Alice the Fairy

October 11, 2004
Though one must attend Advanced Fairy School to become a "Permanent fairy," young Alice has earned her stripes as a "Temporary fairy," wielding a wand and a colorful imagination to brighten her days. Kids will instantly connect to Alice's matter-of-fact tone as she describes the perks and pitfalls of fairyhood. "I can't fly very high yet, but I can fly really fast!" or "I changed my dad into a horse." When she's not disappearing (with a flick of the light switch) or curtsying in the Magic Mirror ("Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the fairiest of them all?" she asks), Alice tries to stay on the good side of the wicked Duchess (Mom) and Duke of Morningside Drive and perfect her spell casting. Shannon again slips comfortably into the mindset of a child, opening a window on that special time of life when it's easy to believe in magic. The ink-and-watercolor artwork bears the sketchy, childlike style of No, David
, giving the proceedings an appropriately breezy feel.
Alice—all pink dress, blonde curls and sparkly wings—is a sunny (and ever-so-slightly spunky) delight. Ages 3-up.

November 1, 2004
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), 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

Copyright 2004 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2004
PreS. If Shannon's David is a little devil, Alice is on the angelic side (almost). Using the same oversize format that he did in books such as " No, David"! (1998), Shannon introduces young Alice, a fairy-in-training dressed up with wings, a wand, and patent leather shoes. Similar to David, she is drawn in doll-like style (though her teeth aren't sharp). Alice talks directly to her audience, informing them what fairies do and how she works her magic. "One time my mom made cookies for my dad. So I turned them into mine," she says, as she eyes the plate of cookies; in the next picture the plate is almost empty, and there are crumbs all over Alice's face. A few of the analogies are a stretch (this fairy's life is filled with danger--in the form of broccoli), but kids will find most of the humor right at their level, in terms of both wit and imagination. The pictures are richly colored, some almost effervescent in their playfulness. A meeting between Alice and David would engender even more fun.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)