Avery and the Fairy Circle

Rowan Kingsbury is an illustrator and storyteller dedicated to crafting things full of wonder, warmth, and whimsy. She was raised in the evergreen state of Washington and graduated from the Pacific Northwest College of Art with a BFA in Illustration. Rowan now resides in Portland, Oregon, choosing to stay close to the rainy forests she spent her childhood exploring.Besides doodling fairies and running her online shop, she also enjoys cooking up treats, ambling around, and trying to find the nearest cat to bother.

This beautifully illustrated graphic novel opens with a moving van and parents carrying boxes into a new home. The protagonist, Avery, who is cued as white with disheveled dark curls, tells her parents she will be exploring the woods surrounding their new house and embarks with her nature journal in hand. From there, she tumbles into a fairy circle, becomes miniature-sized, and makes friends with a fairy named Birch. The delightful illustrations are a major draw into the ­story. The world Kingsbury creates is charming and cozy, in pastel hues sprinkled with both the adorable and magical. Those seeking ­danger or high-stakes adventure should look elsewhere. There is no major conflict in the story; Avery is invited to go along with Birch's family to a fairy festival and has a wonderful time. But therein lies the book's charm-it perfectly encapsules the cozy fantasy genre in one volume. Readers seeking books like K. O'Neill's "Tea Dragon" series will be hooked. Birch is cued white, while the fairies at the festival have varying skin tones. ­VERDICT A winsome tale of friendship and magic. ­Highly recommended.