Review: Twinkle by Katharine Holabird

TWINKLE

by Katharine Holabird

Illustrated by Sarah Warburton

Little Simon

Picture Book

32 pages

ages 4 to 8

From the author of the global success Angelina Ballerina, comes the first title in this brand new series for all those who love fairies, friendship and pink!

It's Twinkle's first day at The Fairy School of Magic and Music, and she can't wait to make spells like all the big fairies. But Twinkle keeps forgetting the magic words and her spells go from bad to worse!

Illustrated by the bestselling illustrator of Dinosaurs in the Supermarket, Sarah Warburton and Katherine Holabird are an exciting new picture book team.

 MY TIDBITS

Imagination soars into a magical world of fairies, music and adorable mishaps.

It's Twinkle's first day at The Fairy School of Magic and Music. Not only is she excited, but she's nervous too! Upon arriving, she receives her own magical wand. The teacher leads them into the first exercise with important magical words, but Twinkle can't seem to get it right. When the teacher tells her to practice at home, but strictly warns that Twinkle shouldn't do this after it gets dark, silly chaos ensues. 

The super sweet cover with sparkles and swirling clutter fits so well to the rest of the story. Even the first flip of the cover is a treat as a gorgeous fairy tree with tons of precious details spreads across the jacket. This alone captures young and old's attention with all sorts of small things to discover. When the first page is turned, a fun adventure begins.

The story has all of the happy, joyfully-petite feelings often associated with fairies. And Twinkle is a sweet one. Her slightly clumsy side makes her sympathetic and easy to cheer for as she struggles to get things right. She's determined, kind and puts in so much effort. The idea that not everything comes easily but can take practice and hard work is a message little listeners will relate to themselves. While the message is clear, it by no means takes over the fun story. There are tons of moments to giggle, and cute animals to want to cuddle. And all of this is wrapped up in a wonderful tale, which can be read again and again.

The illustrations flow right along with the text. While the story itself can be told over and over again, the pictures add so much detail and delightful fun. It's the illustrations which give Twinkle life and make her attempts to learn her magic hit home.

This is a delightful read for all fairy, magical lands, and pink fans.


And they are...

The Author...
Katharine Holabird grew up in an artistic household in Chicago. As a child, she lived in an imaginary world of fairy tales, princesses, and ballerinas, and loved to perform and dance with her sisters. She wrote the first Angelina Ballerina at the kitchen table with her daughters twirling around her. Katharine spends half her time in the Hamptons on Long Island, New York and the rest in London.

The Illustrator...

Sarah Warburton is an established artist whose books include Dinosaurs in the Supermarket and The Princess and the Peas. She has an uncanny ability to capture huge amounts of charm , humor, and detail in her work. She lives in Bristol, England.