Darling Books about Fairies, Dollhouses & Other Wee Things

Miniature worlds are a staple of childhood. These books about fairies and dollhouses and other tiny creatures will spark your child's imagination. This book list appeals to the 6 year old in me, which is why I know your kids will love every one of these picture books—and these books are not just for girls! I read them to my boys and they loved them. The desire to rule over wee dominions is not limited to one gender. 🙂

I would have liked for this list to be more diverse, and if you know of some great picture books about dollhouses or fairies featuring children of color, please leave me a comment so I can check it out. (Note: books and covers are affiliate links.)

Picture Books about Dollhouses

This is My Dollhouse by Giselle Potter. A girl describes her wonderful handmade dollhouse, from the paper cup elevator, to the tiny box TV with a changeable picture, to the bowl-turned-rooftop pool. But when she visits her friend Sophie, who has a perfectly staged dollhouse, the friends can't figure out how to play with it. I adored this book, which is a lovely testament to the imagination and how kids who feel ownership over their creations can soar.

Tale of Two Bad Mice by Beatrix Potter. This was one of my all time favorite books when I was a kid. Before I could read, I had the whole thing memorized and would sit and "read" it aloud over and over. It's the classic tale of two very curious mice who investigate the local dollhouse while its regular residents are on an outing.

Toby's Doll's House by Ragnhild Scamell, Adrian Reynolds. Toby wants a dollhouse, but the adults can't seem to understand that a boy would want a dollhouse. They assume he must mean a farm, or a toy parking lot! When the adults don't listen, Toby uses his imagination to turn the gifts into what he really wants, a house for dolls.

Miss Suzy by Miriam Young, illustrated by Arnold Lobel. Read this classic story about a sweet little squirrel, who after her tree house is taken over by the mean red squirrels, makes her home in a dollhouse. Miss Suzy misses her leafy house, however, and tells her sad tale to the local toy soldiers who help her reclaim her abode. A cute, old-fashioned and over-looked classic about kindnes that makes a perfect bedtime story.

The Mouse Mansion. This a rather amazing book by a Dutch artistKarina Schaapmanconstructed an entire miniature world for apartment-dwelling mice. A little known fact about me is that I am obsessed with the miniature. This book contains 17 stories about the neighborly adventures of two mice, Julia and Sam. Julia lives with her mom in a small space, while Sam lives with his extended family. It is a lovely, fascinating book full of old-fashioned fun and simply marvelous photography of an intricate and tiny world.

Tiny Town and Tiny Farm by Suzy Ultman. Chronicle Books sent me these two adorable books and I immediately fell in love. Each sweet board book is only 6 inches tall and as you read it tiny cut outs reveal tiny surprises. Children can even stand them up on the table or floor to use in their pretend play scenarios (as I'm sure they will!). Quite delightful.

Picture Books about Fairies and Wee Folk

The Dollhouse Fairy by Jane Ray. Let's start off with a book about dollhouses and fairies, shall we? Rosy finds a disheveled, hungry fairy with broken wing in her dollhouse! With her own father in the hospital, Rosy nurtures Thistle the Fairy back to health and can't wait to introduce Thistle to her father. But when her father returns home, Thistle has flown away. A sweet book with appealing illustrations.

A Fairy Friend by Sue Fliess, illustrated by Claire Keane. Every child has wondered how to make a fairy friend! This book teaches you how, which showing that fairies are everywhere. The book is sparse on plot but I adored it. Lovely illustrations will feed any child's (and adult's) imagination!

Flower Fairies by Cicely Mary Barker. What would a book list about fairies be without Cicely Mary Barker? These classic poems, are a must read, even if only for the wonderful illustrations. There are four books, one for each season.

If You See a Fairy Ring: A Rich Treasury of Classic Fairy Poems illustrated by Susanna Lockheart. A wonderful collection of poems. Some of them may be a bit over the head of the youngest children, but the clever paper engineering with delight everyone.

Bloom by Doreen Cronin is a book after my 6 year old heart. Bloom is a mud fairy in a glass kingdom. When the glass kingdom becomes brittle, the royal family goes in search of a magical creature who can help them, but they scorn the mud fairy because she does not fit the mold of what they were expecting. Finally, a servant girl learns the secret of mud magic from Bloom and they work to save the kingdom. Wonderful and magical, with a dash of practicality.

The Fairy House Handbook by Liza Gardner Walsh, illustrated by Amy Whilton. Originally, I was only going to include fiction picture books but I couldn't resist this book with photographs to inspire kids to build their own fairy houses! I know what I'm going to be doing this weekend!

April and Esme Tooth Fairies by Bob Graham. April is about to get her first tooth fairy assignment. She is so excited, but first she must convince her parents to let her and her sister, Esme, venture forth on their own. Kids will enjoy seeing tooth fairies texting and getting calls on cell phones!

Peter in Blueberry Land by Elsa Beskow. If you want to feed your child's imagination look no further than books by Elsa Beskow. I have a particular soft spot for this title about a boy who shrinks down to the size of the local pixies and fairies to find the perfect gift for his mother. But, any of her marvelously illustrated books will do.

The Little Gardener by Emily Hughes. A very little gardener brings large-sized beauty to his garden. The little gardener works hard tending nature and the reader looks at the wonders of nature from his perspective. When a full-sized girl takes over the tending, kids will enjoy comparing how they see a garden to how the little guy does. Marvelous illustrations.

More book lists you will love: 

• Best Classic Fairy Tale Picture Books for Children
• Fairy Tale Chapter Books
• 100 of the Funniest Funny Chapter Books for Kids
• 51 (Out of the Box) Picture Books You Must Read to Your Kids