Voake's ink-and-watercolor sketches match the delicate clarity of Farjeon's prose to perfection in this small, handsomely turned-out volume that makes available to a new generation a classic tale of tyranny overcome. The tale is filled with fairies and children, led by heroic Elsie, who both at seven and at a hundred and seven could skip rope, even with her eyes closed. Elsie so impresses the fairies that they teach her their own skills--and a century later she puts them to good use when a greedy landowner attempts to build a factory on the hilltop where fairies and generations of children have traditionally gone to jump rope. The story is still spry and wise, and Voake makes this neglected literary gem--and unforgettable read-aloud--look new. (Fiction. 8-11)
