Fairy Wings: A Story

by Lauren A. Mills

Ridiculed by all but her closest friends, the wingless Fia is invited by the boy fairy Kip to accompany him to the annual May dance, where her wingless condition causes a stir until a wing-hungry troll crashes the party.

Genres: Picture Books, Fantasy, Childrens, Fairy Tales, Romance, Fairies, Fiction

1 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Elfdart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairy Wings is a story about a fairy named Fia who was born without wings, and because she isn’t flying around with the other fairies and instead plays with frogs and rats and crows, she is ridiculed and outcast. One day while she’s playing along the river, a boy fairy finds her and asks her to play. He tore one of his wings and is grounded for the time being. Fia tells him that she can fix his wing and they play together for a while. when Fia returns home that evening her family tells her that the royal family has come and is throwing a ball. Her sisters don’t want Fia to come because of her winglessness but her father says that she could attend. The night of the ball her friends frog and rat bring her a chair floating on a lily pad with wings on it and pull her to the centre of the ball. as it turns out the her friend who happens to be the prince sent over the chair to her (and her friends added the wings). He lifts her out of the chair and dances with her, but when he lifted her everyone sees that she doesn’t have wings, especially the king and queen and they are outraged and they send her away. Right after this happens however, a troll comes by and captures all of the fairies at the ball in a net and walks off. Fia scrambles around to find help and comes across some woodkins. Normally woodkins don’t like fairies because fairies are mean to them, but the like Fia because she doesn’t bully them. They do not go with her because they feel that it’s bad luck to help a fairy, but one of them tells her a riddle about trolls that will help her. And the riddle goes like this, the old troll’s home is a rat like place. his greed is a frog like thing. but when crow wakes, troll hides his face, or gather moss not wing. Fia then goes to save the fairies with only her friends rat, frog, and crow and solves the riddle, turning the troll into stone. Then all the fairies fawn over her and the royal family want her to marry their son.
This story is somewhat predictable and almost feels a bit overplayed because of the every popular Cinderella story line, but I do like this story because unlike many stories these days, Fia doesn’t gain wings at the end of the story. The fairies just accept her as she is, she doesn’t have to change her form to become acceptable, which is where the story deviates from the Cinderella idea. The prince takes time to notice her and like her when she is playing in the mud and being herself, and the rest of the fairies only accept her after she saves them even thought they’ve treated her so poorly, but no ugly duckling transformation takes place. This is really rare in children’s books, and adult books too, and is really discouraging to people with disabilities or differences. There are very few stories saying that you don’t need to change your physical state of being to be accepted. She still ends the story getting married, not so great, but it’s still really refreshing that she remains wingless.

[juliette]

when at your parents’ house, you read old picture books from childhood

[Senecca Fuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was originally something I would not read since it was more towards fantasy than reality. But, I really like the book. The drawings of the fairies are quite beautiful and intricate. The book seems to have a Cinderella-esque vibe because the fairy prince falling in love with someone who is opposite of him. However, this book shows how even though the main character does not have wings like everyone else, everyone accepts her for who she is and that she never got wings at the end. This book shows that the right people will accept and love who you are as a person.

[Cheryl]

Thank you, openlibrary.org, for archiving a copy of this. I would have loved it when I was a child. Now I've become more jaded and think it twee and silly, not to mention predictable. But I'm glad I read it.

[Helen Pugsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I freakin' loved this! Fia wasn't worthless because she didn't have wings... She had a different calling. Such is life. :)

[Ammie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I seriously loved this. 💕

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Fairy Wings” is a real fairy tale with fairies included. The story is sweet, charming with a hint of danger and lovely illustrations that are whimsical without being too cute. Animals, plants and trees are presented with utter realism. Crows, frogs and rats are just that, without unnecessary anthropomorphizing and they all play their part when a sweet, wingless heroine needs their help. It’s a captivating little story that once again shows there is a time and place for everyone –even those who don’t seem as if they quite fit.

[R.K. Goff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures and worth owning, but the story is cliche.

[Chrisanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intricately detailed illustrations. And I like the twist on Thumbelina/Cinderella.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story.

[Mauri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely illustrations.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

lovely story with lucious illustrations