The Night Fairy

January 4, 2010
All is not well in fairyland, at least for Flory, a young night fairy whose wings were broken during an encounter with a bat. Feeling vulnerable when unable to fly, Flory finds shelter in a wren house and decides to become a day fairy despite her nocturnal bent (“She soon found that her body did not like the day. Her skin liked to be cool and moist, not hot and dry”). In this whimsical and cozy tale, Newbery Medalist Schlitz (Good Masters! Sweet La
dies! Voices from a Medieval Village
) explores what it's like for a tiny winged creature to be grounded. Readers will delight in Flory's resourcefulness in finding food, clothing, and a new form of transportation (on the back of a squirrel), and identify with her brash, childlike personality (“I hate, hate, hate
bats, and I'm always going to hate them”), which softens as she grows compassionate and makes friends. Culminating with Flory's brave act of saving a hummingbird caught in a spider's web, this story reveals how handicaps can be overcome through quick thinking and determination. Full-color art not seen by PW
. Ages 7–11.

Starred review from April 1, 2010
Gr 1-4-Flory is a night fairy who is still becoming accustomed to her beautiful mothlike wings when a run-in with a bat drops her into a strange garden unable to fly. She is forced to learn to survive in the daylight and takes up residence in a birdhouse in a Giantess's garden. Flory, no taller than an acorn, struggles at first with squirrels, hummingbirds, spiders, and other creatures that do not look at the world the same way she does. She quickly learns that kindness, compassion, generosity, and bravery can help her to make much-needed friends. Written in short chapters, this beautifully crafted tale works equally well as a read-aloud or as independent reading. Barrett's full-color watercolor illustrations add depth and perspective to the story. Detailed and drawn to scale, they give readers a sense of just how tiny Flory is compared to the other animals. Children will enjoy looking at this garden from the perspective of the tiny but resilient protagonist. Sure to be a favorite among girls who love fairies."Sarah Polace, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Parma, OH"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from January 1, 2010
Grades 2-5 *Starred Review* A bat mistakes Flory, a young fairy, for a moth and crunches up her wings. Falling into a beautiful garden, she lands in a cherry tree and makes her home there. As egocentric as any young child, Flory is sensitive mostly to her own needs and emotions until a series of experiences challenge her assumptions and awaken new feelings within her. When she finds a hummingbird trapped in a spiders web, she resolves to save the bird, but the task becomes increasingly complex and dangerous. Flory must call on cunning and magic as well as her strength and courage to get the job done. Known for her versatility, Newbery-winner Schlitz writes with strength of vision and delicate precision of word choice. A far cry from the conventionally sweet, whimsical stories about diminutive fairies, this tale begins with violence and ends with redemption. In between is an imaginative adventure story in a familiar, yet exotic landscape. English illustrator Angela Barrett contributes 10 small pictures at chapter heads, a dozen colorful full-page paintings, and a double-page spread. Beautifully composed, the artwork combines subtle use of color with a keen observation of nature thats reminiscent of Beatrix Potters work. This finely crafted and unusually dynamic fairy story is a natural for reading aloud.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2010
After nearly being eaten by a bat and left flightless, young night fairy Flora vows to become a day fairy and avoid bats altogether. Schlitz explores Flora's moral development, magical spells, and cleverness as she learns to wield a dagger, sting predators with her mind, and make friends with squirrels and hummingbirds. Minpins and Stellaluna fans will enjoy Flora's wit and derring-do.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

March 1, 2010
Flora, a very young night fairy, is nearly eaten by a hungry bat and is left flightless and with an understandable hatred for all things chiropteran. Making her home in an abandoned wren house, she vows to become a day fairy and thus avoid bats altogether. She loves the beautiful flying creatures of the day even if her skin longs for the night air and her eyes are burned by the sun. Schlitz explores Flora's moral development, magical spells, and cleverness as she learns to wield a dagger with a vengeance, sting predators with her mind, and make friends with squirrels and hummingbirds. The delicious realization that the "giantess's" world is really our own is satisfying, especially the humorous descriptions of squirrel behavior at bird feeders. At times, the world being built here seems a tad arbitrary -- why does Flora have magical ability to keep herself warm but no ability to fend off hunger? Still, when all is revealed to our maturing heroine and forgiveness is extended to the bat world, young readers and listeners will sigh with relief. Fans of Dahl's Minpins, Huygen's Gnomes, and Cannon's Stellaluna will enjoy Flora's wit and derring-do and will, no doubt, spend countless hours imagining new adventures for her in their backyard fairy houses.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)