Alice the Fairy

by David Shannon

Caldecott Honor artist and bestselling author David Shannon's warm and funny new picture book introduces Alice, a mischievous little girl with a "No, David" nose for trouble and a magic wand. Alice has a nose for trouble, but luckily she's a fairy--a Temporary Fairy. She has a magic wand, fairy wings, and a blanket, all of which she uses to disappear, to fly, to transform her dad into a horse, and to turn his cookies into her own! There are still a few things Alice needs to learn to become a Permanent Fairy, like how to float her dog on the ceiling and make her clothes put themselves away, but she's working on it--sort of. Here's an endearing, funny story about a girl and her magical imagination, sure to delight every fairy in training!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Fantasy, Humor, Fairies, Realistic Fiction

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

David Shannon is the author and illustrator of many highly praised books for children. Born in Washington, D.C., he grew up in Spokane, Washington. He graduated from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, with a fine arts degree, and then moved to New York City. His editorial illustrations have appeared in The New York Times, Time, and Rolling Stone, and his artwork has appeared on numerous book jackets. Shannon is a passionate baseball fan and softball player. He and his wife now live in Los Angeles.


David Shannon @ Scholastic

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm tired of broccoli slamming.

[Mir · Rating 2 out of 5]

At what age do girls pretend to be fairies? 3? 4? The voice seemed really uneven to me some of Alice's behavior seemed very young (or least I would hope so) but at other times the grammar, vocabulary, and especially the self-consciousness seemed much older.

[midnightfaerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

We love David Shannon and this was a fun book, but we've loved some of his others more. Not sure if it was the story line or that my boys all somewhat tuned out because it was about a "girl" and a "fairy" no less, but I still thought it was cute, and my 5 yr old laughed we he came across some similarities between the fairy and himself. Somewhere around a level 2 reading book for beginners, if you're interested.

[Mizzy Mint · Rating 2 out of 5]

So basically a little girl make believes to be a fairy to avoid doing chores and eating broccoli. The art work is cute, similar to the No David books. She is not a bad little girl, but very mischievous. She definitely lets her imagination get her into trouble. I do love the art and how everyone is dressed like colorful magical fairies.
I don't like the somewhat animosity this little girl has towards her mother or potentially step-mother. She refers to her as the "wicked duchess" and says she poisons the broccoli. She villainizes the mother. Some play is fine, but since her mother was the but of the joke there I wasn't a huge fan.

[Adriana Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Text to teach connection:

This book Wasn’t my favorite. I think the only thing I did like about it was her imagination and that is the main reason I like read this to my classroom. To show them that some things may look different to others because we all have our own imaginations and that no ones is wrong or right. It’s personal and special to them and their uniqueness.

[Set · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and girly illustrations. Alice has a fairy tale imagination where she is a practicing to be a fairy in her own kingdom where her mother is a duchess and her father is a duke. I really enjoyed the innocence in childhood play acting around the house that every little girl can relate to; in my case, I was always the sugar plum fairy with a wand that had the tail of toilet paper as fairy dust and I would wave it above the Christmas town my parents would build every year.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Shannon is one of our family favorites!

[Kristen Dutkiewicz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the idea of Alice being a “temporary fairy.” Simple story and pictures!

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Alice the Fairy
Publish Date: 2006
Author: David Shannon

Rating: 🥄🥄🥄🥄


Summary: A little girl goes through her day talking about being a fairy and all that is needed to be one.

My Review:

Absolutely enjoyed this. Everyday I read a students library book that they selected. This was one of them. The sentences were just short enough and images attention-worthy -- kids were locked in and discussing what they saw .. didn't need to prompt them!

[Fjóla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Candide and adorable! This falls into the same category as the David books, but whereas these are for toddlers, Alice can work for slightly older kids, up to preschoolers and kindergartners. We first encountered No, David! when my son was two years old, as it was often read to his class in nursery school. I was new to children's books and I had an epiphany when I realized how powerful and visceral this book was, with its grotesque pictures and basic text. I saw it in the wide open eyes of the little two year olds, and their reactions as they got sucked into the book. The David books are told from a little boys perspective (although David himself doesn't say much, if anything), and so is Alice. It uses a a five year olds vocabulary to describe the world, how she wishes things were and how they (finally) are. It's cute, realistic and funny. The illustrations of Alice's head are a little off putting, just like David's, but it ties in with the naive and primitive perspective of the story.

