Time To Fly

Barbara Lanza

Review by Molly

The big day has arrived. Today begins the Time to Fly festival in Fairy Lane. Everyone is so excited. Preparations are taking place all across the village. Babies are ready to fly! Petals has won an important race showing that she is the fastest little fairy in the lane and it is she who will be sprinkling fairy dust on the babies so that they too may begin to fly. Oh no, disaster. Petals cannot find the pouch of fairy dust. When her parents suggest she tidy her room Petals cannot believe her ears. Hurrying to the raspberry patch she begins a frantic hunt to find that all important pouch. She searched the patch, she searched the glade. At last Petals hurried home to search her own room.

The children in my fourth grade class enjoyed this book very much. The girls (and I) delighted in the exquisite illustrations. And despite the ‘girly’ flavor of the book the boys also voted the tale a winner and assured that every girl will ‘love this book.’

Time To Fly is a truly beautiful work. Writer/Illustrator has produced a lovely edition sure to please young readers. The book provided a discussion starter regarding responsibility, need to keep our room tidy and how nice it is to be the one to do something special. The subtle interweaving of an important truth, it is much easier to keep track of our things in a room where things are on shelves and not all over the floor is a nice bonus for parents and teachers alike. The children in my classroom were quick to ‘catch on.’ Magic, delight and the wonderful world of make believe come alive as the reader moves from page to page. We meet a gentle opossum Snuggles who helps to look for the pouch. Our tongues longed for a taste of Mrs. Bellwort’s raspberry punch. I liked seeing Molly, the Wild Cherry fairy and her baby.

Time To Fly is a ‘read to’ for the younger set 3-6, a read with help for the 6 – 8s and read alone for middle grades. The children in my classroom continue to reread the tale. Written in ‘kid friendly’ prose, and filled with wonderfully executed illustrations Time To Fly is an excellent choice for the classroom book shelf, the homeschool book list, the school library and the home pleasure reading shelf. This one is a keeper.