Category Archives: Fairies/Magical Realms

Nov25

Mog at the Zoo by Helen Nicoll and Jan Pienkowski

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IMG_2736Mog at the Zoo by Helen Nicoll and Jan Pienkowski, paperback picture book, first published by William Heinemann Ltd in 1982, this edition published by Puffin Books in 2014.

Meg, Mog and Owl visit the zoo, but Mog is mistaken for a tiger. The zoo keepers chase him past lots of animals until they catch him and lock him in a cage. Meg tries to rescue him, but her spells don’t always work the way they should.

This book is part of the popular Meg and Mog series. I loved it as a child, and now my own children love it! The story is easy to read and fun, while the illustrations are bright and simple. Lots of solid blocks of colours with black outlines make this book good for helping younger children to learn colours, as well as making it easy for them to enjoy the pictures without being overwhelmed by too much detail.

Mog at the Zoo is a great book to share with toddlers, preschoolers and older children. It is also perfect to read alone for lower primary school students. I like when the crocodiles cheer Mog on, and my preschooler liked that the monkeys gave Mog a banana to cheer him up. Kids will love all of the adventures that Meg and Mog have!

Nov1

Airy Fairy: Magic Mess! by Margaret Ryan

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IMG_2455Airy Fairy: Magic Mess! by Margaret Ryan and illustrated by Teresa Murfin, paperback chapter book, 77 pages, published by Scholastic Ltd in 2004.

Airy Fairy is the worst fairy at spells and just about everything else in Fairy Gropplethorpe’s Academy for Good Fairies, but she does try hard. It is Fairy Gropplethorpe’s Rainbow Birthday, and all the little fairies are asked to make her a present. They have also been asked to paint their rooms. Both tasks require creative spell-work, something that Airy Fairy is not very good at. Her attempts are not helped by the meanest and naughtiest fairy at the academy, Scary Fairy, who likes to play rotten tricks on Airy Fairy. Such a small fairy, and such a large mess!

This was an easy read chapter book suitable for lower primary school children. I read it to my preschooler and she really enjoyed it. My second grader liked the story too, but the book was very easy for her. There were black and white drawings scattered through the book. They were a little peculiar, with the characters having quite angled features, but my preschooler liked them. We all laughed when Airy Fairy’s spells went wrong, and scowled when the fault lay with Scary Fairy! It was a fun read that encourages independent reading. There are a few other titles in the Airy Fairy series that we haven’t yet read, but I will be trying to find.

Jul2

Little Lost Unicorn by Lorna Hussey

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IMG_0832Little Lost Unicorn by Lorna Hussey, hardback picture book, published by Hinkler Books in 2009.

Little Unicorn goes exploring in the forest and gets lost. Some little forest animals befriend him and they have a lovely time playing together until baby rabbit falls into the stream. Little Unicorn must be brave to help baby rabbit.

This is a magical story of friendship and courage with beautiful illustrations on embossed pages. There are unicorns hiding on every page, which my preschooler loved! She spent a lot of time poring over the pages looking for them, and running her hands over the embossing. She is a big fan of unicorns and this is the best unicorn story book we have read so far. It was very engaging for my preschooler, and I enjoyed her enthusiasm for the book. Perfect for every little unicorn lover, this is a great book for sharing with your preschooler, or for lower primary school students.  Personally, I liked this story, and I was very impressed with the lovely illustrations, and ingenuity of the hidden unicorns.

Jun26

Princess Evie’s Ponies: Indigo the Magic Rainbow Pony by Sarah KilBride and Sophie Tilley

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IMG_0754Princess Evie’s Ponies: Indigo the Magic Rainbow Pony by Sarah KilBride and illustrated by Sophie Tilley, paperback picture book, published by Simon and Schuster in 2012.

Princess Evie and her pet cat, Sparkles, have a stable full of magic ponies who take them on adventures. In Indigo the Magic Rainbow Pony, when they ride through the tunnel of trees they emerge into a world of colours. Evie’s clothes have changed to rainbow colours, and so has Indigo’s coat and mane, and there are beautiful butterflies everywhere. Yet, as they ride on they encounter a drab, grey garden, drained of colour. Evie discovers a map that tells her to find the magic girls and collect their coloured stones to return the colours. So Evie, Indigo and Sparkles set out to do just that.

A fun story with magic, adventure, new friendships, sharing and colour. The illustrations are particularly nice, with lots of detail and lovely colours. My preschooler was immediately drawn to this book because it had silver sparkles and a pony on the front cover. She also liked the shiny pink hearts and lettering of the title. The story containing a princess, magic and rainbows were bonuses. My daughter is very pink and princessy and this is the sort of book that she will ask for repeatedly, until I can’t stand reading it any more. And when I have had enough, she will continue to peruse it herself. With two daughters, I’m working on building my tolerance for magic ponies, fairies, princesses, animals…. I prefer a good giggle book to share, but I have to run with what the kids like, though it will be nice when A can read these types of books herself! This is not a bad book however, it just isn’t my cuppa, and my four year old loved it! This book would particularly appeal to girly girls in the preschooler to lower primary age groups.

