Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Book
Young Adult Fiction Picture Book Fantasy Folklore & Mythology Art Book Humorous Fiction Parody
Lady Cottington’s Pressed Fairy Book (1994 hardcover) is the uproarious “discovered” sketchbook of a naughty Edwardian girl who proves fairies exist—by squashing them between the pages. Terry Jones’s witty journal entries pair with Brian Froud’s luminous, full-color fairy “specimens” to create a lavish spoof that bridges art book, fantasy, and bedtime story. Each spread feels like a natural-history scrapbook gone wonderfully wrong, making it a shelf-showstopper for fans of folklore, Arthur Rackham-style illustration, and Monty-Python humor.
Unlike later paperback reprints, this first-edition hardcover is printed on heavy, matte stock that lets Froud’s delicate wings and Cottington’s frantic marginalia pop off the page. The sewn binding lies flat for safe repeated browsing, and the oversized format preserves every crumpled leaf and pressed flower the mischievous heroine added. Readers young and old discover new visual jokes—tiny fairy courtrooms, love letters, even fairy laundry—each time they open the book.
This copy is in very-good, collector-friendly condition: crisp, unmarked pages, no ex-library stamps, no dog-eared corners, and a tight, square spine. For gift-givers it is an enchanting alternative to mainstream picture books; for artists it remains a master-class in world-building through mixed-media illustration. Searchers looking for “Brian Froud fairy art,” “Terry Jones fantasy book,” or “unique illustrated gift 1994” will find that this edition delivers both nostalgic charm and enduring resale value.
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