Tiny Jenny

April 29, 2024
One of the hatching eggs in Mr. and Mrs. Wren’s cozy nest is incongruously bright pink, and a small, human-like hand protrudes from it. “Oh dear!” says Blackbird, “Does this mean the fairies are coming back?” But the wingless creature that hatches out isn’t a full fairy, and the kindly Wrens and their feathered offspring embrace her as one of their own, naming her Tiny Jenny. But her innate exuberance—“Well done, me!” she declares when she crashes to the ground after an unsuccessful attempt at flight—alarms the Wrens’ animal neighbors. Upon Owl’s suggestion that she look into her possible fairy background, Tiny Jenny runs away to join the gossamer forest beings, only to discover that they’re actually insouciant bullies (“They didn’t forage for food or gather twigs or sing songs. They just... smashed and stole stuff”). Tiny Jenny is indignant but also torn—does she belong anywhere? Smith (The Mermaid Moon) combines elegantly rendered mixed-media images with whip-smart humor and an irrepressible protagonist—the result is a fractured fairy story with a distinctly contemporary sensibility. Tiny Jenny is rendered with pale skin; the fairies are shown with a range of skin tones. Ages 4–8. Agent: Charlie Bowden, Pickled Ink.

June 15, 2024
Jenny isn't your typical fairy. Born to a wren family who lovingly names her Tiny Jenny, the young fairy resembles a pointy-eared little human child. Tiny Jenny has no wings, but she gets up to plenty of mischief without them, prompting an owl to advise her to seek out her kin. The fairy queen offers Jenny the opportunity to earn a pair of wings. But to her dismay, the fairies turn out to be cruel--they "smashed and stole stuff" and almost attacked her wren family before she stopped them. In the end, she eats all the mushrooms in their fairy ring to force them to leave. Safely back in the nest, Jenny's pleased to be home and opts to stop making mischief...for the most part. Smith depicts lush, textured forest scenes, dappled with warm, Thomas Kinkade-esque glows and moody shadows. The romantic art style and language (the fairies "wended their way through the forest" in search of "plunder") evoke an older sensibility. While the illustrations are arresting and the innocent cheek is somewhat charming, the story contains a bit too much text to captivate the younger readers who would otherwise appreciate the simple tone. Jenny and the fairy queen are tan-skinned; the other fairies are diverse. Vivid illustrations will hold readers' attention, though the text may leave them cold. (Picture book. 5-8)

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