Вещицата фея

by Brigitte Minne, Брижит Мине

Книга за умението да отстояваме мечтите си, да имаме дързостта да сме различни.

Малката фея Розмари живее на облак, във въздушен замък със златни кулички. Има си дори вълшебна пръчица. Но й доскучава винаги да е спретната и възпитана. И един прекрасен ден решава да се спусне във Вещерската гора, за да полети на метла, да се повози на лодка, да се попързаля на ролкови кънки и изобщо да се напалува.

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Adventure, Fantasy, Magic, Childrens, Middle Grade

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[zineti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Отново много сладка детска книжка и илюстрациите бяха невероятни - някои страници ги зяпах няколко минути, защото бяха толкова красиви.

[Yoana Misirkova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Бях забравила какво е да четеш детски книжки, но определено много се радвам, че си го припомних. "Вещицата фея" е много сладка, илюстрациите са свежи и различни. Историята на феята Розмари, която не иска да бъде "спретната и възпитана", а да върши и някои пакости понякога ми беше много присърце.
Мисля, че книжката добре представя сблъсъка между очакванията на родителите за техните деца и желанията на самите деца и показва на малчуганите, че няма нищо лошо в това да не си съгласен с мама и татко. В крайна сметка у всеки от нас има по малко фея и по малко вещица.

[Mathew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rosemary wants all the things that her mother and culture tell her she cannot have – rollerstakes, boats, to climb trees and play in the woods. Alas, the life of a fairy means that such things are considered too wild and carefree. Instead, she is to nibble cake, tell sweet stories and maybe, sometimes, wave a magic wand. But none of this has ever really appealed to Rosemary. Instead, down below, within the swamp and undergrowth, the life of a witch seems far more appealing.

Witchfairy, translated from Minne’s original Belgian by the gifted Laura Watkinson, tells the story of one girl’s rebellious nature whose grit and determination to not conform touches on universal themes that all children will connect with. An unusual yet deeply intelligent foray into identity, Witchfairy is a story whose themes are threaded through the subversion of fairy tale and socio-cultural tropes. I loved the fact that Rosemary simple does what she knows is right for her and follows her instincts. Her stubbornness and self-belief even affects her mother whose initial disgust and disapproval and overthrown and stereotypes challenged through her daughter’s actions. Only when she too tries these new experiences does she understand the appeal.

What will be most celebrated though is Cneut’s incredible illustrations. It is refreshing to find someone actually working with heavy body acrylics and layering rather than the swathe of digital illustration that fills the market. Whilst I recognise the work of Bosch and Ensor in there, there is something of Sendak’s Outside Over There is tone and oddness (especially those witches whose heads seem to mostly poke out of swamps and depthless undercurrents). Cneut acknowledges the importance in leaving a space for the reader to fill in the gaps between word leaveing much to interpretation. Witchfairy is as fantastical as it is real. As with those great picturebooks nothing is ever spelt out, meanings are layered in ambiguity but that’s what keeps us coming back again and again.

[Iliyana Vacheva · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Вещицата фея”, с автор Бриджит Мине, е една страхотна книжка за деца, които имат смелостта да бъдат различни. За деца, които отстояват желанията си, за връзката между тях и родителите им и за разликата в очакванията и реалността. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Розмари е фея. Но тя няма против да си изцапа роклята и мечтае да кара ролкови кънки - неща, които не са присъщи за тези нежни и възпитани създания. За това тя предпочита да е вещица, да прави всички тези забранени неща - “и толкоз!” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Книжката е изключително красива, изпълнена е с приказни илюстрации от Карл Кнот, които ни показват как едно момиченце осъществява мечтите си, макар нейната майка да не ги разбира и приема. А как ще завърши тази история ви препоръчвам да разберете сами.

[Francesca Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book had a fantastic storyline of combining fairies and witches together. This book is about a girl called Rosemary who is fed up of having to be a 'perfect' fairy and wants to become a withc. However, her mother is not so keen on the idea. Rosemary goes to the wtiches wood where the witches don't fulfill their stereotype at all as they were nice to her. They find Rosemary a treehouse to live in. Rosemary's mother begins to worry about her so she flys to find her asleep in her treehouse and joins her. In the end Rosemary's mother allows her to be a witch but Rosemary decides she wants to live two lives as either a fairy so she can go back home when she likes or a witch where she can stay in her treehouse in the witches wood. I think this book would be a great read to ks1 children as it will challenge their perspectives of stereotypical fairies and witches. I like how the illustrator has combined features of fairies and witches on the characters and the contrasting colours shown on the pages to reflect typical scenes from fairy and witch books.

