Too Many Fairies is
for those little ones who need a little reminder that complaining isnt
helpful. The old lady is complaining one afternoon about all the housecleaning
chores she needs to do, when fairies show up one-by-one to take over each task.
At first, it seems like a wonderful deal, but soon enough the old lady becomes
overwhelmed by the fairies floating around and all the racket theyre making
while cleaning. Then, the real challenge comes in getting rid of them! The
story is filled with onomatopoeia
(words that imitate sounds). The words are presented in different size
fonts and tilt every which way, encouraging the reader to make those words more
fun by changing tone, volume, or even physically making the noise (such as
knocking). The painted pictures fill the pages from edge-to-edge with color and
action. Each fairy is also painted very unique in his or her attire and colors.
One fairy has a bug antennae, one has a mushroom on her head, another has an
acorn hat, and the fourth fairy has flower pedals for hair!
Hopefully, your child will glean one or two of the
lessons from the story. The primary lesson, of course, is to not complain about
chores. Everyone has to do them, and they provide a feeling of accomplishment
when done. A less obvious lesson is that even though every time the old woman complains
about a specific chore and a fairy shows up to do it for her, she continues to
find chores to do herself, rather than just sit around. Perhaps compare the old
womans set of chores to your child's chores do they have any of the
same? What unique chores does your little one have (like cleaning up their
rooms).
After reading this to my friend Dano, I asked him
what his most favorite chore and least favorite chores were. Dano thought for a
few moments and said he didnt like picking up his wooden blocks because
sometimes they go under the couch and
I cant find them. He said his favorite chore was finishing dessert!
--Audra