The Catalpa Tree Fairy and Other Stories is a collection of short stories inspired by the author's own life, with a healthy dose of fantasy. Paul enjoys the company of a beautiful songbird, and Zoe has a favorite professor who turns out to be even more unusual than she first thought. Maria meets an interesting old woman and her cat living in the forest. Over the course of the summer Maria learns all about the different birds that come to eat at her table. Joey always wanted a pet and is delighted when a special cat chooses to live with him. Astrid is a young mermaid whose love of dolphins helps her learn to sing. Naida and her little group of young tree fairies learn how to take care of their newly assigned trees, and each other.