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MISTER FAIRY

Name: MISTER FAIRY
Author: Morgane de Cadier
ISBN: 978-1-63655-000-8

by Morgane de Cadier ; illustrated by Florian Pigé ; translated by Angus Yuen-Killick ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 7, 2021

A delightful, lighthearted tale of self-discovery.

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A fairy leaves his forest home and travels to the city in search of his special talent.

Unlike the other forest fairies, who all have their own unique skills, Mister Fairy feels useless. “Sad and unhappy,” he leaves the forest only to arrive in “a very different forest” (depicted in Pigé’s artwork as a city) where everything is “dark and gray and colorless” and its inhabitants also seem sad and unhappy. Then Mister Fairy tentatively waves his wand, and magically the city’s awash in color, making the people smile. “No longer feeling sad and unhappy,” Mister Fairy heads into the subway, where he waves his wand again and tickles passengers with his tiny wings, prompting everyone to laugh. Back on the street, he transforms outdoor cafe umbrellas into giant cotton-candy balls, delighting all. Returning home, Mister Fairy discovers his forest has lost its color, and his forest friends no longer laugh or smile without him. Realizing he’s not the “most useless fairy” after all, a now-confident Mister Fairy knows just what to do. Whimsical illustrations rely on abstract, simple shapes and soft colors to capture Mister Fairy’s transition from frowning and purposeless to smiling and fulfilled. Humorously presented as a miniature elephant in a dress with itty-bitty wings and a wand, Mister Fairy’s tiny, solitary figure will engender chuckles as he deliberately flits across the pages, spreading color, smiles, and even cotton candy.

A delightful, lighthearted tale of self-discovery. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-63655-000-8

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Red Comet Press

Review Posted Online: June 15, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
JUST TO SEE
by Morgane de Cadier ; illustrated by Florian Pigé ; translated by Johanna McCalmont

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THE MOST MAGNIFICENT THING

by Ashley Spires ; illustrated by Ashley Spires ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2014

Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle...

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Making things is difficult work. Readers will recognize the stages of this young heroine’s experience as she struggles to realize her vision.

First comes anticipation. The artist/engineer is spotted jauntily pulling a wagonload of junkyard treasures. Accompanied by her trusty canine companion, she begins drawing plans and building an assemblage. The narration has a breezy tone: “[S]he makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!” The colorful caricatures and creations contrast with the digital black outlines on a white background that depict an urban neighborhood. Intermittent blue-gray panels break up the white expanses on selected pages showing sequential actions. When the first piece doesn’t turn out as desired, the protagonist tries again, hoping to achieve magnificence. A model of persistence, she tries many adjustments; the vocabulary alone offers constructive behaviors: she “tinkers,” “wrenches,” “fiddles,” “examines,” “stares” and “tweaks.” Such hard work, however, combines with disappointing results, eventually leading to frustration, anger and injury. Explosive emotions are followed by defeat, portrayed with a small font and scaled-down figures. When the dog, whose expressions have humorously mirrored his owner’s through each phase, retrieves his leash, the resulting stroll serves them well. A fresh perspective brings renewed enthusiasm and—spoiler alert—a most magnificent scooter sidecar for a loyal assistant.

Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle characterization for maximum delight. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: April 1, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-55453-704-4

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Kids Can

Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2014

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
BYE BYE, BUTTERFLY
developed by Ashley Spires ; adapted by Naseem Hrab ; illustrated by Mike Shiell

- BOOK REVIEW
NO MOUSIE LEFT BEHIND
developed by Ashley Spires ; adapted by Naseem Hrab ; illustrated by Mike Shiell

- BOOK REVIEW
THE MOST MAGNIFICENT MAKER'S A TO Z
by Ashley Spires ; illustrated by Ashley Spires

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)