Ashley Spires writes some of the greatest little picture books around.  Our first introduction to her work was the TD Grade One Book Giveaway of Small Saul in 2016 and since then we have been hooked on her brilliant writing and lovable characters and animated illustrations.  Not only is she a fantastic writer but she is also a great all around human being, taking in foster cats to care for and love until they find their forever homes, but I digress. I’m here to tell you about the wonderful new book out this fall titled Fairy Science.  I have been anticipating the arrival of this lovely little story as I’m newly drawn to books about out of the box characters loving on the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, math).

Esther is a fairy who does not believe in magic.  WHAT? How could a fairy not believe in magic, magic is the essence of fairies. Esther is a firm believer in science to explain the world around her and she is very eager to share the scientific method with her fairy friends.  It’s quite frustrating not only for Esther, but also Miss Pelly Petal. Esther takes on the task of figuring out why a tree in the forest is wilting. Through science she draws her conclusion and the tree begins blossoming again.  Even though most of her fairymates still think magic fixed the tree, Esther does inspire a couple mates to learn more about science. One fairy at a time, one step at a time Esther is sharing her love of science with everyone.

Ashley Spires’ illustrations are captivating.  They have a real animated quality and you could totally see them just as easily on your television screen as in the pages of her books.  Fairy Science is bold and colourful, with the colours jumping off the pages right to the readers eyes. There is a lot to see and just like her other books, she leaves some little treats in the illustrations for you to discover.  In Small Saul it was a little mouse. See if you can find Esther’s little animal buddy! Fairy Science is a fantastic little book to spark an interest and foster a love of science in all the young budding scientists in your life. Stay tuned as Fairy Science will have a follow up book in the coming years!

If you are a fan of her work, follow Ashley Spires on Instagram @ashleyspires. She posts a lot about her adorable foster kittens and also her own little fur babies Tessa and Scott, affectionately called The Asthma Cats.  Look for an Asthma Cats book in summer 2021!!