Customer Reviews

Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg (Disney Fairies)

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When a baby giggles, the giggle finds its way to Never Land, and a new fairy is born. This is how Prilla, the newest fairy, arrives in Never Land. However, Never Land is unsure as to whether or not she should be permitted entrance to Fairy Land. After all, she's one very peculiar fairy. For instance, unlike other Never fairies, Prilla greets her newfound friends with a handshake, and the words "Pleased to meet you," as opposed to saying "Fly with you." As if that weren't bad enough, she refers to Tinker Bell - a pots and pans fairy, and the star fairy of J.M. Barrie's classic PETER PAN - as Miss Bell. Let's face it, Prilla acts much more like a Clumsy - a human being - than an ethereal fairy; and to make matters worse, she has no talent. But Mother Dove, the God-like creature of Never Land has faith in Prilla, and thinks that she does have a talent, she simply hasn't found it yet. So when Mother Dove's egg is lost in a huge storm, Prilla, along with two fellow fairies, Rani and Vidia, set out on a quest that will lead them past mermaids, a golden hawk, an evil dragon, and Captain Hook, and test the fate of Never Land.

I have been a fan of Gail Carson Levine since I read ELLA ENCHANTED, so when I heard that FAIRY DUST AND THE QUEST FOR THE EGG was being released, I knew that I just had to have it. After all, Tinkerbell - one of my favorite Disney characters - was going to have a large part in the story. Upon purchasing the book, my attention was captured by the marvelous story Levine had woven. However, the illustrations by David Christiana made my jaw drop in awe. Even if you are not a fan of Gail Carson Levine or fairy stories, this is a book that everyone should own for the art alone. Christiana has an unbelievable amount of talent, and truly brings the story to life with his gorgeous illustrations. Together, he and Levine have created a wonderful book that will go down in history for its imagination and illustration. A must have book in everyone's home library.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

Being a huge fan of both Disney's Tinkerbell and the incredibly talented Gail Carson Levine, I was very excited to find this book. Ms. Levine has an uncanny knack for keeping readers involved with the story, about a new fairy to Neverland who feels out of place because she can't find her own talent. I thought it witty that Tinkerbell's talent was to fix pots and pans (thus for the first part of her name "Tinker"). The illustrations are done in watercolor - gorgeously portraying Neverland and it's inhabitants as the adventure goes along.
Overall, I would absolutely encourage everyone who loves imagination to purchase this book, whether they are Disney or Ms. Levine's fans or not.
Simply Stunning!

I just finished this book a few minutes ago. It is my favorite book by her. I am in 4th grade and I just love this book. It has a lot of adventure and it is about Prilla the fairy finding her talent. If you like her other books you will love this one! Please try this book and if you do, you will love it!

Gail Carson Levine has a well-earned reputation as one of the best authors for middle-grade children, through such books as "Ella Enchanted," "The Two Princesses of Bamarre" and the Princess Tales series. Indeed she has made something of an industry out of re-working, up-dating (and vastly improving) traditional European fairy tales. The results are amusing, engaging, sophisticated stories filled with subtle lessons, interesting plot twists, and fully-realized characters. Kids love 'em, and parents love 'em.

And so it is no wonder that Disney turned to Levine to write the inaugural book in a planned series of fairy stories. In "Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg" we are introduced (re-introduced) to the Neverland of Tinker Bell and Peter Pan. But, as usual for Levine, she has re-imagined and added depth to Neverland. Even Tinker Bell, a stereotypical one-note character in Disney's hands becomes an interesting, intelligent and attractive person in Levine's tale. Levine invents a new world, with its own history and magical rules, and populates it with interesting characters. In the subsequent books in this series, five so far, many of these characters get their own story and their own adventure (more on that later).

"Quest for the Egg" is the tale of Prilla, a brand-new fairy of a kind never known before in Neverland. At first, both Prilla and the other fairies do not know what to make of her, but by the end of the tale, Prilla and the others find love and acceptance for each other. Along the way, there are discoveries and adventure with a mean-spirited dragon, haughty mermaids, and even a comical Captain Hook. Throughout, Levine moves the story along with a clear emphasis upon characters, relationships, feelings and motivations. It's not just one darn thing after another, as in so many kids books where the adventure happens to the characters, rather than through them.

The subsequent Disney fairies books take place in Levine's Neverland and use the characters that Levine invented, but they are otherwise quite different. Where Levine's story is full of surprises and depth, the other fairy stories are more predictable and straightforward. Don't get me wrong, they are nice stories and young readers will enjoy them, but they are in a different league. Whereas the other fairy stories are short, easy to read paperbacks, "Quest for the Egg" is a longer hardcover book. Similarly, the illustrations in the subsequent books are very nice and fairy-like, and they employ the same curvy style of painting as "Quest for the Egg", but the pictures in the original book are more like art for their own sake, and less like accompanying illustrations. Just another step up from the typical.