[Rebecca Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations in this book are gorgeous. Rosemary is a fairy but desperately wants to be a witch but her Mother does not allow her. Not letting her Mother stop her, Rosemary goes into the Witches' Wood. This book challenges the typical stereotypes of witches being horrible as the witches accept Rosemary and help her find a treehouse to live in. When Rosemary does not return home, her Mother gets worried about her and flies into the Witches' Woods to find her in her treehouse. Her Mother then accepts that Rosemary wants to be a witch as well as a fairy. What I love most about this book is that it encourages children to find their own identity and that it is okay to be different to everyone else. I would use this book throughout the year groups as I feel that this book has such a strong message throughout it.

[Yelena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very short and easy to read, amazingly illustrated. Liked it a lot! The book is about growing up and finding your place in the world

[Книжни Криле · Rating 5 out of 5]

„Вещицата фея” (изд „Лабиринт”) на Бриджит Мине и Карл Кнот е изящна и необичайна картинна книга за всички възрасти. Историята за малката Розмари, родена да бъде фея, но мечтаеща да живее като вещица, лесно ще грабне въображението на децата. Какво да кажем за по-големите обаче? Дори да смятате, че вече ви е минало времето за приказни небивалици, ще сгрешите ако подминете „Вещицата фея”. Това не е шаблонна история за добро и зло, нито пък завършва със захаросан финал и черно-бели поуки. С много финес и безпогрешен разказвачески усет, Мине и Кнот засягат важни и вечни теми като следването на мечтите, оправдаването на очакванията, противопоставянето на индивидуалността и нормите, опознаването на различното като път към приемственост, нуждата от толерантност, преодоляването на бариерите между поколенията, за компромисите в името на любовта… Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле": https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/202...

[Sue Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I loved about this book:
The huge range of shades of pink, crimson and red.
None of the fairies really look happy.
The idea that fairies drink tea!
The double page floral illustrations of Rosemary in the witches' wood.
The witches' wood becomes a place of discovery; of perseverance and determination.
It's a book for adults as much as for children, with a clear message to allow our children to discover and experiment but also to appreciate that we can learn so much from the motives and interests of children.
Compromise.
The long noses of the witches!
Acceptance.

This is a smashing book.

[Debbie Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful illustrations.

[Габриела Манова]

Великолепни илюстрации. 💜

[Pauline]

Je l'ai découvert dans la bibliothèque de mon frère, je pense l'avoir jamais lu enfant alors que l'histoire est trop bien?? Trop slay les sorcières
Un peu moins fan des dessins et de la fin

[Skaistė · Rating 4 out of 5]

smagiai, bet i lius tra ci jos 👏👏

[Laura Cope · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Rosemary the fairy lives with her mum in a castle in the air with golden turrets, for her birthday her mum gave her a magic wand, a stupid magic wand."

Book Island's English translation of 'Witchfairy' tells the tale of a divergent female protagonist, Rosemary, whom defiantly wants to stand out from the world. Bored of being a fairy, she decides that she'd much rather be a witch - much to the horror of her mother, and her friends - so she escapes. She discovers that witches are not cruel or dark, but that they delight in the adventure of the wild without the fear of restriction or reprimand. When she does return home, Rosemary realises that she can happily be both a witch and a fairy: a Witchfairy.

Stunning illustrations by Flanders artist Carll Cneut make this picture book as exciting to navigate for adults as well as children. His brave use of a limited palette and bold contrast of light and shade makes the story utterly captivating, and a delight to get lost in.

[BrookesEducationLibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The colour scheme for this book alone would please me but it's so much more - the story of a young fairy who longs to be a witch, to escape her always 'perfect' life and go rollerskating once in a while. The illustrations are magical and the story even more so. A kind of coming-of-age story for younger readers.

[Dorien · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over de moeder-dochter-relatie en jezelf zijn, tegen beter weten in.
Over niet in één vakje passen, maar je eigen combinatie maken en uitvinden wie je bent.

[Jürgen Peeters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mijn recensie van 'Heksenfee' verscheen op 'Cutting Edge'

http://www.cuttingedge.be/boekenstrip...

[Jess Peck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a lovely read surrounding a bored fairy called Rosemary, who wanted to become a witch. she was fed up of being a clean, pretty fairy and instead wanted to climb the tallest trees whilst getting dirty in the mud ( going against all general stereotypes). Despite her mums disapproval, she decided to leave the family home to seek a better life as a witch in the dark woods, but it did not take long for her two worlds to collide. Before we knew it she had become a witch fairy and was met by her mother. I loved this read, I kept on going back and back and continued to notice new elements that were not picked up the first time round, not everything was revealed at first glance and i loved this! . The illustrations in the book were really pleasant to the eye and positioned so very particularly, allowing the reader to make further inferences. One page that I particularly examined closely included the illustration of Rosemary sitting on a branch staring at the moon. Although Rosemary takes up a large proportion of the page suggesting that she is strong and in control of her situation whilst looking forward towards her new adventure, the majority of the background is a dark deep black, hiding the rest of the scenery. The bright red window has connections with danger, perhaps enhancing her feeling of loneliness. Despite my opinions, Rosemary emotions remain hidden due to her body language meaning that this whole journey and the emotions that she is facing is open to interpretation of the reader as the are immersed in the story.

