Spiderwick Chronicles Care and Feeding of Sprites

by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi

Book Overview

Got Sprites?

Many would have you believe that sprites (or "fairies" as they're often called) are sweet and pretty and ultimately peaceful creatures. But don't let the carefree nature of these dazzling beguilers fool you. Because while they do make for awesome pets (or, if you prefer, companions), these are not creatures to be handled lightly. So forget everything you know -- or think you know -- about sprites, and listen to the experts...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416927573
• ISBN13: 9781416927570
• Release Date: December 2006
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• Length: 48 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.3" x 10.3"
• Age Range: 7 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 2 to 7

Customer Reviews

Best Illustrations

The book was in amazing condition. The shipping was quick. The book is so quirky and filled with wonderful illustrations. Fun book to flip through.

Beautiful

This book is done beautifully. The picture are great & the discriptions of each sprite are full of detail. It tell you what they eat, weater they are abl to be pets or if the are wild. My daughter loves this book. The pages are high quality & the whole boo is, well beautiful

Book review

This is a great little book that gives descriptions of all the creatures in the Spiderwick Chronicles. My grandchildren loved it!

A cute and rather fun book!

Are you in love with sprites (or faeries if you would rather), and want to keep one with you as a beloved companion? Well, don't start until you have read this book! It covers everything from selecting your sprite, through care and feeding, and on to showing your sprite. (After all, what's the good of having a sprite if you can't show it off?) Oh yeah, this is a magical book, sure to please the very young and the very young at heart. It is a very nice addition to the Spiderwick Chronicles, and should be read by every fan. But, that said, it is a cute and rather fun book, one that will please any faerie fan. I highly recommend this book.

Care and Feeding of Sprites

Very cute book. If you like the Spiderwick Chronicles, this is a must have. Wonderfully whimsical illustrations.

Spritely (ho ho)

I have fond memories of growing up reading various Flower Fairy books by Cicely Mary Barker as a child. Remember the Flower Fairies? The books were small child-sized creations containing intricate and elaborate illustrations of fairy children wearing wings and a variety of pedals, berries, and leaves. A bit short on text, those books kept me enchanted for hours (time that was intended to be used for napping). Now I am old, still unable to nap, and just as enchanted by realistic looking magical critters with wings as I ever was. Like most sane members of humanity, I was charmed by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black's remarkable, "Spiderwick Chronicles" and, like every child who has fallen in love with them, I am sad that there have only been five proper books. Oh sure, there was, "Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide To the Fantastical World Around You", but that was more clever ephemera than any kind of narrative continuity. So using my admittedly limited definition, "Care and Feeding of Sprites" is not a real book either. It does include a little information about what some of the Grace clan members are up to today, but by and large it comes off more as an incredibly life-like and believable How-To guide on sprite maintenance. By the time you're halfway through the first page, however, you simply do not care. Divided into fifteen sections, "Care and Feeding of Sprites" put together a variety of information so as to inform and aid those lovers of these unique little pets. Meticulously illustrated to even the minutest detail, Black and DiTerlizzi give readers an up close and personal look at sprite life. Everything from "Obtaining Your Sprite" to "Housing Your Sprite" to the eye-opening, "What Is Not a Sprite" offers newbie sprite owners just the kinds of tips and tricks they'll need to keep these elusive little creatures in check. As it concludes with the Mission Statement of The Spiderwick International Sprite League, those who read the book cover to cover will gain a full appreciation for the rewards that come with being the right kind of sprite owner. And the pictures? Oh the pictures. Ooooooh the pictures. First of all, I'd like to credit the team of DiTerlizzi and Black for realizing something that only a few truly clever marketing whizzes are apparently aware of; the more realistic a fantasy book feels, the more kids will adore it. Why do you think Ernest Drake's "Dragonology" sells so well in the stores, eh? It is, to my mind, part of the reason for Tolkein's popularity. Create your own language and watch your fans multiply accordingly. The authors of this particular guide nail down right from the start just how realistic they want this book to be and then play along accordingly. As such, the first two pages are more key and definition of symbols than anything else. Latin names, details of a "distinguishing physical feature" or two, and even body height in millimeters are accounted for. Then you've symbols for the sprites' preferred habitat, pri