LET’S GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER BETTER!
Hi! Here we are, waiting to accompany you into our world. You may already know that fairy creatures are tiny, winged, and above all, magical. However, few people know that we fairies are not all the same: we have different interests, passions, and personalities, and this makes each of us unique and irreplaceable, just like you. Let’s get to know each other better, shall we?
CLOUD, THE FAIRY OF ATMOSPHERIC PHENOMENA
My task, and that of other fairies like me, is to study what happens in the atmosphere: rain, wind, and snow are our specialties! Sometimes, just for fun, we make everything a little more magical. For example, we might make it rain while the sun is shining, creating a rainbow.
LEAH, THE ANIMAL LOVER
It is up to me and the other fairies who love forest animals to ensure their happiness. For example, we can help a squirrel find a nut or a bird take its first flight.
VIOLA, THE FLOWER FAIRY
It is said of me that, just like my beloved plants, I am calm and patient. I deal with petals, roots, stems, and leaves, from which I have learned to obtain precious plant extracts.
EACH ONE OF US HAS DIFFERENT INTERESTS. WHAT DO YOU LIKE?
CLOUD
VIOLA LEAHVIOLA
In the meadows, there are many varieties of plants that we flower fairies learn about and protect.
I LOVE THE SPRING!
HOW DID I LEARN THE MAGIC OF FLOWERS?
BY GOING TO SCHOOL, JUST LIKE YOU!
DURING MASTER ROOT’S LESSONS, I DISCOVERED THAT...
... some plants have HEALING POWERS. For example, an herbal tea made from small chamomile flowers helps to calm you down if you are feeling restless!
Other plants are known as AROMATIC, and they can be used in the kitchen to give foods a special flavor. Let me tell you a secret: my aunt Marigold always adds rosemary, sage, and thyme to her famous soups!
Many small fruits can also be found in the forest, but not all of them are edible!
Are you able to recognize blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries? Rich in vitamins, they are known as BERRIES, and they are delicious, perfect for making the sweetest of jams!
HAVE YOU EVER TASTED THEM?
THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO LEARN
BY OBSERVING NATURE!Did you know that every plant can be recognized by the shape and characteristics of its LEAVES?
If you want to learn to distinguish them, you can start compiling a SECRET PLANT DIARY, like me!
Here’s how it’s done: Choose a notebook to take along with you every time you go to a forest or a park. Collect the fallen leaves, and taking care not to tear them, slip them between the pages of your diary. Or, take a picture of the flowers and plant details that strike you the most.
MUSHROOMS OAK
Once you’re back home, write the name of the plant they came from, and all the details that you can remember, next to each photograph or leaf. You will soon become a true botanical expert!
If you happen to find a cut-down tree during your explorations, stop and count how many years old it was. How does one do this? Here’s the secret: every RING ON THE INSIDE OF THE TREE TRUNK is one year in the tree’s life! Of course, you can also take pictures of fruits. However, keep in mind that most plants flower and bear fruit over the spring and the summer.
LEAH ANIMALS ARE MY BEST FRIENDS!
My job is to protect and help all animals, whether they’re tiny or giants, like insects and...me!
AND, ALTHOUGH I’M STILL STUDYING, I’M ALREADY COMMITTED TO PROTECTING THEM!
For example, one afternoon just a few months ago, I came across a BUNNY RABBIT. One of the bunny’s paws was wounded, but luckily, it was just a thorn. I extracted it, sprinkled some of my magic disinfectant on the wound, and...voilà! He was fine!
HOW ABOUT YOU? HAVE YOU EVER HELPED AN ANIMAL IN NEED?
If you have, you already know that, in return, the creature will be incredibly grateful. For example, every year, bees give me their honey, to thank me for saving their queen. By the way...
Do you know how BEES make honey? Turn to the next page!
SUCH BUZZING AROUND THE BEEHIVE! BEES NEVER STAY STILL!
Some bring in the nectar, others mix it with their saliva in order to make honey, and still others make sure it stays at the right temperature by constantly flapping their wings to cool it. No magic— just a miraculous gift from nature!
Other insects also have abilities that appear to be magical! Here’s an example: male CICADAS chirp by making an organ located on their abdomen vibrate.
BEE CICADAAnd what about the cocoon known as a CHRYSALIS?
It may seem to be inanimate and abandoned, but in a few days, it will open, releasing a wonderful butterfly. My magic doesn’t have anything to do with it! The chrysalis is generated by a caterpillar when it feels that the time has come to transform itself!
Lastly, FIREFLIES seem to be the most magical creatures of all, because they are capable of lighting up the hot summer nights. How do they do it? They have the ability to emit light from the posterior part of their body.
IT’S NOT MAGIC, BUT A PHENOMENON KNOWN AS BIOLUMINESCENCE.
BUTTERFLY
THE WIND IS MY PLAYMATE!
My favorite atmospheric phenomena are snow and rainbows.
WHATEVER HAPPENS IN THE AIR IS MY BUSINESS, AND EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS HAS AN EXPLANATION AND ITS OWN FUNCTION IN NATURE.
Here’s what I’ve discovered through my studies. I’m sure it will be interesting for you, too!
CLOUD
When abundant SNOW falls, it makes every landscape seem more beautiful, as if it were under a magic spell, and this, in a way, is also a bit because of us fairies. When it comes to how snow is formed, it isn’t magic that’s needed, but science. I’ll explain myself better in just a moment.
Who doesn’t like SNOW? And who doesn’t love RAINBOWS?
In this case, we just might get involved by using a magic signal to ensure that no child misses a rainbow in the sky! But fairies are not responsible for the rainbow’s birth.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW HOW A RAINBOW IS FORMED?
You’re about to find out!
OFTEN, I STOP TO LISTEN TO THE SOUNDS OF NATURE: THE WIND, THE RAIN, A RIVER FLOWING. THESE ARE MY FAVORITE MUSIC!
BUT, LET’S GET BACK TO THE RAINBOW...
Rainbows are caused by the passage of LIGHT through the DROPLETS of water that remain suspended in the air after it rains. The best time to see a rainbow is in the morning and in the evening. This is because the light must shine at a particular angle when it passes through the water droplets. Still, remember that this doesn’t happen after every storm... A
BIT OF LUCK IS REQUIRED!
RAIN MAGIC?
When temperatures drop, rain turns into SNOW, tiny ice crystals that fall softly and accumulate on the ground, forming a white layer covering everything in sight.
Here’s a bit of natural magic: Did you know that no two SNOWFLAKES are the same?
After each snowfall, we fairies of the atmosphere try guessing which animal the footprints left in the snow belong to. We also amuse ourselves by leaving our own footprints!
Try it yourself. Take a walk across a snowy meadow, and discover the footprints you’ve left behind you by looking over your shoulder.
SNOW IS LIKE AN EMPTY CANVAS WHERE EVERYONE CAN WRITE THEIR OWN STORY!
FOOTPRINTS