[Iqra Fiaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story tells the tale about a young girl growing up and finding her own place in the world. Rosemary is born a fairy, but she soon realises that the life of a fairy is not one which she wants to live. She knows about the witches and likes how they live. So, she defies the expectations placed on her by her mother and the other fairies and spends time living like a witch. Her mum doesn’t understand this, until Rosemary takes the time to show her why she enjoys this way of life. She becomes a Witchfairy, spending part of her life as a fairy and part of her life as a witch.

I would use this book with Lower Key Stage 2 because of the themes and language opportunities which present themselves.
This book explores the ides of children and young adults finding themselves by following the things that interest them. All children, at some point, will experience an individual discrediting or not understanding their dreams. This book teaches children to show these people why their dreams are important, and to persevere with their goals.
Additionally, the story looks at a difficult mother-daughter relationship. It is possible that children in schools will have the same struggle, with a difference of opinion creating strain. This book could be useful to show both adults and children than open-mindedness, and a willingness to listen and understand can go a long way.

Overall, an enjoyable book with lots of potential to change children’s mindsets in a positive way.

[Steph Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Initially, what made me want to read this book was the tile and the front cover as it stood out from all the other books. Inside, this book has incredible illustrations and is about a fairy who wants to be a witch. The main fairy in this story is rejected and disowned by her mother due to her dream of becoming a witch. This book focuses around wanting to fit in in the world and finding yourself. This book is powerful in letting children know that it is okay to be different and want something different form the people you care about. It identifies that you should not give up on your dream to be what you want. I would use this in a classroom of any age as it has a great message of being true to yourself and doing what makes you happy not others around you.

[Inga Narijauskienė]

Man patiko.
Manau, kad ši pasaka labiau skirta ją skaitantiems suaugusiems, negu jos klausantiems vaikams :) Apie besąlygišką meilę, savo vaiko priėmimą, lūkesčių neturėjimą...

* - Linksma, linksma... Tuojau pat drožk į voną, - griežtai liepė mama. - Tu visa purvina ir smirdi.
- Tokios tos raganos - jos smirdi, - atsakė Rozmarina.
- Mano dukra - ne smirdinti ragana! - atšovė mama.
Rozmarina kiek įkabindama parskrido atgal į raganų mišką.

* Kartais Rozmarina būna fėja. Tada ji apsirengia fėjos suknelę ir mojuoja burtų lazdele. Ir miega ant debesies oro pilyje su auksiniais bokšteliais.
Kartais Rozmarina virsta ragana. Tada ji gyvena miške ir skraidžioja ant šluotos. Kai Rozmarina būna ragana, mama apsistoja medžio namelyje.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely story about being true to your inner self, despite not fitting in to the required standards. Loved how it is also a lesson about the mother, learning to accept her daughter.
I did however not really get Rozemarijn's being a bit nasty and playing tricks on the other witches that have been nothing but helpful and accepting.
I found the illustrations a bit peculiar and definitely not the type you would straight on connect to, but they really brought more charm to the story.

[Ellie Abrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully illustrated story about a young fairy growing up and finding her place in life. It is a great story to use for illustrating the importance of accepting one another, despite of our differences. As well as this, Witchfairy is an excellent story for challenging the stereotypical expectations for girls and the roles they ought to fulfil.

[Dima Schweisguth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Прекрасна книжка за малки и пораснали. За перфектните добри деца, които родителите искат да възпитат и за мечтите към приключения и непознатото, които децата от своя страна искат да изживеят. Приказно красиви и необикновени илюстрации.

[Ellie Draper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning yet somewhat eerie illustrations. A fantastic story about making your own choices, finding your identity and overcoming prejudices. These relatable themes would encourage children to 'do everything' and to not be limited by stereotypes and initial reactions.

[Ling · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great short story for teaching children that it's okay for not being perfect and for the parents to understand and accept their children imperfections.

[Mr Bramley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated and colourful picture book about finding where you belong and living your true self.

The art is hypnotising and the story itself is very sweet and easy to understand.

[Wilde Sky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairy learns to be a witch.

This was an odd book.

Reading time around twenty minutes.

[Amy Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loveeeeeeee this book!! From the storyline to the illustration- SO beautiful.

[Alex Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful tale of acceptance