I strongly recommend this book for children ages 8 through 12, and even older. Adults even. I found that this was a wonderful book to read aloud with my daughter. The subsequent fairy books are fine, but you can just let the kids read those for themselves, which they should be able to do in less than half the time it takes to read "Quest for the Egg." I would give the other books in the series three or four stars. But "Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg" definitely deserves all five stars.

Wendy thought Neverland was a nice place to visit, but she didn't want to stay there forever. Author Gail Carson Levine's favorite book while growing up was PETER PAN by James M. Barrie, and she thinks "Wendy was an idiot for wanting to leave Neverland." In her new book, FAIRY DUST AND THE QUEST FOR THE EGG, Carson Levine creates an opportunity to explore the questions that PETER PAN left in her fertile, whimsical mind. Her love of fairy tales and the great lessons they can teach have led Carson Levine to write a fanciful adventure that would intrigue Barrie himself.

The fairies, who live and work in Home Tree of Fairy Haven on Neverland island, are getting a new fairy. When baby Sara Quirtle laughs her first laugh, Prilla the fairy is born and swept away to the land of the fairies to assume her post as --- no one knows what. Fairies are usually born fully aware of their talent, so they can join the baking-talent fairies, the cooking-talent fairies, the scouting-talent fairies, or the whatever-talent fairies as soon as they arrive. But Prilla doesn't have a clue as to what her talent is or how to figure it out. Tinker Bell, the pots-and-pans fairy, and the rest of the fairies are shocked!

Prilla is told that her talent is her joy, the one thing she can do easily and that brings her pleasure and satisfaction. Her talent is her service to Neverland. Tinker Bell takes her to visit different fairies while she experiments with one talent after another seeking her one special gift. Nothing is perfect. Not even Mother Dove, who sits on the eternal egg of Neverland's secret to permanent youth, can understand what Prilla's special ability is. Prilla is so depressed.

While not aware of her particular talent, Prilla is bothered by a curious habit she is unable to explain or control. Being such a young fairy and so new at everything, she isn't sure what she's supposed to be or do. Every once in a while and out of the blue, Prilla will find herself back on the mainland teasing sullen children or grumpy adults --- Clumsies, as they are called by the fairies. It feels a little bit like daydreaming, but Prilla is sure she's bouncing between Neverland and the mainland and doesn't know what to do about it.

When Prilla and the rest of the fairies are just about to begin an annual celebration that is very, very important to the success of Neverland's flying inhabitants, tragedy strikes the island. A hurricane demolishes almost everything, including the magical egg guarded by Mother Dove. The egg is cracked and burned, and Mother Dove is hurt when her home in the great hawthorn tree is thrown to the beach in the merciless storm.

Everyone must come together to try and restore the egg and nurse Mother Dove back to health. Prilla is chosen to take part in the quest that hopefully will return Neverland to its young self, but can she do it as she continues to blink back and forth to the mainland? How can she be of any help if she keeps popping in and out of places? And will everything be okay in time for Mother Dove to provide the magical fairy dust she helps make to keep everybody flying?

Although FAIRY DUST AND THE QUEST FOR THE EGG is 189 pages long, each of the 30 chapters is brief enough to make for a great read out loud or for middle-grade readers to enjoy finishing on their own. Carson Levine's use of language is charming, and the story gently sends the message that we each have our own special gifts.

--- Reviewed by Joy Held

I got this book three days ago and read it three times. I intend to read it again since it has such an interesting view of Neverland. The story is about how Neverland starts and how the people living there never grow old. It focuses on the fairies more then Peter Pan and what Neverland would be like without fairie dust and Mother Dove (the fairies source of dust) and her egg which keeps the whole of Neverland going and young. Prilla is a newly arrived fairie when an incident happens which sends the whole of Neverland spinning. A hurricane hits and Mother Doves egg breaks! Mother Dove grows very weak since she knows her egg is gone and the fairies wont have dust and the people and animals will grow old and die. Mother Dove turns to a new possibility that Kyto an imprisoned dragon can restore the egg. Kyto is mean and he wont mend the egg from pity so Mother Dove sends Prilla and two other fairies to collect rare items to give to Kyto in return for mending the egg. Will they succeed and get the egg fixed before Mother Dove dies?
This is a great read and it is sooooo exciting that I could not put it down.

I just bought this book perhaps two days ago, and finished it very quickly. It's the first children's book that I have been unable to put down in an incredibly longtime. What first struck me was Tinkerbell on the cover. When I was a little girl all my friends called me Tink, and I adored Peter Pan, and more specifically Tinkerbell. This expansion, dedicated to the writer's, "first boyfriend, Peter Pan," made me fall in love before I got past the first page. Then the following illustrations were almost stunning enough to make me catch my breath. Almost ready to have my first daughter, I got this book to add to those I am reading to her while she's still in the womb. After reading, I have to say I was never disappointed by a page. I love the book so much, I'm thinking of naming my child after the main character Prilla. If you think about the name, probably derived from the names Pri and Ella, it would mean Free Beauty, and there couldn't be a much better name from a fairy so different from the others, yet so very special. I actually wept while reading through the first through chapters as I stood in the store. This book is absolutely a must-own for any true lover of fairy tales. It's an A + effort.

