Review
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Cronin and Smallcombine talents in this fable for
modern times: people who live in fragilekingdoms may need to get
their hands dirty rebuilding. Bloom the mud fairylives in a glass
kingdom where she turns weeds into blossoms and sand intoglass;
she also leaves mud and cracks in the glass in her wake. As the
kingdomgrows and gleams, folks protest Bloom's mess. She takes to
the forest, butwithout her, the kingdom deteriorates. When the
royals seek Bloom's magic tosave them, they are outraged when the
dirty creature places a bucket of mud attheir feet. So they send
tiny, ordinary Genevieve to talk to Bloom. AlthoughGenevieve has
heretofore preserved her delicate hands for the frivolous task
ofwashing the queen's sugar spoon, with Bloom's coaching she digs
her hands intothe mud to make...bricks! The text is set in
different typefaces and fonts tohelp the narrative along, while
Small uses watercolor washes in cool blues andwarm greens and
browns to indicate changing tones. Genevieve takes hernew-learned
"magic" back to the kingdom to rebuild, and the residentsrejoice.
All the characters, from royals to fairy, are white. The tale
isenchanting but somewhat opaque, so metaphorical that children
may needsignificant help from adults to understand it. If
youngsters scratch theirheads, take them to the yard or community
garden to and make mud pies. -- Kirkus Reviews, November 1,
2015
This smart, subversive fairy tale is set in a kingdom whose
palace is made entirely of glass and whose inhabitants scorn dirt
and untidiness. The kingdom was once home to a red-haired fairy
named Bloom, whose magic could “spin sand into glass, turn weeds
into blossoms, and grow a trickle of rainwater into a racing
river.” But Bloom’s heavy steps and muddy footprints drew
complaints, and she retired, exasperated, to the forest. Now, the
king’s beautiful glass castle leaks, and everything else is “held
together by tape, glue, and peasants.” Small’s (Glamourpuss)
witty ink-and-wash drawings follow the king and queen as they
enter the forest to search for the powerful fairy, but they
refuse to believe that Bloom and the bucket of mud she proffers
is the creature they seek. They dispatch their sweet servant girl
Genevieve to locate her instead. Bloom questions Genevieve
closely: “Why would the king and queen send a delicate child...
to do something they could not?” she asks. “Because I am
ordinary,” Genevieve confesses. Outraged that any girl would
value herself so lightly, Bloom immediately begins Genevieve’s
training in “magic”—up to their elbows in mud, the two make
bricks and build a house. When Genevieve returns to the kingdom
armed with new knowledge and spattered with mud, she thunders, “I
am here!” Cronin (the Click, Clack, Moo books) juggles thematic
elements with grace, mixing fairy-tale parody with maker tale and
girl-power story to celebrate mess, chaos, and big plans. When
seen up close, Cronin suggests, fairy-tale “magic” might really
be no more than the willingness to get one’s hands dirty. --
Publishers Weekly *STARRED REVIEW*, October 26, 2015
When the glass castle starts shattering to pieces, the king knows
just who to ask—Bloom, a helpful but messy fairy he once banished
for leaving too many muddy tracks behind. When he finds Bloom in
the woods, he asks for her magic, but all she shows him is a
bucket of mud. Aghast, he decides to send an ordinary servant,
Genevieve, to deal with her instead. At first, delicate
Genevieve, too, is dismayed by Bloom’s love of mud. But soon,
Bloom shows her its magic—it’s perfect for making bricks—and
before long, they’re up to their elbows in it. Covered in dirt
and grime, Genevieve returns to the glass castle with a solution
that, though not dainty or tidy, is exactly what the king needs.
Small’s swirly ink-and-watercolor illustrations in soft pastel
colors are full of comic details, and whenever Bloom is around,
appropriately muddy splatters cover the page. In a charmingly
old-fashioned tone that’s ideal for reading aloud, this ode to
messiness reminds little ones that sometimes ordinary things are
perfectly magical.
HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Both Cronin and Small are award winners,
and their team-up for this title should double its appeal.