I think Alice The Fairy is one of David Shannon's most successful books. It's the perfect companion for a little girl, the way David is for boys. Shannon is a fantastic illustrator, but I find his books a little hit or miss: The Rain Came Down and Jangles: A Big Fish Story have stunning illustrations, but the stories don't quite cut it, A Bad Case of Stripes is a bit too weird, and his pirate books (written by Melinda Long) don't enthrall me. The quirky Duck On A Bike however is one of our very favorites, absolutely priceless ... !

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll admit it, at first I was a little put off by David Shannon's illustrations, both in this and his No, David! series. They're kind of creepy, with lopsided arms and big spaces between the teeth and other adults I've spoken to have said the same. However, I've never heard a kid say anything of the sort, they just love his books. So I gave Shannon a chance.

Alice's story is telling you all about how she's a Temporary Fairy and all the things that means she can do (and some things that only Permanent Fairies can do). Alice is more precocious than bratty, even when she's trouble, there's some sense of remorse, or at least that she knows she's done something wrong, instead of Penelope's indignance. Plus frankly it's just cute (using her fairy magic, she turns her dad's cookies into hers). Alice is a little girl with flaws and humor and she's even a little self-effacing which really works for the story. Really cute and wonderful.

Read my full review and comparisons to other books at my blog: http://shorteasywordsreviews.blogspot...

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story about our temporary fairy Alice, who has not passed her permanent fairy tests. She tells you all the magical things she can do as a temporary fairy, which really aren't all that magical. This is a great book for students who are a fan of David Shannon books, and his art work. It is great to introduce reading strategies, since there are some difficult words such as temporary, permanent, and broccoli. Its for children who love a little humor in their books. It offers very interesting illustration that help the reader. There are even pictures in the words. These are great for teaching context clues. This book is also great for teaching voice, since its humor and silliness is easily hears. It is also a great way to start a writing project such as writing your own spells, or what you would do as a temporary fairy. Subject wise, this is great for the young fantasy, comedy, and magic lover.

[Anabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another David Shannon book, but this time through the eyes of a little girl named Alice. This book definitely appeals to a young girl audience and basically portrays a girl who wants to be a fairy. Alice is just a “temporary” fairy not a permanent fairy, which means she cannot do a lot of magic yet. She practices her magical powers on her father, her dog, and things throughout her house. I like to think of Alice as the female version of David Shannon’s mischievous character, David. Students in my classroom absolutely loved this story, especially the girls! This story is perfect for having students analyze fantasy and realism, since there are a lot of things that happen while Alice is simply using her creative imagination.

[Linda Lipko]

Alice lets the reader know upfront that she is only a temporary fairy. Becoming a permanent fairy requires a lot of test and she isn't up for the challenge. Instead, she uses her imagination to perform tricks such as turning her father into a horse , turning all the cookies baked for her dad into her own possession. She makes the leaves fall and uses sugar for fairy dust on oatmeal.

Alice is a likable, brat-like adventurer. She is good at getting into trouble as a result of her limited abilities. She is smart enough to blame her impediments on the need for advanced learning.

This is a delightful tale.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Shannon is an amazing writer and illustrator. This book is good to talk about how this little girl changes up things to become a fairy. For instances, when she turns off the light, the author puts it in a way that the girl is using to turn off the light. Not only it is a cute book to read to the children, but it is an excellent book to talk about temporary and permanent by using context to figure out the meanings of the words.

[Joan Oegema · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like to tell my kindergarten friends Alice is David's (from No, David! and David Goes to School)sister. I think David Shannon is relying on his childhood memories to create the stories about David and Alice the Fairy. I love the way Alice describes he attempts to be a fairy and the childlike drawings compliment the book. Alice is a great character who gives us all permission to use our imagination the pretend to be whatever we want to be. Thank you David Shannon for such delightful books.

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite children's book. Alice is a temporary fairy, practicing all her fairy magic tricks on everyone and everything. The imagination in the story is adorable, and the illustrations are just too cute.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 5 year old and I (mostly I) absolutley love this book. From a mom's point of view it is so dang funny. The illustrations are so cute they make my laugh so hard I have tears rolling down my cheeks. This story is the epitome of my little girls.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really an almost four stars. I like David Shannon even more after hearing him speak this summer.


And who wouldn't love this line ...
""One time, my mom made cookies for my dad. So I turned them in to mine." (Alice is talking about her magic wand and learning how to use it.)

