Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg by Gail Carson Levine

Children’s fantasy. 208 Pages. 4 Stars

Synopsis: 

Fairy Haven is abuzz with news about its latest arrival, Prilla. It’s bad enough that she has no idea what her special talent is, but some of her behavior is remarkably, well, human. Prilla is heartbroken that she does not seem to fit in. She desperately needs help from Mother Dove, the most important creature in Neverland, who created and cares for the magical egg that prevents all who live in Neverland from growing old and dying. But tragedy strikes as the island is hit by a hurricane, and the Never egg is destroyed. Mother Dove must pick three fairies to set out on a dangerous quest to repair the egg. She chooses Rani, the best water-talent fairy; Vidia, the most selfish, but fastest fast-flying-talent fairy; and, to everyone’s surprise-Prilla. The three embark on a journey filled with danger, sacrifice, and adventure. The fate of Neverland-and their world as they know it-rests on their shoulders.

My Review: 

I’ve loved Levine’s work for many, many years. And when she came out with this book, it started my mild obsession of all things Disney fairy. I read the sequels as they came out and then the little chapter books as those were released. (I’ve collected all but two slippery ones!) And I recently decided to reread them all just because I wanted something lighthearted and fun.

And that’s really what this book is: lighthearted and fun.

I first just have to pause and comment on how stunning the artwork in this book is. It’s half the reason I love these books and this world (and definitely why I recommend reading a print copy over listening to the audio book–you’d so miss out!!). You can argue that the art isn’t your favorite or you prefer someone else’s portrayal or whatever. But it is clear there was an extraordinary amount of skill and work poured into these illustrations. They’re truly more like a collection of beautiful paintings than picture book illustrations. These really set the tone for the whole book and the world.

The world of pixie dust and talents and fairies that Levine created is such a simple, fun little world. It’s truly enchanting. I love the personalities behind each of the fairies that she crafted and how she tied them to their talents. She also does a wonderful job of breathing life into our beloved TinkerBell. But what’s really cool is how Levine took the shard of something (Neverland, Peter Pan, and what little we knew of Tink) and expanded it to create a whole new world of her own. Mother Dove and her egg and the whole society of fairies in Fairy Haven is like discovering something hidden and magical and entirely new in a childhood favorite story or nostalgic toy.

The adventure itself is fairly straightforward and, again, simple. But the book is written for children. I think this one is actually a perfect read-aloud. I read it to my little sister when it first came out and it’s easy to break into smaller chunks because of the bite-sized chapters. Levine also does a great job of building the tension, suspense, and stakes as the fairies venture out on their quest. Neverland itself may age and die if the fairies fail!

What I love about rereading this is that it reminds me of the childhood wonder of the world around me. It’s such a small thing, but the characters and world bring me joy. And the adventure reminds me of a simpler time, of things that truly matter like bravery and sacrifice. And Levine weaves in some big themes for such a simple plot. These fairies deal with getting along with mean or preoccupied people, feeling insignificant, discovering one’s purpose, deep personal sacrifice, death, and so many more things. This is a great story to introduce some hard topics to little ones and really getting them to think about what is good and right and deep and meaningful.

I’d say the book is probably best for someone 6 or 7 and up. Old enough to invest in a longer story.

More: 

The second book in the Disney Fairies trilogy is Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand (4 Stars)

The third book is Fairies and the Quest for Neverland (4 Stars)

I’m currently rereading the series and will update Goodreads with reviews as I do. The books should be read in order.

On GraceBought

Check out my thoughts on the next book in the series below!

Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand