Review by Booklist Review
When the glass castle starts shattering to pieces, the king knows just who to ask Bloom, a helpful but messy fairy he once banished for leaving too many muddy tracks behind. When he finds Bloom in the woods, he asks for her magic, but all she shows him is a bucket of mud. Aghast, he decides to send an ordinary servant, Genevieve, to deal with her instead. At first, delicate Genevieve, too, is dismayed by Bloom's love of mud. But soon, Bloom shows her its magic it's perfect for making bricks and before long, they're up to their elbows in it. Covered in dirt and grime, Genevieve returns to the glass castle with a solution that, though not dainty or tidy, is exactly what the king needs. Small's swirly ink-and-watercolor illustrations in soft pastel colors are full of comic details, and whenever Bloom is around, appropriately muddy splatters cover the page. In a charmingly old-fashioned tone that's ideal for reading aloud, this ode to messiness reminds little ones that sometimes ordinary things are perfectly magical. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Both Cronin and Small are award winners, and their team-up for this title should double its appeal.--Hunter, Sarah Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This smart, subversive fairy tale is set in a kingdom whose palace is made entirely of glass and whose inhabitants scorn dirt and untidiness. The kingdom was once home to a red-haired fairy named Bloom, whose magic could "spin sand into glass, turn weeds into blossoms, and grow a trickle of rainwater into a racing river." But Bloom's heavy steps and muddy footprints drew complaints, and she retired, exasperated, to the forest. Now, the king's beautiful glass castle leaks, and everything else is "held together by tape, glue, and peasants." Small's (Glamourpuss) witty ink-and-wash drawings follow the king and queen as they enter the forest to search for the powerful fairy, but they refuse to believe that Bloom and the bucket of mud she proffers is the creature they seek. They dispatch their sweet servant girl Genevieve to locate her instead. Bloom questions Genevieve closely: "Why would the king and queen send a delicate child... to do something they could not?" she asks. "Because I am ordinary," Genevieve confesses. Outraged that any girl would value herself so lightly, Bloom immediately begins Genevieve's training in "magic"-up to their elbows in mud, the two make bricks and build a house. When Genevieve returns to the kingdom armed with new knowledge and spattered with mud, she thunders, "I am here!" Cronin (the Click, Clack, Moo books) juggles thematic elements with grace, mixing fairy-tale parody with maker tale and girl-power story to celebrate mess, chaos, and big plans. When seen up close, Cronin suggests, fairy-tale "magic" might really be no more than the willingness to get one's hands dirty. Ages 4-8. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-Though her outward appearance is chock-full of dirt, the fairy Bloom is delightfully talented. Underappreciated and misunderstood, she retreats into the wilderness. Without Bloom's magical touch, her kingdom falls into disarray, "held together by duct tape, glue, and peasants." Though the king and then the queen search for answers to fix their kingdom ("I am looking for a magical creature, gone so many years ago"), they are too haughty to understand the sprite's message when she places mud at their feet. A seemingly ordinary girl named Genevieve, whose only job in the kingdom is to carry the queen's delicate, unbreakable spoon, is next sent in their stead. Though initially puzzled by Bloom's mannerisms, Genevieve learns from the fairy and develops the skills she needs to rebuild her kingdom Bloom's inspiring outlook ("Tell them there is no such thing as an ordinary girl") paves the way for Genevieve to return home. Humor is laced throughout the charming narrative, highlighted through Genevieve's dramatic growth and the expressive ink and watercolor illustrations. Wavy, thin lines accentuate the ebb and flow of Bloom's magical world. Changing typography emphasizes key ideas and natural pauses within the story line. VERDICT This engaging, empowering tale proves the future of happily ever after is in one own's hands, regardless of how much dirt they may have on them.-Meg Smith, Cumberland County Public Library, Fayetteville, NC © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
When their glass kingdom falls to ruin, the king and queen need the magical assistance of dirt-loving, forest-dwelling fairy Bloom, but they won't accept her on her (muddy) terms. Cronin, an ace at plotting, is in fine form here, resulting in a top-drawer girl-power-themed fairy tale. The elegant art is all the more impressive for dazzling under a layer of dirt. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Cronin and Small combine talents in this fable for modern times: people who live in fragile kingdoms may need to get their hands dirty rebuilding. Bloom the mud fairy lives in a glass kingdom where she turns weeds into blossoms and sand into glass; she also leaves mud and cracks in the glass in her wake. As the kingdom grows and gleams, folks protest Bloom's mess. She takes to the forest, but without her, the kingdom deteriorates. When the royals seek Bloom's magic to save them, they are outraged when the dirty creature places a bucket of mud at their feet. So they send tiny, ordinary Genevieve to talk to Bloom. Although Genevieve has heretofore preserved her delicate hands for the frivolous task of washing the queen's sugar spoon, with Bloom's coaching she digs her hands into the mud to make...bricks! The text is set in different typefaces and fonts to help the narrative along, while Small uses watercolor washes in cool blues and warm greens and browns to indicate changing tones. Genevieve takes her new-learned "magic" back to the kingdom to rebuild, and the residents rejoice. All the characters, from royals to fairy, are white. The tale is enchanting but somewhat opaque, so metaphorical that children may need significant help from adults to understand it. If youngsters scratch their heads, take them to the yard or community garden to plant and make mud pies. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
