Where the fairies fly

By Jane Simmons

Year: 2001

Publisher: Orchard Books, London

Age: 3 - 7 years

No. of Pages: 32

Book Type: Picture Book, Bedtime

ISBN:  978 1 84121 108 7

Little Jamie can’t sleep. His sister Lucy, an avid storyteller, takes him on a magical adventure in search of the Dreamtime Fairies.

After several stops on the way, they finally find the fairies who work their magic until the children and their toys are fast asleep.

This sweet bedtime story serves to allay the common fears that children have about the dark and its shadows.

Excerpt

Lucy loved to tell stories.

She told deep blue sea stories to Mum... flying up high in the sky stories to Dad, and magic stories to her little brother Jamie.

Milly, Molly and the Mountain

Text: Gill Pittar

Illustrations: Cris Morrell

Year: 2002

Publisher: Milly Molly Books, New Zealand

Age: 4 – 6 years

No. of Pages: 24

Book Type: Picture Book, Life Skills Education

ISBN:  942 1 87729 718 6

Charlie has a big, bright hot air balloon. Milly and Molly watch as he goes over the mountain in it. 

The friends are thrilled when, one day, Charlie agrees to take them and their cats for a ride. It feels magical at first but the feeling fades away, rather quickly, when they get caught in a thunderstorm. Soon, they’re eager to get back on the ground.

I liked this book for the simple but profound messages the author conveys - the world looks neat and tidy from up above and the grass is not greener on the other side of the mountain. :-)

Excerpt

The river looked long and blue and curly.

The trees were in straight rows.

The grass was so green.

And everything looked very neat and tidy.

Jane and the Magician

By Martin Baynton

Year: 2000

Publisher: Walker Books, London

Age: 6- 10 years

No. of Pages: 32

Book Type: Picture Book

ISBN:  978 1 40630 528 9

Jane is as true-blue a knight as they come. She also has a dragon instead of a steed.

They are sent on a mission to find the royal magician who has gone away in a huff after a misunderstanding at the Royal Court.

Jane finds the magician but it takes some convincing to bring him back. Of course, her brave heart shines through as she goes above and beyond her call of duty.

Jane and her dragon also feature in a children's television series. 

Excerpt

“WHY?” roared the magician. “I’ve only just begun!”

Again he clapped his hands and blue lightning sprang from his fingertips. It crackled across the sky and smacked into the dragon.

Far away the fairies fly

By Jane Simmons  

For Ages: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 32

Publisher: Orchard Books, London

Year: 2005

ISBN: 978-1-84616-217-6

Rainbows always cheer up little ones. This story is founded on just that fact.

Jamie finds it hard to sleep with the sound of the howling winds and rumbling thunder. Lucy, his sister, decides to take him to a place with no thunder.

They have a series of adventures until they finally reach Fairy Castle. They help the fairies paint bright sunshine everywhere until the sky is lit with a brilliant rainbow and the storm is gone. 

This ought to make a good bedtime tale for little ones who are scared of the dark and thunder.'

Excerpt

They reached the door.

“It’s shut!” said Lucy, pushing hard. “It’s too big!”

“Everyone push!” shouted Jamie. He threw himself forward and they all pushed …

and pushed and slowly the huge door began to creak open…

… and they tumbled into the light. There were fairies everywhere! 

Dewdrop Babies – The Big Storm

Author and Illustrator: Patricia McCarthy

For Ages: 3 and above

No. of Pages: 12

Publisher: Random House Children’s Books, London

Year: 2008

ISBN: 978-0-55255-652-1

This incredibly enchanting book with sparkly glitter on every page and cherubic dewdrop babies with names like Violet, Sweetpea and Poppy is one of those books your children will want to see and read, over and over again.

Despite its cuteness, the story addresses a critical issue that young ones struggle with – the fear of thunder and lightning. The story acknowledges the fear, (calling it a fire-breathing dragon) addresses it and moves on to the splendid after-effects of a thunder shower – shiny sun and a beautiful rainbow.

Excerpt

1       Sweetpea and Rose join in the game, and soon there are petals flying all over the Great Hall, like giant multi-coloured snowflakes.

Even Violet can’t help laughing when a shower of petals lands on her head.

The Rainbow Babies dance and whirl about until they fall into a tangled sticky heap.

Hans Christian Andersen Illustrated Fairytales – The Buckwheat

Translator: Hans Breitenstein

Illustrator: Tiziana Gironi

For Ages: 8 and above

No. of Pages: 24

Publisher: Scandinavia Publishing House, Denmark

Year: 2005

This exceptionally illustrated storybook tells the humbling tale of the buckwheat – proud and arrogant until its downfall. 

I did wonder, though, if little ones would understand the story. They did, even if pride and arrogance were words or traits they did not yet comprehend.

Excerpt

Now a violent thunderstorm was coming near. All the flowers of the field folded up their crowns or bowed their fine heads while the storm raged overhead. But the buckwheat remained stiff with pride.

“Close your flowers and bow your leaves,” said the old willow tree. “Do not look towards the lightning when the heavens open. Even men dare not do so because in the lightning you can see into God’s heaven, but this sight blinds even men. What might happen to us lowly growths of the earth if we dared do that, we who are far inferior.”

“Far inferior?” said the buckwheat. “Now, that is exactly what I want, to look right into God’s heaven.”

And so it did, in arrogance and pride. It seemed as though the whole world was on fire, there were so many lightning bolts.