Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide To The Fantastical World Around You, by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi (Simon and Schuster, 2005)

This is the long-awaited capstone to the bestselling, highly popular Spiderwick Chronicles, and is actually a replica of the book which carries much of the story’s plot. In the books, the three Grace children find their uncle’s Field Guide to the creatures of Faerie, and are thusly hounded, hunted, bedeviled and threatened by the various goblins, gnomes, trolls and what-not that are described within. Here at last is the book which started it all, recreated in all its glory by superb artist Tony DiTerlizzi, with help from the ever-impressive Holly Black.

Covering dozens of creatures, including many not actually seen in the Spiderwick Chronicles, it combines full-color drawings with textual articles on everything from Brownies to Unicorns, Dragons to Phookas, Goblins to Salamanders, and much more. Every page is a work of art, combining fresh new art with samples of Arthur Spiderwick’s original journal notes. As well, there are notes added by the next generation, in the form of the Grace children after their own encounters with the creatures of magic. If you were planning to study supernatural beings, this book might very well be a great place to start, provided you have the right equipment and a certain lack of self-preservation.

Quite simply, this is the logical successor to Brian Froud’s fairy books, as good as anything he has done on the subject if not better. Beautifully put-together, with richly intricate and whimsical art on every page, laid out with the utmost of care, the Field Guide is a worthy addition to the shelf of any fantasy lover, and a must-have for Spiderwick fans. DiTerlizzi and Black have outdone themselves here. I can’t recommend this item highly enough, and I suspect we’ll be seeing more from this creative team in the near future.


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