The Sydney Harbour Fairy (Deborah Frenkel, illus by Cate James, Affirm)
Set on Sydney Harbour and its surrounds, The Sydney Harbour Fairy revolves around a clever play-on-words between ‘fairy’ and ‘ferry’. Nanna has organised a Girls’ Day Out with her granddaughter Charlie, but it seems an itinerary of high tea, ballet, flower-smelling in the botanical gardens and the Sydney Harbour Fairy appeals more to Nanna than Charlie. Charlie prefers pickles, yodelling, burgers and making machines. She does not like fairies and invents a machine to squish them. Charlie’s imagination transforms Nanna’s ‘treats’ into cupcakes with limbs, a giant pink duck instead of dancing swans and a ‘dragon’ (lizard) hiding in the rose-beds. But Charlie’s eyes grow wide when she sees the ‘fairy’ (ferry). It has ‘clanking bolts, a rope unfurling, and an engine like a giant metal heart.’ Once on board they both love flying across the harbour and their day now seems complete. However, there is one more surprise in store… No doubt many grandparents plan special days for their grandchildren that don’t hit the mark; however, this tale shows that, with care and perseverance, a shared interest may be discovered and a bond formed. The bright, generously detailed cartoon-style illustrations accentuate the free-spirited nature of both characters, the humour of their interaction and the possibility of magic in unexpected places. The Sydney Harbour Fairy is recommended for children aged three to seven years.
Books+Publishing reviewer: Joy Lawn has worked for independent bookshops and blogs at Paperbark Words. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.
