Music Fairies #3: Fiona the Flute Fairy: A Rainbow Magic Book
There is no fairy series more ubiquitous than the Rainbow Magic fairies. They are aimed at beginning readers and feature fairly large text and frequent illustrations.
The plot is mind-numbing – Jack Frost and some Goblins have a band and will enter a talent contest in order to win a recording contract. This will mean disaster for the fairies and Fairyland! Human girls must help the fairies find their stolen instruments to save Fairyland. I chose this particular Rainbow Magic book because the fairy on the front cover appeared to be a person fairy of color and I figured that was a good thing. Unfortunately, the front cover is the only indication whatsoever that the fairy is anything other than white. The internal illustrations don’t even feature a skin tone that is in anyway different from the white characters. I can’t find fault with trying to increase diversity in the series, I just wish it reached a bit deeper than the cover.
I found the story so simple and dull I couldn’t really recommend it to anyone, but I have known many girls who read their way through as many of these books as they could get their hands on, so I expect plenty of kids do actually like them. They are likely best for very young students who are reading above level all the way up to second graders reading on level.
Sex, Nudity, Dating – None.
Profanity – None.
Death, Violence and Gore – None.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – None.
Frightening or Intense Things – None.