[Marissa Morrison · Rating 1 out of 5]

Alas, zero stars isn't an option. Open the book and right on page one you'll see "alot." Apparently seventh graders are now in charge at Scholastic.

[Cheryl · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was unimpressed by some of the content given that is directed at small children.

[Emily E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Alice the Fairy

Author/Illustrator: David Shannon

Genre: Imaginative Fiction

Theme(s): Fairies & Magic

Opening line/Sentence: “My name is Alice. I’m a fairy!”

Brief Book Summary: A little girl named Alice plays pretend that she is a temporary fairy and “casts” different spells on people or objects. She has a big imagination and can use her magic wand to turn her dad into a horse, make leaves fall from trees, and draw pictures on water. She also talks about permanent fairies who go to a special school for that, but comes to the realization that she will probably always be a temporary fairy.

Response to two professional reviews: The reviews that I read for this book talked about how Alice has a very vivid imagination and she believes that she is a fairy in training. Showing children a book where someone might be their age and are pretending to be something that isn’t real helps them develop their own imagination further. This book is a fun and light read to use in a classroom of preschoolers.

Tell Me Framework:

Like(s): I like how the illustrations in this book look like they have drawn with a pencil and colored in.

Dislike(s): One part in the story Alice was sent to her room because she spilt juice on her white dress, but I think it wasn’t necessary to add into the story.

Pattern(s): Throughout the story Alice repeats the phrase “I can’t do that yet.”

Puzzle(s): It would be interesting if the author made the main character in the book a boy instead or have no gender because anyone can want to be a fairy.

Consideration of Instruction Application: After reading this story to a group of preschoolers, the teacher could ask them to draw a picture of a type of “spell” they would want to cast if they were a fairy or could use magic. Another activity that a teacher could do is ask the children to make their own fairy houses out of materials that they find outside on the ground. It’s important for children to learn how to reuse materials as well as explore multiple uses for natural resources.

[Brooke Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite book as a child. I was obsessed with fairies and princesses, so this book corresponded well with what I was interested in. Our author, David Shannon, tells the story of the cutest little curly top, Alice. Alice thinks she is a temporary fairy. She goes along in the story telling her audience how she does spells, turns people into horses, makes leaves fall from trees, etc. She also tells us all about how her goal is to be a permanent fairy because they can do cooler things, such as turning baths into jell-o, going to Advance Fairy School, things like that. As I've stated, Alice is our main character. She looks to be about five years old, has curly blonde hair, and wears a fairy costume. Her imagination is always running wild, which is a perfect characteristic to have at her age.

This book is an example of fantasy because obviously, fairies don't exist. Not only that, but Alice is unable to cast spells that actually work, because things like that don't exist either. I think this is a nice story for little girls to follow because when you're a child, you think of all these crazy things you want to be when you grow up. You want to be a princess, a super hero, a fairy, anything. At age five, your imagination is spinning just like Alice's is. The book depicts that things like magic and spells actually do exist, which is always fun to play around with when you're a child.

[Kathryn Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alice the Fairy is a story about a girl named Alice, she is a temporary fairy. She isn't a fairy yet, but she will be soon, shes is fearless little fairy. With her magic wand, fairy wings and blanket in hand she conquers her world. Alice gets up to all kinds of mischief as a fairy, eating cookies that aren't hers, and casting spells. Although Alice is a temporary fairy she is very optimistic that one day she will be a full fairy and be able to all the things she dreams about.

The overall theme of Alice The Fairy is the idea of wonder, imagination, and curiosity. Although Alice isn't a real fairy that doesn't stop her from casting spells and living a fairy life.

I absolutely love reading Alice The Fairy, it is so refreshing to see the imagination and creativity of children come to life. I know as a little girl I dreamed I could be like Alice, the spark of being young and carefree.

I would definitely recommend this book because it shows the amazing things kids can dream up, and the endless opportunities they have. This book shows not only little girls but also little boys that even though you're not a "Full Fairy" you still have this untapped potential to be anything and do anything you want. This lesson in imagination is very important to kids in today's world, they don't need a tablet, they can make up there own world.

[Brittani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alice is the type of child who is known not only for mischief but also for her wild imagination. Alice wants to be a real life fairy but first, she has to go through training. With her magic wand and brain power, Alice creates these vivid adventures which according to the illustrations are nothing more your average child's play. This was one of my most favorite books as a kid, and I love it even more as an adult. I love how creative Shannon is able to capture of imagination in the words and make for even more hilarious drawings. Little girls are sure to gravitate towards this book.

