny ice cream truck among some discarded bottles and cans. What a wonderful chance to invite all the Byrds for tea with Mommy and Daddy! But why, Annabelle wonders - as the fairies fiddle and sing and dance and whistle away among the cake crumbs - are she and Sam the only ones who can see them?

Bob Graham is back, as magical as ever, with a wry tale about the rewards of paying attention - and the marvelous discoveries to be made by seeing the world through the wide-open eyes of a child.

Publishers Weekly

Combining the humorous, the magical and the mundane, Graham (Max; Benny) creates another warm, sweet-natured picture book. As Annabelle plays alongside the fence near her family's apartment building, she hears something bounce down from the sky. Upon investigation, Annabelle meets Jethro Byrd, a boy as big as her finger, and his family, all of whom happen to be fairies. Annabelle invites the Byrds to tea, with the full support of her parents. As the Byrds enjoy cakes and chamomile tea and entertain with song and dance, Annabelle and her brother, Baby Sam, are delighted; their mother and father oblivious. The parents earnestly pretend to see the Byrds, but, as one fairy tells Annabelle, grown-ups [don't] have time for fairies. Graham's not-too-subtle message about slowing down to enjoy the small wonders of life will resonate with children and adults alike. His ink-and-watercolor paintings easily shift from human to fairy scale and back. The winged Byrds, wearing contemporary clothes and traveling in a flying ice-cream truck, suggest a wide and welcoming fantasy world. Ages 4-7. (June) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Bob Graham is the award-winning author and illustrator of many books for children, including MAX, an acclaimed story about a family of superheroes who can fly. About JETHRO BYRD, FAIRY CHILD, he says, "I’m surprised to find another flying family in my books, this time a family of fairies. I don’t see fairies too often these days, certainly not during working hours. To see fairies you need time to spare, time to think about not too much at all."