The Little World of Elves and Fairies : An Anthology of Verse

by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite

This is a magical anthology of poems about the fairy folk by Shakespeare, Keats, Robert Louis Stevenson and E.E. Cummings amongst many others. Ida's illustrations are adorable and bring the poems in this small book to life.

Genres: Poetry, Fantasy, Magic, Childrens, Fairy Tales, Science Fiction Fantasy, Classics

60 pages, Hardcover

First published July 10, 1985

About the author

Ida Rentoul Outhwaite, also known as Ida Sherbourne Rentoul and Ida Sherbourne Outhwaite (9 June 1888 – 25 June 1960), was an Australian illustrator of children's books. Her work mostly depicted fairies.

His husband Grenbry Outhwaite

Reviews

[Emily M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a favorite of mine as a kid! But it wasn’t until I just picked it up again that I realized the illustrations came first – having been drawn by Australian artist Ida Rentoul Outhwaite in the early 20th century – and the verses were chosen to kinda-sorta match them.

These illustrations are gorgeous, and a lot of them have a rather autumnal vibe, which – along with some actually being of witches rather than fairies, as the cover image shows – made this a perfect bit of Halloweeny nostalgia.


Not all the fairy verses are about the sweet sort, either!
”Up the airy mountain,
Down the rushy glen,
We daren’t go a-hunting
For fear of little men”

I must admit, I always liked the ones that had a bit of a creepy edge, such as the one about a merman, who “never pined for the upper skies,
Whose blue came down in the dead men’s eyes”

And, of course, I could never resist some plant references:
Spindlewood, spindlewood, will you lend me pray,
A little flaming lantern to guide me on my way?
The fairies all have vanished from the meadow and the glen,
And I would fain go seeking till I find them once again…
(With the speaker going on to request keys from the ash tree, and bright “beads” from the holly).

[Jaimie · Rating 3 out of 5]

According to the introduction of this little book the artist was a writer as well and published her illustrations alongside her own poetry, so I was surprised to find that the editors decided to pair her fairy drawings with a random selection of poems instead. There were some good inclusions - Keats, Rosetti, etc - but why wouldn't they just keep Outhwaite's poems and pictures together? This obvious oversight dampened the overall effect of the collection for me, since there was a clear lack of connection in many cases of the paired illustrations and poems. I did rather appreciate Outhwaite's drawings though, as they blend elents of Rackham's line and colouring with a touch of Beatrix Potter's softness and femininity.

[han⚢ · Rating 3 out of 5]

i found this little anthology at the op shop, and was enticed to buy it by the illustrations (which are fucking lovely, this is a cottagecore wet dream). most of the book was lovely, but there is something so off-putting about men writing about witches and magic... especially paired with the illustrations of a hardly recognised female artist. idk idk

[Edelweiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, haunting illustrations, paired with classic poetry by Tennyson, R. L. Stevenson, e. e. cummings, Rose Fyleman and more.
A delightful little book!

[Tisha (IG: Bluestocking629) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, not going to lie. Poetry is subjective. It’s not for everybody. And not every poem is for every lover of poetry. But this book gets it. The poems flow beautifully and they are actually enjoyable. At least to me. You know, subjectivity.

I purchased this book for two reasons alone.

One: The cover. I’m a sucker for a black cat. At the time I purchased this book I had Lennon the black cat (brother to McCartney, naturally). I now have Lincoln the black cat (brother to Reagan). So yeah. You put a black cat on it and chances are I will buy it.

The second reason for this purchase was Ida Rentoul Outhwaite. I adore her illustrations!!! She is my kind of artist. Fairies, witches, cats (black), etc. All very natural and organic.

So the fact that I enjoyed the poems on top of the artwork was a bonus. And yes I even read one aloud to Lincoln. He enjoyed it and it kept his sister Reagan save from his intent on killing her. Win win!!

[Mad Medico · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are, for the most part, well produced, and this volume provides a cheap way to obtain hard copies of Outhwaite’s work which is frustratingly difficult to find original copies of. For an Australian, Outhwaite captures the folkloric ‘vibe’ of traditional English fairies, with their faces being particularly well rendered in almost a ‘ligne-claire’ style that I much prefer to the rosy-cheeked babyishness of many fairy illustrations, and the natural landscapes are also very nicely done - her work is my favourite among this sub-genre and deserves more recognition. I would have liked a stronger thematic link between the choices, less alternation between b&w and colour, and clearer links between the images and the poems. The poems themselves are all at least passable, but there are only a few that stand out, mainly from the ‘established poets’: ‘Over Hill, Over Dale’, ‘Looking-Glass River’, ‘Hist Whist’, ‘Witches’ Charms’ and ‘Boy Dreams’ are all great.

[Clare Snow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love her illustrations.

'Pardon me,' said Matilda, 'I find in all this
Fine description, you've only your young sister Mary
Been taking a copy of here for a fairy.'
- Charles Lamb

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adorable.

[Flora Nocturna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely little collection of poems and whimsical illustrations. Perfect for lovers of faeries and elves.

[orphia · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a lovely collection. the illustrations were also some charming and sweet additions to the poetry. i feel like some of them brought the stories alongside them to life as well!

[ro · Rating 4 out of 5]

some really nice poems, others not that great. the art is really pretty though

[Vanessa Campi · Rating 4 out of 5]

sweet little illustrations, very nostalgic

[Jake Cooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book it honestly one of my favourite books I’ve read, a good friend of mine got it for me as a gift and I immediately loved it. This is my first ever poetry book and it’s only made me want more. The poems are all so beautiful and the fairy prints are truely amazing