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ikuo1000's reviews
467 reviews
Amber the Orange Fairy by Daisy Meadows
3.0
A fine follow-up to Ruby the Red Fairy!
In Ruby the Red Fairy, the Fairy Queen had told Rachel and Kirsty, "Let the magic come to you." Indeed, they were unable to find any fairies when they searched purposefully. It was only when they were caught up in their own fun at the beach that Amber the Orange Fairy appeared to them.
The Fairy Queen had also given each girl a magic bag to be used when they were in need of help. Sure enough, when the girls first found Amber, she was trapped, and it was only with the help of their magic bags that they were able to free her. Sure, this "solution" lacked ingenuity, but I have to admit it was pretty cute.
Unfortunately, there was still no sign of either Rachel or Kirsty having any particular individualized personality. The focus seems to be much more on the fairies, as Amber was clearly portrayed as being pretty keen on gymnastics. Her fairy dust turned into bubbles that smell like oranges when they pop! What little girl wouldn't love to get immersed in an imaginary world like that?!
To keep things interesting, we also meet a few new characters, including Jack Frost's goblin minions.
I am pretty sure this is a "safe" series that I won't mind Isabelle reading on her own, i.e., there doesn't seem to be any bad or even questionable behavior. For example, when the girls ran into the ocean at the beach, we are even told that they waved to their parents, so we the readers knew they were being supervised while in the water. Still, I'm sufficiently charmed by books 1 and 2 that I think I'll finish off this series. It's not a huge commitment, after all; each book takes like half an hour to read.
In Ruby the Red Fairy, the Fairy Queen had told Rachel and Kirsty, "Let the magic come to you." Indeed, they were unable to find any fairies when they searched purposefully. It was only when they were caught up in their own fun at the beach that Amber the Orange Fairy appeared to them.
The Fairy Queen had also given each girl a magic bag to be used when they were in need of help. Sure enough, when the girls first found Amber, she was trapped, and it was only with the help of their magic bags that they were able to free her. Sure, this "solution" lacked ingenuity, but I have to admit it was pretty cute.
Unfortunately, there was still no sign of either Rachel or Kirsty having any particular individualized personality. The focus seems to be much more on the fairies, as Amber was clearly portrayed as being pretty keen on gymnastics. Her fairy dust turned into bubbles that smell like oranges when they pop! What little girl wouldn't love to get immersed in an imaginary world like that?!
To keep things interesting, we also meet a few new characters, including Jack Frost's goblin minions.
I am pretty sure this is a "safe" series that I won't mind Isabelle reading on her own, i.e., there doesn't seem to be any bad or even questionable behavior. For example, when the girls ran into the ocean at the beach, we are even told that they waved to their parents, so we the readers knew they were being supervised while in the water. Still, I'm sufficiently charmed by books 1 and 2 that I think I'll finish off this series. It's not a huge commitment, after all; each book takes like half an hour to read.
Sunny the Yellow Fairy by Daisy Meadows
2.0
First, let it be known that Isabelle is LOVING this series. Today, she read 5 of these fairy books!
Okay, so, there was a little questionable behavior in this book. The girls suspect that Sunny the Yellow Fairy is in a beehive, and even though they are wearing protective hoods, the rest of their bodies are exposed when they open up the beehive without permission from the beekeeper! But I suppose no one wants to read about main characters who are complete goody two-shoes, and no one ever has adventures by being an absolute rule-follower. I still get the impression that the series does make an effort to lean more towards safe and appropriate behavior, whenever possible, because even though the text says the girls took off their hoods once they opened the beehive, the illustrations around the beehive always show the girls with their hoods on.
In this book, we also have our first encounter with Jack Frost's goblins. They strike me not so much as evildoers capable of cruel acts, but more as just bungling troublemakers, like Gargamel from The Smurfs. Their mischief surrounding Sunny's wand was foiled thanks to the assistance of some friends Sunny made while in captivity.
While I enjoyed the introduction of Bertram in the last book, I'm a little put off by him now. He seems like a kind enough frog, and he means well, but I don't like the way his presence implies that the fairies - girl fairies - wouldn't have been able to take care of themselves without his - a male's - protection.
Rachel and Kirsty continue to be rather flat characters, but now I am wondering if they are purposely left under-developed... If the main characters are generic enough, maybe that allows a young reader to more readily imagine that she herself might be one of the girls in the story?
Anyway. One final interesting tidbit. Sunny the Yellow Fairy was originally called Saffron the Yellow Fairy when the book was first published in England. Is saffron too esoteric for American readers?
