Didn't seem like much of a story...

Quick read. Wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but it ended rather abruptly without much resolution. Almost like she intended a longer story but couldn’t figure out where to go with it.

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Yay, Damar! I missed this world and had no idea there were more stories that took place there. The Hero and the Crown and The Blue Sword are two of my FAVORITE books, so I love getting to see this world again!

This is one of those classic McKinley stories like Sunshine, The Hero and the Crown, or Deerskin and etc. where the heroine is torn between two 'men' (or maybe male creatures would be a better term) and between 'real life' and 'other'. (It is a very common theme and conflict in her writing, as long-time fans will recognize.)

Since, reading between the lines, it is pretty clear that the relationship between Maddy and the Stone Fey is a physical one, it is odd that this book is usually shelved with the children's picture books. It's likely that younger children won't pick up on this, however. (Nothing more overt than reading between the lines in all of the Blue/Green/Red/Yellow/Whatever Fairy Books and the like.)

I may be wrong in this, but I have the impression that the story itself was written (and maybe published) then it was decided to do it as an illustrated book. That may be why it doesn't really work well (as far as storyline/theme) for young children?

It is a beautiful and mystical story with lovely atmospheric pictures and lovely for those readers looking to glom and/or acquire all of McKinley's backlist

Despite picture book format, this is a short story best suited for young adult readers. It is haunting in its vagueness. It holds few ties to Damar, mentioning some plants, a bird and hinting at a wizard I assume is Luthe. It didn't resonate with me as the Damar novels did.

I glanced at some of the other reviews that said they found the book in the children's section of their library. Mine had it in the young adult section, but it certainly looks like a kids book based on the size and illustrations.

The artwork was beautiful, and I think it helped me to get into the mood of the book. It's really more of an illustrated short story; I read it in less than an hour.

If you are unfamiliar with this style of fantastical, otherworldly writing then the story might be hard to jump into. The references to flora and fauna are a mix of familiar (sheep and sheepdogs) and strange (folstza and yerig). The premise of an ordinary girl being drawn away from her ordinary life by a mystical creature might be hard to buy into. But I typically enjoy that kind of thing, and I was pleased at the ending. The illustrations and McKinley's writing style make this a really beautiful book.

Very beautiful painted pictures accompany this sad little fairy tale about a common sheep girl who falls in love with a stone fay. The pictures capture the melancolly story really well.

So beautiful: another Robin McKinley classic. I re-read it at 3 am the other night when I was too ill to sleep, and the beauty of the writing and the slightly melancholy mood was perfect.

This gets extra bonus points from me for the production value of the physical book. It's a bummer that it's out of print and hard to find, because I would love to own a copy!

The story itself is pretty short and simple, but it's quintessential McKinley storytelling, and also Damar!

A strange packaging decision. This is a short story, but the book is the size/shape of a picture book. It is (beautifully) illustrated, with full page and 2 page spread illustrations, but not on every page like a picture book.

The story is very much YA or adult because it has to do with being in love and making choices even when you want very much to do something else.

It has a very dreamy quality to it.

This was too much of a short story for me to enjoy it - I like more character development, and I felt like it left a lot of things unexplained.

Although it's been a few years since reading it last, I have read it several times. Not a long story and yes, minimalist (appropriate term?). We were talking about this book at work the other day and I recommended it as a fine example of Robin McKinley's writing without being very long. I couldn't help but notice several other reviewers did not like this book. Harumph.

Beautifully written; yes it is not really a children's story although it can be read aloud to children. Like the best tales often are, Stone Fey will be a different story for each person who reads it. This has got to be cleanest version of longing, destructive; obsession and resolution. Dreamy and pragmatic. Get your little ones' neural systems primed for emotional capacity, complexity, reality, with this little gem. Heck, do it for yourself.