The Fairy’s Garden, written by Laura Hatton, introduces a happy gang of animals and birds and their friendly fairy protectors. But when the evil fairy witch sets her heart upon defeating the good fairy queen, magic and mayhem ensues.
Years before, the good and kind fairy queen used her magic to create an Eden-like garden where all animals are friends and peace is the rule of the day. The rabbits, birds, squirrels and other animals sometimes leave the safety of the magic garden to hunt or forage for food, but they are protected from predators by their friend, Menning Hawk.
Jealous of the good queen’s magic garden, Electra the witch decides to destroy it with the help of her dopey sidekick, Lucifer the black cat. She spins a plan to contaminate the animals’ water source by giving Lucifer (who can change his shape with ease) a vial of poison to pour into the fountain. Meanwhile, Madelaine, the bossy ladybug, is planning a party to celebrate Willow and Speck breaking out of their chrysalides and turning into butterflies. While the friends are getting ready for the party and the special performance, Lucifer and his mistress set their evil plan in motion.
The Fairy’s Garden is designed as an 8-by-8-inch picture book, traditionally a format geared toward the very youngest picture book fans. In fact, this adventure story is a chapter book with a vocabulary and plot more suited to older children. The Disney-like illustrations by Marvin Tabacon are vibrant, but there aren’t nearly enough of them. Though the book is good for reading aloud or for emerging readers to tackle on their own, given these drawbacks it might have a difficult time finding its audience.
Also available as an ebook.
