Epileptic as a child, she was educated at home and took correspondence courses in art for several years.

Although Barker painted and published many works, both secular and devotional, it was the Flower Fairies that became internationally beloved and remain so. When Cicely Mary Barker wrote and illustrated her first book, Flower Fairies of the Spring, little could she have imagined that it would be the foremost title in a best-selling series that remains beloved almost 100 years later. The characters of all the humble flowers and trees we can see along the lanes, in the fields and gardens are charmingly captured, with little asides that immortalise country sayings and wisdom.Aside from said drivel, my favourite poems were those for the Bird’s-Foot-Trefoil, Michaelmas Daisy, Snapdragon, Fumitory, Gorse, and Pansy fairies.

Through the beautiful illustrations the author brings to life the magic of flowers and how each has their very own special place in a garden. Her plants and flowers were observed with complete botanical accuracy and in the fairies themselves she captured perfectly the unselfconscious grace of children, whom she used to sketch in her sister's school. None of my children have ever liked the paper covers on hardback and always remove them, so I was pleased to see that this has a nice cover underneath (some hardbacks just have plain cloth covers, but this looks good with or without the slip cover).This complete collection of Cicely Mary Barker's Flower Fairies features a brand-new enchanting cover. The entire read is a magical experience filled with load of educational information and beyond cute in so many delightful ways! Since the publication of Cicely Mary Barker’s first book in 1923, the Flower Fairies have been ethereal companions to generations of readers around the world.

The Flower Fairies have become a bit commercialized and there are many derivative books out there now and many only use use pieces of her artwork ignoring the poetry or using only a few tidbits. The art is stunning and the poems are sweet and informative without feeling like you are just sitting learning a lesson about plants.We get to learn which flowers bloom in summer, winder, spring and autumn, and even which berries are edible and which ones will send you off into the land of poison. The name of Frederick Warne reminded me of books from my own childhood, Beatrix Potter, Edward Lear and Kate Greenaway. An important factor to it's charm is that CMB drew the picture and then wrote the poems, truly capturing the personality of it all. This new Folio Society box set sees Barker’s exquisite paintings and nature-inspired poems presented as a complete collection, in an exclusive new layout that best displays these imaginative illustrated verses. Barker does a beautiful job with the details--they were considered equal to "botanist" standards at the time (since things were drawn more than photographed in her time).