3 h 51 minAudiobook7 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
In this garden, winter has a ruler, flowers have voices, and even the smallest life has courage to find.
Louisa May Alcott's Flower Fables opens a world where fairies, insects, birds and flowers speak and act. In Lily-Bell and Thistledown, two fairies face small trials and learn through their choices. The Frost King brings a sharper threat: the cold ruler of winter tests the courage of the flowers and the fairies who care for them.
Little Bud and Clover-Blossom turn toward patient growth and humble goodness, while Eva's Visit to Fairy-Land carries a human child into the fairies' world. Throughout the collection, clear, simple language gives kindness, patience, work and cheerful courage a place among the petals.
What you’ll discover
- Two fairies learning Follow Lily-Bell and Thistledown through small trials that give their choices weight.
- Winter enters the garden Meet the Frost King, whose cold power threatens flowers and challenges their fairy guardians.
- Small lives with worth Discover how Little Bud and Clover-Blossom bring patient growth and steady goodness into view.
- A child's fairy journey Step beside Eva as she enters the fairies' world and learns from what she sees.
- Alcott at the beginning Explore Alcott's first book, where gentle tales carry plain lessons in kindness and courage.
Who will love it
For parents and grandparents who love gentle stories to read aloud, and readers who love Alcott and wish to see where she began. These fairy tales offer talking flowers, fairies and lessons in kindness and courage.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Stories told to a child in Concord
- Lily-Bell and Thistledown learn through small trials
- The Frost King brings winter into the garden
- Little Bud and Clover-Blossom show humble goodness
- Eva's Visit to Fairy-Land opens a door for a child
- A plain voice carries a gentle moral
Who’s who
- Lily-BellA graceful fairy named for a flower, who faces small trials and learns from the choices she makes.
- ThistledownA light and drifting fairy, named for the thistle seed, who shares in the first tale of the collection.
- The Frost KingThe cold ruler of winter, whose power over the garden tests the courage of the flowers and fairies.
- Little BudA small, young flower whose modest life shows that patient growth has its own worth.
- Clover-BlossomA gentle figure named for the humble meadow clover, who stands for plain, steady goodness.
- EvaA human child who visits the fairies' world and learns from what she sees there.
Formats and delivery
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- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 3 h 51 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 7 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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Flower Fables
by Louisa May Alcott · 1854
The Frost King brings winter to a garden, testing the courage of its flowers and fairies.
Medium level2–5 hours to read25 languages
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In short
Flower Fables is a book of fairy tales by Louisa May Alcott, published in 1854 when she was a young woman in Massachusetts. She first made up the stories for Ellen Emerson, the daughter of the writer Ralph Waldo Emerson, and for the children who played with her near Concord.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Stories told to a child in Concord
The book begins with a real friendship. Alcott grew up in Concord, Massachusetts, in a household of books, big ideas and little money. Her father, Bronson Alcott, was a teacher and philosopher, and the Emerson family were close neighbours. Ellen Emerson, a young girl, loved the tales Louisa invented, and the book is dedicated to her.
The stories were told aloud before they were ever written. You can hear it in the way they move. Sentences are short, scenes are clear and the characters are easy to picture. A teller who watches a child's face learns quickly what holds attention and what does not.
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What is Flower Fables about?
It is a collection of fairy tales in which fairies, flowers and the seasons face small trials. Each story teaches a simple lesson about kindness, patience, honest work and courage, in a light and gentle tone.
Who wrote Flower Fables and when?
Louisa May Alcott wrote it, and it was published in 1854. It was her first book, and it grew from stories she told to children in Concord, Massachusetts.
Who was Flower Fables written for?
Alcott wrote it for Ellen Emerson, the daughter of Ralph Waldo Emerson, and the book is dedicated to her. It was meant for children, though adults who enjoy gentle tales may like it too.
The author
Louisa May Alcott
1832–1888 · American novelist
Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888) was an American novelist born in Germantown, Pennsylvania. She lived mainly in Massachusetts, including Boston and Concord. She wrote Little Women, published in two parts in 1868 and 1869, An Old-Fashioned Girl in 1870, Little Men in 1871, and Work: A Story of Experience in 1873.
More by Louisa May Alcott
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