The Sharey Godmother

March 15, 2021
Shari T. Fairy loves to share. Her joy comes from making others happy, but some of her friends are concerned that Shari is so busy sharing, she doesn't notice that she isn't being treated fairly in return. Shari's fairy-godmother friends ask: "Isn't it unfair that no one else gives back as much?" And: "Does anyone say thank you?" And: "Would people still be your friend if you didn't share?" Shari considers what they say and decides to try not sharing, just to see how it feels. Almost immediately, the smiling and happy fairy becomes lonely and sad. Worse, she begins to question her motives for sharing with others. Does she share just so people will like her? Shari takes some time to check in with herself, and she realizes that "something is wrong. Something feels off. Something feels all jammed up inside." Here, Curato's cotton-candy colors dim to gloomy purple. It takes a visit from some of Shari's other fairy friends to remind her who she is and what she loves to do. This book will work well as a read-aloud for older children who will have experienced situations in which they question themselves and have begun to consider how their friends see them. Readers will enjoy Curato's colorful group of fairies, who present in a number of shapes, sizes, colors, and genders. Shari herself has light-brown skin and puffy bubble-gum-pink hair. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-17-inch double-page spreads viewed at 23.7% of actual size.) Shari's experiences will help children learn how to listen to themselves. (Picture book. 5-9)

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April 19, 2021
Shari T. Fairy, who has light brown skin, rosy petal wings, and a tower of bubblegum-colored balloons for hair, is exuberantly selfless: “If you forget your lunch, Shari will share half of hers. The bigger half. And dessert. And probably a snack for later.” But some fellow fairies wonder if Shari, also known as the Sharey Godmother, gives too much. Perhaps people are taking advantage of her? Shari admits that sharing can be a thankless act, and she has concerns (“Is she only sharing so people will be her friend?”), but refraining doesn’t confer happiness, either—when she hogs her own seat on a roller coaster, she looks miserable. Then another cadre of fairy friends with various skin tones and hairstyles offers a countering insight: if sharing makes her happy, does anything else matter? Curato’s digitally colored ink-on-paper drawings, punctuated by collage, have an immediacy and effervescence perfectly in sync with Berger’s chatty, confiding style. Among the growing number of picture books about kindness for its own sake, this emotionally incisive story by the creators of What If... advises self-exploration and self-confidence, and is one truly worth sharing. Ages 3–6.