Jun3

Twice Upon a Time: Rapunzel, The One with All the Hair by Wendy Mass

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IMG_0140Twice Upon a Time: Rapunzel, The One with All the Hair by Wendy Mass, paperback novel, 205 pages, published by Scholastic Inc. in 2006.

Rapunzel is an ordinary girl turning twelve when a witch arrives at her home and whisks her away as payment for a deal made with Rapunzel’s parents before she was born. The witch locks Rapunzel in a tall tower in the middle of the forest. The room is bare, there is no door, and the only window is so far from the ground she would probably die in the fall, and Rapunzel is all alone.

Prince Benjamin is also trapped, not physically, but by the constraints of being heir to the throne and all the responsibility that comes with it. His father wants him to act more like a man and begin his king training, while his mother is somewhat over protective, and doesn’t even let him visit the nearby village. Benjamin’s cousin, Prince Elkin, comes to stay with them frequently, and he often tries to get Benjamin into trouble. The two of them set out on an adventure for a horde of treasure guarded by a troll, but they find something completely different. And in the process Prince Benjamin finds a tall and solitary tower in the forest.

This is another book in Wendy Mass’s Twice Upon a Time series, in which old fairytales are retold in a new and refreshing way. Following both the side of Rapunzel and that of Prince Benjamin, this version of the old tale is interesting and different. The characters are well written and likable, with faults and quirks, giving them a sense of realism. There were parts of this story that made me laugh too. I enjoyed this book very much.

I have given this book to my second grader to read, and though she is only at the start, she already likes it. Most suited to middle and upper primary school children to read independently, younger children may also enjoy having this story read to or with them. A wonderful twist on an old tale.

 

 

 

Jun1

Twice Upon a Time: Sleeping Beauty, The One Who Took the Really Long Nap by Wendy Mass

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IMG_0142Twice Upon a Time: Sleeping Beauty, The One Who Took the Really Long Nap by Wendy Mass, paperback novel, 172 pages, published by Scholastic Inc. in 2006.

Most people know the old fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty, who is cursed by an evil fairy to and sleeps for 100 years. Sleeping Beauty, The One Who Took the Really Long Nap is a new version of this favourite tale, told alternately from both the side of the princess and the side of the prince.

Princess Rose is endowed with many gifts from her fairy godmothers as a newborn, but the oldest and meanest fairy in the land curses her instead to prick her finger on a spindle and die. The last of fairy godmothers can lessen the curse but not lift it, so when Princess Rose pricks her finger she falls into a deep and prolonged sleep, one which will last 100 years.

The Prince has worries, not least of which is his mother who is part ogre, and needs to feed on fresh meat twice a month. He grows up alone, with a page his only friend, but when he leaves, the Prince is on his own. He spends many hours and days wandering the forest near his castle, and he stumbles across an old castle that is completely overgrown with trees and vines. He attempts to gain entrance to this castle, but the vines won’t yield. The prince is determined to discover the secrets of this old castle.

An old tale retold and refreshed, and a very enjoyable one at that. The basic skeleton of the original story is retained, with the details expanded and tweaked to create a new version that is fun and engaging. Telling the stories of both the Princess and the Prince was a unique way to add dimension, and is done very well. The reader is introduced to the characters not just of the Princess as a beautiful girl waiting and her Prince Charming who dashes in and rescues her gallantly. The characters have depth, and flaws and realism, and I could conjure them in my mind throughout their adventure. There were also moments of humour, and I found it to be an entertaining read.

This story is most suited to middle and upper primary school children, but I think my second grader would enjoy it a lot too. Explanations of some things like pages, squires and spindles might be required for younger children, but that just adds to the experience of reading with your child.

This is the second book by Wendy Mass that I have enjoyed this year, and I will be looking for more by her in the future.

 

Apr28

The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy

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IMG_9756The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy, paperback novel, 107 pages, first published by Allison and Busby in 1974, this edition was published by Puffin Books in 1978.

Mildred Hubble is in her first year at Miss Cackle’s Academy, a school for young witches. Disaster and trouble seem to travel in her wake as she navigates broomstick riding, basic spellcraft and potions, along with her best friend, Maud. While the school is headed by a jovial Miss Cackle, the girls are under the ever watchful eye of the severe Miss Hardbroom, their form teacher. Unfortunately for Mildred, she has found herself on the bad side of Ethel, another student. Not only is Ethel a better witch than Mildred, she is also the teacher’s pet, and she has a mean streak.

Witches are often portrayed as old, ugly and mean, but The Worst Witch shows a different side to witches. In this fantasy story, children are learning to become witches, and while some of them are mean, most of them are fairly normal kids just trying to get along in their schooling. Children can relate to Mildred’s dilemmas, even if they are of a more magical nature than their own. It is a fairly short and easy novel with some black and white illustrations scattered throughout. It is good for younger readers who are moving on from chapter books, suiting lower to middle primary school children. I read this book as a child, and it was nice to be able to share it with my own children. I found that I still enjoyed the story as an adult, and my second grader has already read it through a number of times. She is looking forward to finding the other books in this series.

