Alice the Fairy Age 5-7

Imaginative Alice has a nose for trouble, but luckily she's a fairy--a temporary fairy. She has a magic wand, fairy wings, and a blanket, all of which she uses to disappear, to fly, to transform her dad into a horse, and to turn his cookies into her own.
Alice the Fairy

By David Shannon

Illustrated by David Shannon

Edition: illustrated

Published by Blue Sky Press, 2004

ISBN 0439490251, 9780439490252

40 pages Ages 5, 6, 7

Young David, who ran bare-bottomed into ...

... the hearts of zillions, has a sister—or at least a kindred spirit! Unlike her nonverbal relative, though, she's quite a chatterbox. Introducing herself as a "Temporary fairy," she proceeds to ... more » demonstrate tricks she can do—magically turning Dad into a horsie, a plateful of Dad's cookies into her cookies, and, by waving her wand too close to a glass of juice, a white dress into a red one—and can't—making the dog, or her strewn clothes, float off the floor. A peg-toothed child sporting tied-on wings, and a sequined tiara atop blonde curls, Alice dances through Shannon's blotchy, scribbled domestic scenes. Her big personality shines forth from both pictures and hand-lettered nattering, and the touch of vulnerability that he adds to her brash self-confidence makes her all the more likable. Watch out, Olivia. (Picture book. 5, 6, 7)

Kirkus Reviews Copyright (c) VNU Business Media, Inc.

PreS-Gr 1-Donning a fairy costume ...

... inspires a little girl's imagination in this droll picture book. Alice speaks for herself, claiming she can fly (not too high but really fast), can change her dad into a horse (for a horsey ride ... more »), can make herself disappear (by flicking off the light switch with her wand), and can turn oatmeal into cake by pouring on fairy dust (sugar). There are elements of danger, such as broccoli poisoned by the wicked Duchess (Mom) and baths (fairies hate baths), as well as mischief ("-my mom made cookies for my dad. So I turned them into mine") and mishaps ("Once I accidentally turned my white dress into a red one"). Alice knows that Permanent fairyhood requires a lot of tests, attending Advanced Fairy School, and learning how to "make clothes get up off the floor and- line up in the closet," so she'll "probably be a Temporary fairy forever." With his signature cartoon-style art and childlike lettering, Shannon has created a winsome, exuberant heroine whose wide eyes and toothy smile bring David to mind, though Alice's blond ringlets are all her own. Variety in page and text layout and the use of brilliant color make the pictures dance and occasionally pop right off the pages. An enjoyable romp.-Marie Orlando, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY

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