An aesthetically pleasing fairy-fix.
A team of fairies rescues forest animals in distress.
In four short stories, the Superfairies (Asian Rose, white Star, black Silk, and brown-skinned Berry, possibly Latina, South Asian, or mixed-race) work as a team to help the animals of Peaseblossom Woods. In “Basil the Bear Cub,” the little bear ends up stuck and dangling from Shaky Bridge after a dare, resulting in a river rescue via fairycoptor. In “Dancer the Wild Pony,” the fairies provide comfort to a dance-champion pony who is struggling with the pressure of expectations. In “Martha the Little Mouse,” after an autumn storm damages the home of a family of mice, young Martha rushes out to greet the fairies and is swept away by the storm; after completing the rescue, the fairies tell the Autumn Queen that her storm got out of hand, so she can scale back (the storm is to knock leaves off of trees to prepare for winter). In “Violet the Velvet Rabbit,” Violet skis down a snowy slope after some ribbing and encouragement from Basil and is caught up in a slight avalanche. The stories are simple, and the fairies are frequently indistinguishable as characters, but the full-color artwork’s cheery palette and use of textures and patterns, as well as the friendly, rounded animal forms and spindly fairies, hold great appeal.
An aesthetically pleasing fairy-fix. (Fantasy. 6-9)Pub Date: April 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-62370-819-1
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A gift of a book for new readers.
Little Dana needs big lessons in kindness more than any birthday present—unless a present can teach her something, that is.
She starts her special day wearing her favorite dress and eating her favorite breakfast, and then, because it’s her birthday “and she could do whatever she liked,” she teases a boy named Anthony. She calls him “ickaborse” and pinches him, and she eats his dessert after her own at school. She later receives many gifts at her party, but none compares with the present Anthony brings after her guests depart: “a big white elephant.” Dana is overwhelmed by the gift’s specialness and is determined to prove her worthiness of the creature, since, as she tells other children, “Not everyone deserves an elephant.” Her dogged efforts result in exhaustion, and with it, Dana becomes a target for another mean girl’s teasing. When audible hunger pangs plague her after she gives up her breakfast to the voracious elephant, for example, “Gertrude called her Grumble-Guts on the bus.” The chagrined Dana talks with Anthony, who generously reminds her about Gertrude’s coming birthday party, and it seems she’s found another birthday girl who deserves an elephant. Throughout, Schneider’s multimedia illustrations employ the same humorous, expressive line seen in his Geisel Award–winning Tales for Very Picky Eaters (2011), delivering a remarkable package.
A gift of a book for new readers. (Early reader. 6-9)Pub Date: May 7, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-83814-4
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 26, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Good intentions and heroism wrapped in a dainty package for girls who can’t get enough fairies.
The first installment in a chapter-book series chronicling the adventures of Tinker Bell’s younger sisters.
While Tinker Bell is off in Never Land with Peter Pan, her younger sisters enjoy their own fairy lives on Sheepskerry Island. Sylva, Tinker Bell’s second-youngest sister (youngest being baby Squeak), is looking forward to her birthday, as once she is 8 fairy years old she will be allowed to attend the Fairy Ball. She’s crushed when the fairy queen, Mab, schedules the ball for the day before her birthday. Poor Sylva tries to come to terms with having to stay home with baby Squeak while her other sisters go to the ball, but her efforts to help her sisters prepare go awry. Finally, the night of the ball comes, and through the window, Sylva witnesses a large band of trolls heading straight for Queen Mab’s palace and the ball. Sylva must (after securing her also-too-young-for-the-ball friend to watch Squeak) make the difficult decision to break the age rule and save the fairies from the trolls, who seek to steal the fairy magic. The narration is sweet and gentle—verging on too sweet—but Sylva’s proactive personality makes her an engaging character for readers to follow.
Good intentions and heroism wrapped in a dainty package for girls who can’t get enough fairies. (glossary of baby Squeak’s language, cake recipe, music) (Fantasy. 6-9)Pub Date: April 23, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-06-222802-4
Page Count: 109
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 26, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2013
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
