Tiny Jenny: Little fairy, big trouble by Briony May Smith
Mr and Mrs Wren are surprised when a tiny, wingless fairy hatches from one of their eggs. But they lovingly name her Tiny Jenny and decide to raise her as their own, along with Min and Dru. But the other birds are not happy - for the fairies in this wood are known to be mischievous and mean and, in time, Tiny Jenny seems to be just like them, for all that she has no wings.
She digs up squirrel nuts and blocks mole hills and torments Hedgehog. When she hears the other creatures complaining about her to Mr and Mrs Wren, Tiny Jenny decides it is time to leave her home and seek out her fairy family. But it turns out the fairies are anything but welcoming, and before Queen Merletta is willing to give her wings, Tiny Jenny must prove herself in the fairy parade... But this is not a beautiful procession that the reader might expect. No, it is a cruel raid in the woods, where things were smashed and stolen and Mr and Mrs Wren's own nest is threatened...
Tiny Jenny finds herself caught in the middle - does she protect those who have nurtured her or does she do what it takes to get those precious wings? Where does she belong? What is the difference between playful mischief and deliberate bad behaviour?
Although this is a somewhat wordy story that destroys many of the beliefs that young readers may have had about fairies, nevertheless, the illustrations alone will take them and their imaginations deep into the undergrowth of the woods where everyone knows little creatures dwell and unseen magic happens, providing the perfect setting for making up their own stories.
A peek inside... A peek inside...
This would be an excellent story to use as a springboard for an investigation into stereotypes, preconceptions and prejudice. Present it with the cover wrapped in brown paper and have students draw their image of a fairy as well as some descriptors and then compare those to Smith's depiction. As you share the story, talk about whether Tiny Jenny is naughty as she grows more independent, and then once she discovers the fairy family, pause and have them predict what will happen based on the fairy stories they have read. Then, having finished the story, discuss how their preconceptions were challenged and extend this into the real world... Build on the elements of text-to-text, text-to-self, and text-to-world to show how stories, even those about fantasy creatures such as fairies, can have a real place in teaching us about ourselves and our worlds, as well as how authors use fantasy characters to hold a mirror to our lives.
Much more to this one than meets the eye... and worth seeking out the author's other stories, Mermaid Moon and Margaret's Unicorn.
Themes: Fairies, Wrens, Forest animals, Theft.
Barbara Braxton