From the Publisher
Prepare to have your notions of fairyhood debunked: Flory, our heroine, can be snarky and rough. But she's also gutsy, loyal, and inherently good. The story of how Flory must fend for herself after losing her wings brings equal doses of character and suspense – and offers a satisfying antidote to all those prissy princess tales.
—Real Simple Family
This elegant hardback’s snug size and Angela Barrett’s exquisite miniature illustrations have the effect of making readers feel as if they’ve crept through a magic portal into a fairy-scale world. Indeed, looking up at story’s end, children may be mildly surprised to find that they’re still the size they’ve always been.
—The Wall Street Journal
Laura Amy Schlitz, who took us deep into a medieval village in her Newbery Medal–winning Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!, here allows us to inhabit the fascinating miniature world where fairies dwell.
—Shelf Awareness
An imaginative adventure story in a familiar, yet exotic landscape…. Beautifully composed, the artwork combines subtle use of color with a keen observation of nature that’s reminiscent of Beatrix Potter’s work. This finely crafted and unusually dynamic fairy story is a natural for reading aloud.
—Booklist (starred review)
Beautifully crafted. . . . Barrett’s full-color watercolor illustrations add depth and perspective to the story. Detailed and drawn to scale, they give readers a sense of just how tiny Flory is compared to the other animals. Children will enjoy looking at this garden from the perspective of the tiny but resilient protagonist. Sure to be a favorite among girls who love fairies.
—School Library Journal (starred review)
Children's Literature - Cathi I. White
Flory, a tiny young night fairy, lost her wings during an encounter with a bat. As a result, she can no longer fly. How does a fairy get around without wings? Flory's life changes and she becomes a day fairy. However, Flory soon finds that the world is bigger and more dangerous in the day than she realized. Determined to stay alive, she discovers a squirrel named Skuggle, who helps her learn about the garden and its surroundings. Through her strange friendship with Skuggle, both learn to depend on each other for survival. In addition, Flory's selfishness and rudeness takes a turn for the better when she meets a hummingbird who will have nothing to do with her. Flory's dream of riding a hummingbird makes her persistent in pursuing a new friendship with the hummingbird. But her plan fails. Soon however, the hummingbird is in a life-threatening situation. Nevertheless, Flory is determined to help. Forgetting about herself, Flory risks her own life to save the hummingbird. Danger from creatures in the garden to adventures the friends encounter will keep the reader intrigued to find out what Flory, along with Skuggle, will do next. Children will have a magical journey as they read this charming book. Teachers and librarians will love having it for their own book collection. Reviewer: Cathi I. White
School Library Journal
Gr 1–4—In this deft, imaginative story (Candlewick, 2010) by Newbery winner Laura Amy Schlitz (Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!), a young night fairy overcomes the loss of her wings in an accident and finds herself plunged into an unfamiliar daytime world full of predators. She lodges inside a wren house in the garden of a "giantess," who stocks the birdfeeders daily, and struggles to survive. Along the way, she befriends a hyper squirrel with a one-track mind (food, of course) and courageously faces her fears. She may be only as tall as two acorns, but Flory is no airy-fairy, and she acquits herself well when threatened by a praying mantis, a huge raccoon, and a deadly spider. Listeners will learn about empathy and friendship as they are inspired by the plucky heroine. Michael Friedman voices the fairy with verve and creates believable voices for the animals. Fans of Mary Norton's series, The Borrowers, will enjoy the adventures of the tiny fairy as she copes with the challenges of staying alive, armed only with stinging spells and a thorn dagger. Children will root for the resourceful fairy, perhaps imagining her further exploits and recording them with illustrations in a journal.—Lonna Pierce, MacArthur Elementary School, Binghamton, NY