Apr16

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

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IMG_9101Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, paperback novel, 280 pages, first published by Viking in 2001, this edition published by Puffin Books in 2002.

Artemis Fowl is not an average twelve year old boy. He is a criminal mastermind isolated on an enormous estate in Ireland, where he is constantly accompanied by his bodyguard, Butler, but is not restricted by any parental or guardian influence. His family’s vast fortune, accrued over many generations of criminal Fowls, has been lost, and Artemis is determined to restore it. A spot of supernatural kidnapping for ransom should do it, all he has to do is find a fairy to kidnap. Though he is a genius with an elaborate and thorough plan, when he captures Captain Holly Short of the Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance Unit (LEPcon), he gets more than he bargains for.

I’d been thinking about reading Artemis Fowl for a while (I wanted to see whether it lived up to the hype), when I came across a copy in excellent condition in a secondhand bookstore. It was also on sale, so I think it was a sign that it was time to read it! I was not disappointed. From the first chapter I was hooked. It is a fast paced adventure full of fantastical creatures, villains and plenty of action. There are fairy police, an egotistical centaur, a humongous troll, goblins and a tunneling and devious dwarf, all of which come to life in the pages of Artemis Fowl. And Artemis himself is a very interesting character. There are many stories of young heroes saving the day, but not too many telling the exploits of a young criminal using his excessive intelligence to create havoc and amass a fortune. I liked this different perspective, even though he is undoubtedly the baddie, Artemis didn’t seem like the enemy. I found myself hoping there would be some way for both Artemis and the fairies to come out on top.

The plot of Artemis Fowl contained suspense and surprises, and it wasn’t predictable as some novels for younger readers are. The characters developed throughout the story too, providing a richness to the tale, and leaving me wanting to find out more about the Lower Elements, the People and Artemis. There were also little things left unknown, which could be revealed later in the series.

The complexity of the storyline and some elements of violence probably lends itself more towards upper primary to lower high school students, though with guidance younger children may also enjoy this book. I thoroughly enjoyed Artemis Fowl, and I had trouble putting it down to sleep at night. When I can, I will find more of the books from the Artemis Fowl series to read. I am very interested to find out what trouble Artemis is plotting next.

Apr9

Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

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IMG_8888Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson and Axel  Scheffler, paperback picture book, first published by Macmillan Children’s Books in 2001, this edition published by Macmillan Children’s Books in 2002.

The Witch and her Cat are going for a broom flight in the starry night, but things keep blowing away. Each time they descend to the ground to recover the lost item, there is another animal wanting a ride on their broom. Can the broom hold all of these animals, or will they come to a sticky end?

Room on the Broom is another delightful rhyming book from the creators of The Gruffalo. This is a fun book to read aloud with children of all ages, but is especially good for pre-schoolers and lower primary school children. The illustrations are nice, and the story is funny, and I enjoy sharing this one with my kids. There is a dragon in this story, which my kids thought was a little scary the first time we read the book, but that hasn’t stopped them requesting many re-reads! This is one of our favourite picture books.

 

Feb6

Rowan of Rin by Emily Rodda

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IMG_8107Rowan of Rin by Emily Rodda, paperback, 138 pages, first published in 1993, this edition was published by Omnibus Books (part of the Scholastic Group) in 2005.

Rowan is a young boy, living in the little village of Rin with his mother, Jiller and his younger sister, Annad. Rowan is a caring, quiet, and shy boy, different to the other children of Rin. He is thought of as a weakling by many of the other villagers, who do not understand him. His job is to tend to the Bukshah, the gentle beasts that provide milk and wool to the people of Rin.

When the stream from the mountain that supplies the drinking water for the bukshah ceases to flow, the villagers are concerned, their lives depend on the bukshah. They must climb the mountain to discover the cause of the interrupted flow. Unexpectedly, Rowan must join the party of villagers chosen to embark upon this quest. They have a map to guide them, but it is full of riddles, and the path is full of dangers. And at the top of the mountain there is rumoured to be a dragon. Rowan and his companions have a frightening and arduous journey ahead, but they all must be brave and continue on regardless of any possible obstacles in order to restore the flow of water down the mountain. Rowan doubts he is up to the task at hand, but he sets out on the adventure of his life to save the bukshah and the village of Rin.

While this book is aimed at middle primary school children, I still love this story as an adult. It’s got adventure, fantasy, anticipation, riddles, and a dragon! I read this with my second grader, and she also loved the story. Each riddle gave us a great opportunity to discuss what it meant, and talk about what we thought might happen next in the story, and how it might affect the characters. It is very well written, and it is easy to bring Rowan and his traveling companions to life. I highly recommend this book for any child looking for a good adventure story.

 

Rowan of Rin won The Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year in the Younger Readers category in 1994.