Stella's little brother Sam wonders whether fairies are invisible. Stella assures him that she has seen hundreds of them and that if she and Sam venture across the meadow and into the forest, they are likely to find some.

So begins another adventure in the Stella and Sam series about the irrepressible red-head, and her slightly apprehensive little brother.

Her freewheeling ink-and-watercolor illustrations are delightful, and it's obvious from the knowing text that she has listened to conversations between kids. Stella and Sam, so different, relish their respective roles and obviously love one another; they always seem to find something to share in their circumscribed but ever-intriguing world.

Gay's illustrations, done primarily in watercolors with a touch of paper collage, are bright and have a whimsical touch.