— Sarah Hunter -- Booklist, December 1, 2015
K-Gr 3–Though her outward appearance is chock-full of dirt,the
fairy Bloom is delightfully talented. Underappreciated and
misunderstood,she retreats into the wilderness. Without Bloom’s
magical touch, her kingdomfalls into disarray, “held together by
duct tape, glue, and peasants.” Thoughthe king and then the queen
search for answers to fix their kingdom (“I amlooking for a
magical creature, gone so many years ago”), they are too
haughtyto understand the sprite’s message when she places mud at
their feet. Aseemingly ordinary girl named Genevieve, whose only
job in the kingdom is tocarry the queen’s delicate, unbreakable
spoon, is next sent in their stead.Though initially puzzled by
Bloom’s mannerisms, Genevieve learns from the fairyand develops
the skills she needs to rebuild her kingdom Bloom’s
inspiringoutlook (“Tell them there is no such thing as an
ordinary girl”) paves the wayfor Genevieve to return home. Humor
is laced throughout the charming narrative,highlighted through
Genevieve’s dramatic growth and the expressive ink andwatercolor
illustrations. Wavy, thin lines accentuate the ebb and flow
ofBloom’s magical world. Changing typography emphasizes key ideas
and naturalpauses within the story line. VERDICT This engaging,
empoweringtale proves the future of happily ever after is in one
own’s hands, regardlessof how much dirt they may have on them. --
School Library Journal *STARRED REVIEW*, January 1, 2016
This fairy tale for the modern era blooms with joy and delight.
Bloom is a helpful but unusual fairy who lives in a glass
kingdom. Misunderstood and under appreciated because she is muddy
and noisy and sloppy, she leaves the kingdom for the forest. When
the king is unable to convince her to return, it is up to the
very ordinary maid Genevieve to visit Bloom and ultimately save
the kingdom. The rich, descriptive vocabulary and clever dialogue
enhance the story. The layout of the type and the lovely
watercolor illustrations fill each page with magic.This book is a
wonderful read-aloud that is fun and action-packed. It ends
happily ever after, with a very positive message for
children—that even the most ordinary among us can do
extraordinary things.
Recommended -- School Library Connection, May 1, 2016
Theglass fairy kingdom where Bloom lives is beautiful, but its
residents are dis-missive of her messy, muddy approach to magic,
so Bloom takes her untidy ways(and her magic) elsewhere. After
Bloom leaves, though, things fall apart—quiteliterally—until the
kingdom is “held together by duct tape, glue, andpeasants.” The
king and queen seek out Bloom for help, only to be perplexed
andinsulted when she presents them with a bucket of mud. They
then send meekGenevieve, a maid and “ordinary girl,” to do the
job. The girl soon catches onto Bloom’s proposed solution—using
the mud to make bricks with which to rebuildthe kingdom—and,
after some instruction, practice, and reassurance by Bloom,the
not-so-ordinary Genevieve returns to fix the kingdom: “She
knocked on thepalace door and shat- tered it to pieces ‘I am
here!’ she shouted.” This is anenjoyable original fairy tale, and
young listeners will relish the youngheroine’s triumph over her
royal elders. Genevieve’s literal shattering of theglass ceiling
(okay, a door) tips slightly toward didacticism, but it’s
ametaphor worth discussing, and while the ending is abrupt, it is
also joyful.Small’s detailed ink and watercolor art balances the
tidy restraint of thekingdom with the casual sprawl of the
sprightly Bloom and the natural world.The evolving appearance of
the auburn-haired Genevieve (she grows muddier andless demure in
proportion to her increasing skill and confidence)
alsoeffectively reflects her growing empowerment. Enjoy this as
it stands or use itas a complement to Munsch’s The Paper Bag
Princess. -- BCCB, April 2016
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About the Author
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Doreen Cronin is the author of many bestselling
and New York Times bestselling picture books, including Click,
Clack, Quack to School!; Click, Clack, Surprise!; Click, Clack,
Ho, Ho, Ho; Click, Clack, Peep; Click, Clack, Boo!; Dooby Dooby
Moo; Thump, Quack, Moo: A Whacky Adventure; Bounce; Wiggle; Duck
for President; Giggle, Giggle, Quack; Bloom; and the Caldecott
Honor Book Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type as well as The
Chicken Squad series and Cyclone. She lives in Brooklyn, New
York. Visit her at DoreenCronin.com.
David Small is the Caldecott Award–winning illustrator of So You
Want to Be President? by Judith St. George. He also received
Caldecott Honors for The Gardener by Sarah Stewart and One Cool
Friend by Toni Buzzeo. He’s illustrated dozens of other
award-winning books, including That Book Woman by Heather Henson
and The Underneath by Kathi Appelt, and lives in Michigan with
his wife, Sarah Stewart.
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