This is an absolute must to have in my classroom library, and I know my girl students will gravitate towards this. David Shannon is such a creative author, and I would love to have all of his books in my collection. I don't think I would use this in my classroom other than for enjoyment reading, simply because I would rather see it for its humor and innocence than for breaking it down under the literary scope. I could no doubt use it in a writing or reading lesson, but I would rather have it serve as something fun.

[Andrea Northam · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story started off quite good but then fell apart on the last 3 pages. Did Alice learn anything? No. Do we know her feelings about not becoming a Permanent Fairy? No. Why does she give up easily when she says she is no good at making clothes instead of using that as a moment to learn and grow? No clue. Where is the connection between making clothes and becoming a Permanent Fairy?? I'm not sure how this pertains to Permanent Fairy School. I can understand that the book is meant to be funny and doesn't follow a traditional narrative, but you can't end a story and leave all those questions unanswered. If Alice comes to the conclusion that she will never be a Permanent Fairy, I need to know a good reason why. If the author says the reason Alice thinks she can't is because she isn't good at something, then that is an opportunity to show her learning how to do it in spite of her deficiencies in order to achieve her goal. Alice appears to have no goals, and she gives up easily. That does not a good character or narrative make. The beginning is cute though...so I give it 3 stars.

[Bonnie Sears · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alice the Fairy takes the readers on an exciting journey through Alice's imagination and her temporary fairy life. Alice goes through her daily life, but a crucial part of her character is her knowledge of her fairy abilities and how far they extend into her life. This book is quite empowering with Alice’s creativity, like when she is trying to make the dog fly. Even though Alice is only a temporary fairy she pushes herself to new limits and tries her best to be the best fairy ever, being strong and independent.

Alice's point of view is unique because it is one of a "temporary" fairy rather than a "permanent" fairy. She is very aware of this and her abilities forming a unique plot that shows her daily journeys of being a temporary fairy. This book is great due to the character's self-awareness and imagination into the world of fairies and the impact of it in her life. David Shannon is a wonderful author and illustrator, always creating the best worlds and characters for the readers to explore, as he has done in this book.

[Noel Tomlinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alice the Fairy, by David Shannon, is about a little girl named Alice. She uses her imagination to pretend she’s a fairy, and tells us what the life of a fairy is like on a daily basis. She goes through her day showing different spells and other magical things she uses to make her life better. She explains the differences between being a temporary and permanent fairy, she claims she is a temporary fairy because she can’t actually fly yet.

I love this book! This book brings me straight back to my childhood, because I loved the idea of fairies and I would always make fairy houses pretty much everywhere I went. I love the style of illustrations that David Shannon uses, it’s a mixture of watercolor, pen, paint, and maybe even a little bit of crayon.

In this book I noticed a bunch of different types of sentences, including fragments. Therefore, I would use this book to teach my students several different types of sentences. I would read the book once then go through it again and let them pick out what each sentence was.

[Elizabeth Nelson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alice often blends her wild imagination with the not so glamorous events of her life. The young girl considers herself to be a “temporary fairy” and caries around a wand. Some of her tricks include flying really fast, changing her dad into a horse, and talking to her magic mirror. Alice even refers to her mom as the Duchess and her father as the Duke. She comes to realize that “magic” cannot always take care of the responsibilities she faces in reality. Alice’s story can help students to decipher between the difficult social developmental understanding of knowing when to let their imagination run wild during play time, and when a more serious attitude is necessary. Balancing everyday responsibilities with a youthful fantasy can make life exciting and fun. Have students think about this lesson by drawing an invention or spell that would complete a task they do not particular like doing.

[Eryn Earsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alice calls herself a pretend fairy with a blanket, wings, and a magical wand. Alice’s items help her turn into a magical fair. She uses her magical skills and items to make items disappear, to let her fly, and to transform her father into a horse and caste spells onto her dog. Alice uses other items around the house to portray her magical powers. Alice loves to let her imagination run free because she loves to be herself. Alice is not afraid to be herself because she’s around her mom, father and dog that go along with Alice’s imagination. This would be a great book to have in a classroom of younger readers because it is a text heavy picture book and has a lesson along with it. This book helps the readers to understand that having an imagination is just the start of something much more fun to come. Allow students to read these books because they need to be able to be a kid and have those experiences.