THOMPSON, Gordon (text) Anne Galbraith (illus.) Scarlett and the Winter Faeries Clouds of Magellan, 2013 94pp $24.99 ISBN 9780987403759 SCIS 1655437
This collection of 12 stories each involving a little girl named Scarlett, is an interesting variation on the usual fairy tales. Scarlett is visited regularly by three fairies who teach her to fly so that they can share numerous adventures on land and sea during which they encounter many other fairy folk and a dragon. While there are the typical elements of traditional fairy stories, there are several contemporary references in each story, including making blankets for the Asylum Seekers Resource Centre, eating muffins with the fairies’ traditional elf berry tea, and listening to an ABBA CD. The language is also a mix of that usually encountered in fairy tales and vernacular expressions such as ‘awesome’. Some of the stories are more imaginative than others (encountering a live poem is a fascinating experience) but overall young girls will enjoy these variations on a theme. There are one or two black and white illustrations in each story. Ages 3-8.
reviewed by Elizabeth Douglas