Okay, so, there was a little questionable behavior in this book. The girls suspect that Sunny the Yellow Fairy is in a beehive, and even though they are wearing protective hoods, the rest of their bodies are exposed when they open up the beehive without permission from the beekeeper! But I suppose no one wants to read about main characters who are complete goody two-shoes, and no one ever has adventures by being an absolute rule-follower. I still get the impression that the series does make an effort to lean more towards safe and appropriate behavior, whenever possible, because even though the text says the girls took off their hoods once they opened the beehive, the illustrations around the beehive always show the girls with their hoods on.
In this book, we also have our first encounter with Jack Frost's goblins. They strike me not so much as evildoers capable of cruel acts, but more as just bungling troublemakers, like Gargamel from The Smurfs. Their mischief surrounding Sunny's wand was foiled thanks to the assistance of some friends Sunny made while in captivity.
While I enjoyed the introduction of Bertram in the last book, I'm a little put off by him now. He seems like a kind enough frog, and he means well, but I don't like the way his presence implies that the fairies - girl fairies - wouldn't have been able to take care of themselves without his - a male's - protection.
Rachel and Kirsty continue to be rather flat characters, but now I am wondering if they are purposely left under-developed... If the main characters are generic enough, maybe that allows a young reader to more readily imagine that she herself might be one of the girls in the story?
Anyway. One final interesting tidbit. Sunny the Yellow Fairy was originally called Saffron the Yellow Fairy when the book was first published in England. Is saffron too esoteric for American readers?
Fern the Green Fairy by Daisy Meadows
3.0
I have to admit, I was a little surprised that in this book, Rachel and Kirsty go searching for Fern, and they actually find her! What happened to the "Let the magic come to you" message?
This time, the girls had to do just a smidge of problem-solving in order to free Fern from her tree hole. Jack Frost's goblins were on their heals, but they managed to escape with help from various wildlife. This book did make use of the magic bags, and part of the girls' adventure was spent fairy-sized.
At this point, I think I've got a pretty good idea of the formulaic storytelling that is to come, and this book had all the expected components.
This time, the girls had to do just a smidge of problem-solving in order to free Fern from her tree hole. Jack Frost's goblins were on their heals, but they managed to escape with help from various wildlife. This book did make use of the magic bags, and part of the girls' adventure was spent fairy-sized.
At this point, I think I've got a pretty good idea of the formulaic storytelling that is to come, and this book had all the expected components.
Sky the Blue Fairy by Daisy Meadows
2.0
HMMM... After Isabelle gets over this fairy phase, I think I should look for some books with more empowered girls in it.
In this book, there were just too many instances of the girls and the fairies not stepping up to challenges.
When the girls find Sky the Blue Fairy, she is trapped in ice that was created by the close proximity of Jack Frost's goblins. Rachel and Kirsty spent all of no time trying to come up with a way to rescue Sky by themselves, which was all the more disappointing because they did manage to melt ice to rescue Fern the Green Fairy.
Rachel: "Poor Sky! We have to rescue her! But how can we melt all that ice?"
Kirsty: "I know! Why don't we look in our magic bags?"
Rescuing Sky also involved getting some help from some friendly crabs, but I was bothered because the crabs really didn't do anything that the girls couldn't have done themselves.
Finally, when the other Rainbow Fairies see that Sky is weak and needs help, instead of putting their heads together to figure out a way to help Sky themselves, Ruby the Red Fairy says:
"We must think of something to help Sky! Oh, I know! Let's ask Bertram for his advice!"
Sure, Bertram is helpful, but his solution isn't anything the fairies couldn't have come up with themselves.
At first, I was also bothered when Bertram said, "You must all stay close to the pot so that I can protect you." But then I remembered - I think the Rainbow Fairies' magic is limited until they are all together again, so maybe they do need extra protection? Still. Did the King and Queen have to send a male protector?
In this book, there were just too many instances of the girls and the fairies not stepping up to challenges.
When the girls find Sky the Blue Fairy, she is trapped in ice that was created by the close proximity of Jack Frost's goblins. Rachel and Kirsty spent all of no time trying to come up with a way to rescue Sky by themselves, which was all the more disappointing because they did manage to melt ice to rescue Fern the Green Fairy.
Rachel: "Poor Sky! We have to rescue her! But how can we melt all that ice?"
Kirsty: "I know! Why don't we look in our magic bags?"
Rescuing Sky also involved getting some help from some friendly crabs, but I was bothered because the crabs really didn't do anything that the girls couldn't have done themselves.
Finally, when the other Rainbow Fairies see that Sky is weak and needs help, instead of putting their heads together to figure out a way to help Sky themselves, Ruby the Red Fairy says:
"We must think of something to help Sky! Oh, I know! Let's ask Bertram for his advice!"
Sure, Bertram is helpful, but his solution isn't anything the fairies couldn't have come up with themselves.
At first, I was also bothered when Bertram said, "You must all stay close to the pot so that I can protect you." But then I remembered - I think the Rainbow Fairies' magic is limited until they are all together again, so maybe they do need extra protection? Still. Did the King and Queen have to send a male protector?
Scarlett The Garnet Fairy by Daisy Meadows
3.0
Isabelle and I are reading these Rainbow Magic books as they become available at our local library, which means we are sometimes left hanging as we wait for the next book. (In the future, I plan to snag all seven books in a series at once!) Right now, while we wait for the next Rainbow Fairies book, we're also reading the Jewel Fairies series.
So, I haven't finished the Rainbow Fairies series yet, and I'm only two books into the Jewel Fairies series, but already I think I like this series better. Rachel and Kirsty don't have any magic bags, and the fairies who help them are all running low on magic precisely because the jewels are missing. As a result, unlike in the Rainbow Fairies books, the girls now must rely more on themselves. In this book, they don't have any impressively clever ideas or anything, but at least they have ideas.
So, I haven't finished the Rainbow Fairies series yet, and I'm only two books into the Jewel Fairies series, but already I think I like this series better. Rachel and Kirsty don't have any magic bags, and the fairies who help them are all running low on magic precisely because the jewels are missing. As a result, unlike in the Rainbow Fairies books, the girls now must rely more on themselves. In this book, they don't have any impressively clever ideas or anything, but at least they have ideas.
Emily the Emerald Fairy by Daisy Meadows
3.0
This book was a fun read. In this installment, the girls' fairy adventure takes place in a giant toy store, a perfect backdrop for a confrontation with a goblin. There's quite a chase as the goblin tries to make off with the emerald, and the bit of action made for enjoyable reading.
Chloe The Topaz Fairy by Daisy Meadows
3.0
Another fun read. Like Emily the Emerald Fairy, this book takes place in a setting that serves as a perfect backdrop for a confrontation with goblins - a costume store.
I especially liked how well-mannered the girls were in their interactions with the store owner!
I've noticed, though, that the goblins don't seem to have the same effect on their environment as they did in the Rainbow Fairies series. With the Rainbow Fairies, every time a goblin was nearby, the clouds covered the sun, the girls felt a chill in the air, and ice formed. In this Jewel Fairies series, the goblins don't have the same power. Maybe it's because the warmth of the jewels counteracts their iciness? Or maybe I just shouldn't think too much about consistency among the sub-series.
I especially liked how well-mannered the girls were in their interactions with the store owner!
I've noticed, though, that the goblins don't seem to have the same effect on their environment as they did in the Rainbow Fairies series. With the Rainbow Fairies, every time a goblin was nearby, the clouds covered the sun, the girls felt a chill in the air, and ice formed. In this Jewel Fairies series, the goblins don't have the same power. Maybe it's because the warmth of the jewels counteracts their iciness? Or maybe I just shouldn't think too much about consistency among the sub-series.
Sophie the Sapphire Fairy by Daisy Meadows
3.0
This book pleasantly surprised me with a couple unexpected deviations from the otherwise formulaic series.
In this book, as part of fairy / goblin confrontation, the goblins were transformed into other creatures! I admit, I wondered, "What will happen to them? Will they be stuck in the human world forever? That's sad!" Happily, this concern was actually addressed.
Also, for the first time that I've encountered, this book had a twist. The girls got the jewel, the goblins were defeated, but the book wasn't over yet! It wasn't a huge dramatic turn or anything, but it was still a nice change of pace.
In this book, as part of fairy / goblin confrontation, the goblins were transformed into other creatures! I admit, I wondered, "What will happen to them? Will they be stuck in the human world forever? That's sad!" Happily, this concern was actually addressed.
Also, for the first time that I've encountered, this book had a twist. The girls got the jewel, the goblins were defeated, but the book wasn't over yet! It wasn't a huge dramatic turn or anything, but it was still a nice change of pace.
Lucy the Diamond Fairy by Daisy Meadows
3.0
A satisfactory conclusion to the Jewel Fairies adventures.
This book doesn't quite follow the formula of previous books in the series. As soon as the book opens, the girls are transported to Fairyland, where the last jewel, a diamond, is hidden. This time, instead of dealing with Jack Frost's goblins, the girls must deal with Jack Frost himself!
We are also introduced to a new character, Pegasus, which helps to keep things interesting.
This book doesn't quite follow the formula of previous books in the series. As soon as the book opens, the girls are transported to Fairyland, where the last jewel, a diamond, is hidden. This time, instead of dealing with Jack Frost's goblins, the girls must deal with Jack Frost himself!
We are also introduced to a new character, Pegasus, which helps to keep things interesting.
