Wendy Froud

In a forest called the Old Oak Wood, early on a rosy summer's morn, a young faery named Sneezle wakes in his nest to the clear music of pipes and the warm smell of the sun. At dusk tonight, the Midsummer Eve festivities will begin -- a time of potent magic in the faery realm. But just what will take place remains a mystery, for every year young Sneezle has fallen asleep. Something wonderful will happen, he knows -- or perhaps something dreadful and strange, for the faeries have two sides to their natures.

Something wonderful, something strange...In this enchanting collaboration between renowned doll maker Wendy Froud and award-winning writer Terri Windling, Sneezle's Old Oak Wood comes vividly alive with the magical denizens of the faery kingdom: a fatherly old troll dispensing wisdom from deep in his burrow; faery godmothers washing fragile wings; Titania and Oberon, the great lovers who rule over this faery kingdom; and a host of piskies, pookas, enchanted beasts, and darker spirits. Filled with the mystery and wonder of the very best faery tales, this entrancing story sends our unlikely little hero, Sneezle, into the tangled heart of the forest in an effort to thwart a powerful plot that threatens the Old Oak Wood.

Can the faery kingdom be saved? Can an insignificant little creature like Sneezle succeed in a hero's quest? With dazzling charm and a magical touch that will appeal to readers of all ages, A Midsummer Night's Faery Tale shows us that a good heart can triumph over evil and that humble truths are more powerful than the most elegant artifice.

A Midsummer Night's Faery Tale is the result of a magical collaboration between the doll and puppet maker Wendy Froud and the award-winning author Terri Windling. The faery world they unveil here so vividly features images of Ms. Froud's handmade figures woven into an enchanting faery tale for all ages written by Ms. Windling.

Wendy Froud became a doll maker at the age of five, and has gone on to make dolls, puppets, and sculpture for such films as The Empire Strikes Back -- she is credited as the fabricator of its beloved character Yoda -- as well as Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, "The Muppet Show." and The Muppet Movie. Her dolls and figures are highly sought after by private collectors around the world. Froud grew up in Detroit and now resides in Devon, England, on Dartmoor, with her artist husband, Brian, and their son, Toby.