The Goods

Reading Animal Figurines for a Bookish Fairy Garden

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Danika Ellis

Associate Editor

Danika spends most of her time talking about queer women books at the Lesbrary. Blog: The Lesbrary Twitter: @DanikaEllis

If you’re not familiar with a fairy garden, they are exactly what they sound like. They’re gardens decorated to look like they’re inhabited by fairies, and they can be absolutely breathtaking. I highly recommend falling down a Pinterest rabbit hole to see people’s intricate creations. These can be done simply, made as a project for kids, or they can become an ongoing hobby in their own right.

Everything is in miniature, and there is no limit to the amount of tiny accessories that you can buy or DIY for a fairy garden. (Think dollhouses, but with a fantasy flair.) Because it has a very small footprint, there’s also no need to have a backyard to do it. Many fairy gardens are contained in a single pot, and they are also done in terrariums. Besides, once you start collecting all those individually crafted accessories, you probably want to be able to keep an eye on them inside instead of having a bird take off with your artfully moss-decked fairy ladder.

Whether you want to start a fairy garden or just add a bookish element to an existing one, these reading animal figurines will be a perfect touch. Just one peeking out from under a houseplant would be adorable, or you can assemble a whole fairy garden book club.

Reading dragon figurine

Lean into the fantasy theme of your fairy garden with this reading dragon figurine. (There’s another reading dragon figurine in our Bookish Dragon Goods Worth Roaring About post!) $13

Sleeping cat figurine resting chin on a stack of books

This sleeping cat figurine will look adorable nestled into a corner of a terrarium. $9

Rabbit reading book figurine

A rabbit figurine that projects reading bliss — accompanied by a teeny tiny bird! $9

Reading rabbits on swing figurine

I’ve never seen figurines in a hammock before this, and I can’t believe how cute they look. This little reading rabbit family is suspended with a tiny string of rope! $33

Two squirrel figurines carrying books

Both of these reading squirrels can be bought individually, but the set makes it look like they’re studying in a tiny fairy academy. $14 for the set

Reading hamster and guitar-playing hamster figurines

It is taking all my self control to not caption each of these with “Look at how cute these are!” These tiny hamsters reading and playing guitar have broken my resolve, though. Look at how cute they are! $10

This is too much. I only hope that you, too, have a hollow log to place this owl figurine with a book on its head into. $9

Reading Frog Figurines for Your Fairy Garden

Miniature frog figurine sitting on a stack of resin books

Frogs appear to the go-to animal fairy garden inhabitant, so they’ve earned their own subcategory! This miniature frog figurine is perched on a stack of books. $9

Frog figurine reading in a swing

Another figurine in a swing! This reading frog’s swing is made up of a single leaf, and appears to be reading an autobiography. $17

A figurine of a reading frog riding a small tortoise

Fairy garden frogs aren’t usually alone, though. This reading frog is riding an agreeable tortoise. $9

Reading frog and mouse figurines

Stage a fairy garden book club with these reading frog and mouse figurines! Alternatively, you can get a set of the reading frog and bird. $8 each or $14 for both


What does your bookish fairy garden look like? We’d love to see it!