"The next day, Spencer and the Bear Fairy
got ready to go back to the park.
Can you go a bit faster? Mariah will have
gone home by the time we get there."
What do you imagine a fairy looks like? If you have read about such magical beings, you are likely to have an idea about what to expect should your attempt to catch one works. That is certainly what Spencer is hoping when he sets out to trap a fairy in his backyard.
Spencer's friend Mariah is quite sure his plan will not work; she thinks fairies are meant for 'beautiful little girls like me'. Spencer is unconvinced and continues with his quest. As she wanders off, Mariah leaves a potato chip bag on the lawn. While waiting for his catch, Spencer takes time for a short snooze. Imagine his surprise when he wakes to find the leftover chips sparkling with fairy dust. And a bear fairy to boot who loves potato chips! Appetite sated for the moment the fairy soon departs. Spencer chases the fairy down, wanting to show Mariah. The fairy agrees to hang at the park with Spencer, despite the lack of potato chips. They also spend time at Spencer's home where the fairy finds a secret stash. A bear fairy is not the best kind of guest to have: always hungry for chips, messy, snores, and sleeptalks.
The challenge to prove Mariah wrong is met with pushback. Mariah names everything that fairies are that the bear fairy is not. Spencer cannot hold back his temper, and lets his friend know just how he feels about his bear fairy. To Spencer, this fairy is perfect. Off they go with chips and ice cream in hand to spend happy times together. The final spread shows Mariah setting a fairy trap of her own, using a bag of chips as bair.
There is a lot to like for young readers here: wordplay, cartoon-like art, expressive characters, lots of movement, and the argument about how real fairies should look. It's a funny book to read aloud, with a side of chips.
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