Fuschia. © The estate of Cicely Mary Barker, 2005.

Just in case Sara Chare paused to check under a flower before making her way to the Museum of Reading for an evening with the Flower Fairies.

While it may be true that 'people who are born in the morning cannot see fairies. They are only visible to those born at night', you can increase your chances of seeing a fairy with a visit to the Museum of Reading, which until April 24 2005 is the gateway to a magical world.

Just as the public in the early 1900s enjoyed Cicely Mary Barker’s watercolours, so too will the contemporary visitor. The Flower Fairy paintings offer an escape from reality and offer a kind of childhood innocence.

The colours and details of the images will fascinate children and for adults there’s the botanical accuracy of the pictures and folklore associated with each flower.

Rosehip. © The estate of Cicely Mary Barker, 2005.

The first Flower Fairy book was published in 1923 at a time when fairies were a very popular topic. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s book The Coming of the Fairies had been published only the year before and people found they wanted to turn to something simpler and embrace a pre-scientific age.

Cicely Mary Barker’s illustrations were perfect for this. With her botanist’s eye for detail and her vast knowledge of plants and flowers, she combined a celebration of the British countryside with the idea of childhood.

The children in her pictures were studies of those who attended her sister’s kindergarten and each watercolour was accompanied by the fairy’s specific song which revealed more about the flower, plant or tree’s appearance and special characteristics.

A group of eager fairies in waiting. © The Museum of Reading.

This exhibition caters especially for children. The pictures are hung low on the walls so that everyone can see them and the main emphasis is on the images. As well as the watercolours, there are also fairy costumes for children to try on, flower fairy inspired hats made by a local designer, a reading corner, and most importantly a mirror.

The display begins with a series of information panels explaining Barker’s background and also providing titbits of information about flowers, fairies and trees - it’s not everyday you learn that in Scotland fairies were thought to be responsible for the Northern Lights!

Glass cases in the centre of the room display first and early editions of the flower fairy books and separate from the fairy pictures are 12 other examples of Cicely Mary Barker’s works.

The exhibition achieves a good balance between what will be interesting and entertaining for children and what will also appeal to adults. It is however slightly disappointing that none of the poems found in the books are on display.

Willow. © The estate of Cicely Mary Barker, 2005.

Flower Fairies will be a big hit with little girls who dream of being princesses or living amongst the flowers, but it also offers enough to entertain both young and old.

Fans of any age are bound to recognise some of their favourite fairies amongst the paintings, such as the Buttercup Fairy, the Poppy Fairy or the Sweet Pea Fairies.

For anyone else it’s a great introduction to a timeless phenomenon and I recommend it if you want a dose of escapism or simply an enjoyable introduction to museums and art galleries for your children.