Inky The Indigo Fairy by Daisy Meadows
3.0
This book deviates from the formulaic storytelling of previous books in the series. Instead of finding a fairy somewhere on the island, the girls are magically transported to the Land of Sweets. There, they meet all sorts of candy characters, which makes for fun reading. The goblins are there, too, and this time, they even get so far as to carry Izzy / Inky off!
What really interested me about this book, though, is that the version published in the US, Inky the Indigo Fairy, has a different name from the original version published in the UK, Izzy the Indigo Fairy. Izzy is not an uncommon name in America, so why the change? I got to wondering how else the books might differ...
Our local library carries the American version, and a sister library had the UK version. We put in a request for the UK version, and we borrowed both books at the same time. Isabelle and I had great fun comparing and contrasting the two books! I had thought that maybe there would only be a handful of changes in the whole book, but as it turned out, there were several, sometimes many, changes on each page!
Some word choices had obviously been changed to sound more American. A British "rucksack" became an American "backpack"; "on holiday" became "on vacation"; "I trod on a twig" became "I stepped on a stick". Even the definition of "indigo" differed: the British version called it "bluey-purple", but the American version called it "purplish blue". Many candy references were changed, e.g., "toffee" to "caramel", "sweet shop" to "candy store". Even "lemon sherbet" - which isn't really uncommon in America - was changed to "cocoa powder", a completely different substance!
Spelling was also country-specific. British "colour" versus American "color", "realised" versus "realized".
But, oftentimes, I couldn't figure out why the wording was changed. The British version used words like "gleaming", "beside", "odd", and "little" - all perfectly acceptable words - but the American version replaced those words with synonyms like "shining", "next to", "strange", and "small", respectively. Why!? It seemed so arbitrary. These type of seemingly inexplicable changes were very common. It was fascinating.
Very frequently, the American version changed or added words, presumably to make the text more descriptive. Over and over, the original British version had "they", but the American version specified "the girls". Other changes include:
British version: "dusty, old books"
American version: "dusty old books that looked like they hadn't been read in a long time"
British version: "Let's get out of here!"
American version: "Let's get out of here before they realize that Inky is free!"
Oddly, sometimes the American version simply dropped words - even whole sentences - from the original British version for no apparent reason at all.
British version: "They sound too sweet and soft to be goblins' voices."
American version: "They sound too sweet to be goblins' voices."
British version: "Rachel and Kirsty stared at each other in delight."
American version: "Rachel and Kirsty stared at each other."
Finally, punctuation - particularly, the use of commas - frequently differed between the two versions as well.
What really interested me about this book, though, is that the version published in the US, Inky the Indigo Fairy, has a different name from the original version published in the UK, Izzy the Indigo Fairy. Izzy is not an uncommon name in America, so why the change? I got to wondering how else the books might differ...
Our local library carries the American version, and a sister library had the UK version. We put in a request for the UK version, and we borrowed both books at the same time. Isabelle and I had great fun comparing and contrasting the two books! I had thought that maybe there would only be a handful of changes in the whole book, but as it turned out, there were several, sometimes many, changes on each page!
Some word choices had obviously been changed to sound more American. A British "rucksack" became an American "backpack"; "on holiday" became "on vacation"; "I trod on a twig" became "I stepped on a stick". Even the definition of "indigo" differed: the British version called it "bluey-purple", but the American version called it "purplish blue". Many candy references were changed, e.g., "toffee" to "caramel", "sweet shop" to "candy store". Even "lemon sherbet" - which isn't really uncommon in America - was changed to "cocoa powder", a completely different substance!
Spelling was also country-specific. British "colour" versus American "color", "realised" versus "realized".
But, oftentimes, I couldn't figure out why the wording was changed. The British version used words like "gleaming", "beside", "odd", and "little" - all perfectly acceptable words - but the American version replaced those words with synonyms like "shining", "next to", "strange", and "small", respectively. Why!? It seemed so arbitrary. These type of seemingly inexplicable changes were very common. It was fascinating.
Very frequently, the American version changed or added words, presumably to make the text more descriptive. Over and over, the original British version had "they", but the American version specified "the girls". Other changes include:
British version: "dusty, old books"
American version: "dusty old books that looked like they hadn't been read in a long time"
British version: "Let's get out of here!"
American version: "Let's get out of here before they realize that Inky is free!"
Oddly, sometimes the American version simply dropped words - even whole sentences - from the original British version for no apparent reason at all.
British version: "They sound too sweet and soft to be goblins' voices."
American version: "They sound too sweet to be goblins' voices."
British version: "Rachel and Kirsty stared at each other in delight."
American version: "Rachel and Kirsty stared at each other."
Finally, punctuation - particularly, the use of commas - frequently differed between the two versions as well.