As soon as I found out Disney was doing a Tinkerbell\fairy line and there was a book It was my quest to buy it.
I am an avid reader and mother to a 3 YO and 5 YO.
I loved it!!
It is an incredibley easy read! AND It is full of magic and wonder to me!!! I cant wait to share this magic with my son and daughter as we sit together and read.
I enjoyed getting to know Tink on the fairy level and not just Peter Pans sidekick! I love the names, the artwork, and the story Levine wove.. While it would have been MARVELOUS if it had been expanded for an older audience That is not for whom it was written and I have no doubts my youngsters will love every last word of this tale and not get lost along the way.
I hope there will be many more stories about Tink and her fairy friends!!!

Gail Carson Levine, author of the insanely awesome novel "Ella Enchanted," always thought that Wendy was crazy for going home when she could have stayed with Peter Pan in Neverland. At least that's what her mini-bio on the dust jacket of her new novel says. Levine also dedicates the book to her first boyfriend, Peter Pan.

One of Disney's newest marketing ventures is Disney Fairies, which is promoting Tinker Bell and the other characters found in Levine's novel among other fairies. (There's also a series of Fairy books for younger readers and a CGI film, not directly related to the events relayed in "Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg," which is due out this fall on Disney DVD. If you want to learn more, the Disney Fairies have their own website--but be advised it might take a bit to load on slower computers.) When I first heard about this new project, I was intrigued since I am a fan of fairies. At the same time, I was a bit worried. There's something very commercial, and even counterintuitive, about a writer creating a story with characters that have already been dealt with by other authors (and a lot of movies!). Still, I decided to give it a try.

Before even getting into the story, though, I have to say that this novel is quite beautiful. The actual book is made of high quality paper to accommodate the illustrations that often feature as tw-page spreads throughout the novel. These pictures, watercolors painted by David Christiana, are stunning. The colors are subtle and really the skill is just so obvious in all of the drawings that viewing them is a joy. Christiana manages to stay true to the original Disney vision for Tinker Bell while making her "look" slightly new and different to better fit in with the other fairies.

Unfortunately, it takes more than great illustrations to sustain a good book. The basic plot stays pretty true to some of the elements found in the original story of Peter Pan. The book starts when a baby laughs (every time a baby laughs for the first time, a fairy is born). This fairy, named Prilla, is special. Not only is she going to be a Never Fairy in Neverland, she is also unlike any fairy the island has seen before. Prilla says "please" and "thank you" like humans (called "Clumsies" by fairies). She even curtsies and apologizes. Stranger still, Prilla is able to move between Neverland and the dreams of Clumsy children.

Every Fairy in Neverland has a special talent (water, baking, pots and pans, etc.)--every fairy except for Prilla. However, when a storm strikes the island injuring Mother Dove (the source of the Fairy Dust that allows Never Fairies to work their magic) Prilla doesn't have much time to worry about not having a talent as she and two other fairies are sent out to try and find a way to heal Mother Dove.

I had several problems with the story. The idea of each fairy having a talent, while superficially cute, has deeper problems upon further investigation. It just feels too much like each fairy having a clique and, even worse, the story spends a lot of time focusing on Prilla being special in a bad way for not having a talent. This issue is resolved by the end of the story, but it just seems like a bad message to send to children. (And what's up with the name Prilla? Seriously.)

The narrative of the story also started to grate very near the beginning of the book. I haven't read J. M. Barrie's "Peter Pan" so I don't know if Levine was trying emulate his style or not--I think she was but need to investigate further--but it just didn't work. Frankly, it sounded like Levine was writing in a style that was not her own and with which she was not entirely comfortable.

"Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg" also seemed to be having an identity crisis. The book looks like a novel for older children. The print is small and there is a lot of it. But the story sometimes sounds like it was written for much younger children with prose that lacks the dimension and depth of books for an older audience. At the same time, though, the events of the novel (a fairy cutting off her own wings, a dying dove, among other problematic events) suggest that it's more appropriate for an older audience.

The best parts of this novel were when Levine was looking at the characters originally found in "Peter Pan." Her descriptions of the mermaids, and of Tinker Bell's relationship with Peter were really enjoyable. Captain Hook also features in the plot and was awesome. Unfortunately all of these events take only about ten pages combined(the book is 208).

This book has a lot going for it and I wanted to like it more than I did, but all of the great pieces never come together (with the mediocre ones) to create a solid, enjoyable whole.

I loved the beautiful watercolor illustrations for this book. Unfortunately I would not recommend the story for a child under 7 or 8. This was definitely too depressing for my 5 year old. The Quest is adventurous and a bit scary which my child dealt with well but the Mother Dove character is on the verge of death most of the book. Her injuries are described in graphic detail and could be upsetting to a child expecting a light, fun fairy story. SPOILER ALERT: The ending was disappointing to me. After 100 pages of the brave fairies weathering hardships the idea that children clapping for Never Land fixing everything felt incongruous with the book's tone - it becomes a story meant for an older child with an ending meant for a toddler.