Review of Mum, The Fairies Stole my Glasses
Posted: 19 Jun 2023, 20:15
[Following is a volunteer review of "Mum, The Fairies Stole my Glasses" by Tracey C Ayres.]
As a mom of young children and a primary teacher, I read children's books daily. I preview most books before reading them to my children or my students to be sure the topics align with what I'm trying to teach and the values I want to instill. This is one book that I will not be reading to my students or my children for a few different reasons.
The book tells the story of a little girl who is unhappy with the way she looks in her glasses. She throws them in her bedroom and declares that she is happy with the way she looks without them on. Her mother repeatedly asks her why she isn't wearing them, where they are, and requests that she go get them. The girl generally ignores her mother, makes faces behind her back, and has a terrible attitude (with accompanying illustrations) with no repercussions or discipline. She then makes up a story as to how they disappeared, which I couldn't tell if she genuinely believed or was just lying. While she does "suffer" for a week without them, there is still no follow up from the parents regarding her lack of responsibility with the first pair or her despicable behavior before they replace them with a much nicer pair. The story takes a strange turn when the author interjects a message stating the real reason behind the disappearance of the glasses that is so lengthy and hard to follow that I had to read it twice to see how the glasses ended up back in the girl's bedroom the morning after she received the new pair. The girl awakes to find that the glasses have returned and the book ends.
This topic of a young girl not feeling comfortable with herself in an old pair of glasses could have been a wonderful springboard for a book with meaning and purpose. Instead, it showed kids that they can be disrespectful to their parents and their belongings and still get their way. I gave the book 3 out of 5 stars because, despite the poor character development and strange ending, it was well-edited with no visible errors, the illustrations were wonderful, and I really liked the watermark illustrations under the text of the story.
As a parent, I would caution you before reading this book to your child unless you intend to use it as a teachable moment for how not to behave.
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Mum, The Fairies Stole my Glasses
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
As a mom of young children and a primary teacher, I read children's books daily. I preview most books before reading them to my children or my students to be sure the topics align with what I'm trying to teach and the values I want to instill. This is one book that I will not be reading to my students or my children for a few different reasons.
The book tells the story of a little girl who is unhappy with the way she looks in her glasses. She throws them in her bedroom and declares that she is happy with the way she looks without them on. Her mother repeatedly asks her why she isn't wearing them, where they are, and requests that she go get them. The girl generally ignores her mother, makes faces behind her back, and has a terrible attitude (with accompanying illustrations) with no repercussions or discipline. She then makes up a story as to how they disappeared, which I couldn't tell if she genuinely believed or was just lying. While she does "suffer" for a week without them, there is still no follow up from the parents regarding her lack of responsibility with the first pair or her despicable behavior before they replace them with a much nicer pair. The story takes a strange turn when the author interjects a message stating the real reason behind the disappearance of the glasses that is so lengthy and hard to follow that I had to read it twice to see how the glasses ended up back in the girl's bedroom the morning after she received the new pair. The girl awakes to find that the glasses have returned and the book ends.
This topic of a young girl not feeling comfortable with herself in an old pair of glasses could have been a wonderful springboard for a book with meaning and purpose. Instead, it showed kids that they can be disrespectful to their parents and their belongings and still get their way. I gave the book 3 out of 5 stars because, despite the poor character development and strange ending, it was well-edited with no visible errors, the illustrations were wonderful, and I really liked the watermark illustrations under the text of the story.
As a parent, I would caution you before reading this book to your child unless you intend to use it as a teachable moment for how not to behave.
******
Mum, The Fairies Stole my Glasses
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon