Flower Power: The Very Fairy Princess: Here Comes the Flower Girl by Julie Andrews

I'M GERALDINE. I'M A VERY FAIRY PRINCESS.

HARDLY ANYONE BELIEVES ME, BUT I HAVE A SPARKLY FEELING INSIDE THAT TELLS ME IT'S TRUE.

TODAY I GOT SOME FANTASTIC NEWS. MY AUNT SUE IS GETTING MARRIED.

AND GUESS WHAT? I GET TO BE THE FLOWER GIRL!

PERFECT!!

Instantly Geraldine's fairy fantasy is off and running. She imagines a real fairy tale wedding in an elegant castle, with herself, gowned in flowing, flowery white, with a circlet of roses on her lovely hair, wearing her fairy wings, of course, and parading down the aisle amid crowds of guests as the star of the grand production.

Reality, however, is not quite up to her vision.

THAT'S NOT ACTUALLY THE WAY IT'S GOING TO BE," SAYS MOM.

It seems Aunt Sue and her fiance Mr. Flannigan envisage a more down-to-earth scenario--a backyard wedding and in Gerry's own backyard at that. Aunt Sue opts for a plain lemon cake, with no tiers adorned with marzipan roses.

Gerry's exotic fancies collapse, but at least there is that full-skirted flower girl fantasy gown to dream of, and Geraldine pins her hopes on that. But again, the reality is a bit more prosaic:

IT'S PLAIN WHITE COTTON WITH HOLES IN IT.

AUNT SUE SAYS IT'S "EYELET," LIKE HER DRESS.

I THINK IT'S MORE OF AN EYESORE.

Daddy mows the lawn; Mom grooms the garden plants, and brother Stephen practices his trumpet for the wedding march, while Geraldine tries to trim her aspirations, taking comfort in the hope that at least she can put her stamp on her handmade decorations.

And then on the big day--

IT'S RAINING! ALL MY DECORATIONS ARE A SOGGY MESS.

WHAT A DISASTER!

Can even a very fairy princess rise above it all and lend her special sparkle to this event?

Well, such unsinkable storybook flower girls as Barbara Parks' Junie B. Jones, Kevin Henkes' Lilly, and Charise Mericle Harper's Just Grace have done it in their own inimitable way, and we just know that Geraldine will strap on her pink wings and tiara and a big smile and give Aunt Sue's wedding a suitably sparkly sendoff, in Julie Andrews' and Emma Hamilton's latest, The Very Fairy Princess: Here Comes the Flower Girl! (Little, Brown, 2012). Artist Christine Davenier again brings her own fairy-dusted illustrations to the task for a wedding no one will forget, especially fans of this very fairy princess.

Other books in this popular series are The Very Fairy Princess and The Very Fairy Princess Takes the Stage.

Tiara Trade: The VERY Fairy Princess Takes the Stage by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton

HI! I'M GERALDINE. I'M A VERY FAIRY PRINCESS.

I KNOW I'M A FAIRY PRINCESS BECAUSE I FEEL IT INSIDE.

A SPARKLY FEELING OF JUST KNOWING IN MY HEART.

Gerry makes sure that she lives up to the standard of being regal--wearing full, twirly skirts, wings, and a crown whenever she can--and (noblesse oblige)! helping others solve problems whenever and wherever they occur.

But Gerry's sparkly feeling is threatened when her ballet teacher Madame Danielle overlooks her obvious qualifications (and fairy princess accessories) and chooses her classmate Tiffany to play the title role in The Crystal Princess. And to add insult to injury, Gerry is assigned the totally embarrassing role as Court Jester, complete with baggy, jingly costume, silly shoes with curled-up toes, and an outrageous three-pointed hat with bells. And there are no sparkles anywhere!

Gerry' parents point out that everyone has an important role to play and that she looks adorable in her costume, but Gerry's mirror is no magic mirror, and she knows she looks ridiculous. And worst of all, she looks like a BOY!

Summoning all her princessy dignity, though, Gerry drags through rehearsals, learning her part and doing her best to be a good Jester while suffering as she sees Tiffany trying out her shimmery princess gown and glittering tiara. Gerry consoles herself as she dresses for the big performance by concealing her own sparkly crown under her silly cap of bells.

At least she's still a princess inside.

Then comes the big night. Gerry has to admit that Tiffany looks the part, gorgeous in her glamorous costume, a ballet princess who deserves the hand of the prince in the final wedding scene. But then, disaster strikes:

THE PRINCE IS WAITING FOR HER.

HE LIFTS HER VEIL, AND TIFFANY'S SHINY CRYSTAL TIARA TOPPLES RIGHT OFF HER HEAD. THEN PRINCE RAMONE ACCIDENTALLY STEPS ON IT.

EVERYONE GASPS.

MADAME DANIELLE IS HORRIFIED. THEN SHE LOOKS RIGHT AT ME.

TIFFANY LOOKS SO SAD.... AND A CRYSTAL PRINCESS REALLY NEEDS TO SPARKLE!

And, of course, Geraldine knows just where to find a replacement tiara, and graciously, as a true princess would, she takes her own from under her silly cap and places it on Tiffany's head, saving the show and bringing down the house.

In this second book in the series, Julie Andrews' and Emma Hamilton's just published The Very Fairy Princess Takes the Stage(Little, Brown, 2011) has everything for fans of ballet and princess stories--appropriately pastel pictures by noted illustrator Christine Davenier and a modern princess heroine who knows just how to be as gracious as a real royal.

For a dramatic pair, read this one with Ian Falconer's hilarious Olivia Acts Out, in which Olivia hams it up and steals the show as Cow #3.

Funderstudy: The Very Fairy Princess Sparkles in the Snow by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton

I HAVE SOMETHING INSIDE, SOMETHING SPARKLY THAT IS HARD TO EXPLAIN.

LIKE ALL FAIRY PRINCESSES, I SPEND A LOT OF TIME CARING FOR MY SUBJECTS AND MAKING THEM FEEL HAPPY.

FAIRY PRINCESSES TRY TO SPREAD JOY AND WONDER WHENEVER AND WHEREVER THEY CAN!

It's a hard job, but somebody has to do it, and Jerry is on the job. When she learns that her chorus is performing in the annual school Winter Wonderland Festival, she's sure that they need her to be their soloist.

Jerry goes into instant audition mode. At rehearsals she steps out just a little in front of her row, singing very loudly, showing that she has the most enthusiasm for the number. A bit grumpily, her teacher reminds her that all the voices in a chorus are supposed to blend into one. On her way to lunch, she stops to pretend to tie her shoe which singing right in front of his office. At recess she belts out the melody under his window.

Poor Mr. Higginbotham, ambushed at every turn by Gerry's obvious hints that she's available! But it's all for naught, as Mr. Higginbotham soon announces that a professional singer has been engaged to sing the solo with the chorus. Gerry is terribly disappointed, and when a big snow covers the roads, she's almost glad. Ever the optimist, Gerry warms up before she leaves. After all, a very fairy princess is always well prepared!"

And as if her unspoken wish is magically granted, when they arrive at the school for the performance, Mr. Higginbotham announces that the soloist is stuck somewhere in the snow. But the show must go on, and her teacher turns to Gerry. Can she step in to sing the solo part?

Fairy princesses are ever plucky, with a platitude for every turn of fortune, and Gerry's got one for this occasion as well:

FAIRY PRINCESSES ARE ALWAYS HAPPY TO LEND A HAND IN A CRISIS!

But when Gerry heads to the art room to get ready for her big chance, she finds she has a wardrobe malfunction. She's left her dress-up shoes at home! Snow boots are not at all appropriate for this occasion. Looking around the room, however, Gerry spots some paints and several brushes soaking in a jar, and has an idea born of desperation.  She paints her socks, one with a hole in the toe, a lovely shade of lavender, adding purple ballet shoes to her feet, and to the giggles of the other singers, leaves a disconcerting trail of purple footprints across the stage. Gerry steps in front of the other singers and looks out over the festively decorated auditorium, hoping that the paint still covers her big toe. Suddenly, her sparkle sinks. Can she really do this? she wonders, as the orchestra begins the introduction.

But not even a snow storm can dim a very fairy princess's sparkle for long, and in the best show business tradition, Gerry doesn't miss a note and even manages to have fun, in Julie Andrews' and Emma Hamilton's latest in this series, The Very Fairy Princess Sparkles in the Snow (Little, Brown, 2013).  Done up with sparkly snowflake cover and Christine Davenier's bright ink and pastel pencil palette, this latest in the series makes use of some well-used story elements in a story that nevertheless celebrates the power of preparation and good old-fashioned pluck. Kirkus Reviews even gives this title a starred review (for show-biz *sparkle*, no doubt), saying "Kids are sure to applaud this encore performance."

For the rest of the picture books in this popular series, see my reviews here.

Thankful! The Very Fairy Princess: Attitude of Gratitude by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton

HOORAY! IT'S GRATITUDE DAY!

AT SCHOOL WE ARE PRACTICING AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE BY SHOWING KINDNESS AND APPRECIATION ALL DAY.

Gerry, the very fairy princess, is psyched. Good attitude is what fairy princesses are loaded with, and she sets out for school ready to sparkle. And to prove it, her donation to the food pantry is a can of beans for nutrition and a jar full of sprinkles for extra glitz.

While Gerry's nutritional knowledge might have a few gaps, her attitude is certainly ready to dazzle. She climbs on the school bus, ready to show appreciation, but finds she has to sit next to Connor, whose very name has become synonymous with trouble. And then she finds out that her best friend Delilah is home with poison ivy. Gerry's Attitude of Gratitude is a bit strained, but she reminds herself of her motto.

A VERY FAIRY PRINCESS ALWAYS RISES TO THE OCCASION.

But Gerry's attitude is sorely tested when the lid of her jar of sprinkles comes loose and her sprinkles spill all over the floor. Luckily, Coby is kind and shares some iof her gummy bears with Gerry for her jar, and Gerry is genuinely appreciative. Then it's time for the kids to turn in their paintings for the art sale, benefiting the Animal Shelter Center. Gerry is proud of her painting of a Thanksgiving cornucopia, but remembering to be kind, she manages to compliment Connor on his picture.

A surprise fire drill alarm interrupts the morning, and despite spilled sprinkles, a missing best friend, and ringing ears, Gerry tries to hang on to her Attitude of Gratitude. That is, until they go back inside and Gerry sees their paintings all on display. Something about one of them seems strange, yet oddly familiar.

"Your clown rocks," says Connor.

I squint and tilt my head. "It's not a clown! It's a cornucopia, and it's hanging sideways!" I cry.

What's a cornucopia?" asks Connor.

"It's a horn of plenty! A symbol of abundance." says their teacher Mr. Bonario.

"Gerry has created two paintings in ONE!"

Gerry's Attitude of Gratitude returns to rescue the day, in Julie Andrews' and Emma Hamilton's latest in series, The Very Fairy Princess: Attitude of Gratitude (Little, Brown and Company, 2016). Andrews' and Hamilton's gratitude attitude tale is light and upbeat, with a premise that points out that there is more than one way to look at a bad day, and artist Christine Davenier's funny and endearingly light-hearted illustrations keep the mood cheery, as befits a Thanksgiving story fit for a very fairy princess.

Heart-y Tale: The Very Fairy Princess Follows Her Heart by Julie Andrews

"Hi! It's me, Gerry, the very fairy princess.

Not everyone believes that I’m a fairy princess, but the sparkle I feel inside tells me that it’s true!

One of my favorite days is coming up–-Valentine’s Day!”

And Gerry is ready for the challenge. She gets out her trusty art supplies–-card stock, stickers, and, of course, glitter--and starts turning out handmade Valentine’s cards for her family and especially for everyone in her class at school–even, with some reluctance, one for Connor, who teases and pulls her hair. Gerry carefully crafts each one to show just what is special to her about each person. Mom and Dad are proud of her output, and Mom even fetches one of Daddy’s work folders from his home office for Gerry to keep her Valentines together for the big day.

Valentine’s Day begins with Dad’s special heart-shaped pancakes (with extra fairy dust,) and Gerry’s presentation of her Valentines to her family. Then she dashes upstairs to get gussied up in tiara, heart-shaped accessories, and her wings. Time is running out, so Gerry runs out of the house, grabbing her folder of Valentines on the way and running for the bus.

Miss Pym has transformed the classroom into a pink and red fantasy and passes out heart-shaped bags with everyone’s name for the students to collect their Valentines. At last it’s time to exchange their cards, and Gerry opens her folder. She can barely contain her sparkle.

But–-what’s this?

"These aren’t my Valentines! These are Dad’s work papers.

This day is going to be the most un-sparkly day in Valentine’s history!"

Gerry holds back her tears. She’s worked for weeks making those personalized Valentines! But, after all, a fairy princess must maintain her composure at all times. And a VERY fairy princess comes through in a pinch. With Miss Pym’s cheerful permission, Gerry asks her classmates to make a circle and verbally delivers to each one her Valentine’s message. Connor is especially pleased with his:

”You sparkle when you... RESCUE BUGS!”

Julie Andrews and co-author daughter Emma Hamilton’s timely latest, The Very Fairy Princess Follows Her Heart (Little, Brown, 2013) comes through with all the sparkle of their previous best-selling books in this series, with the help of illustrator Christine Davenier’s light-as-a-fairy’s -wing pink-hued fantasies.  Gerry’s sparkle comes from inside, and she again shows that a real princess can rise to the occasion and disport herself with grace and plenty of heart.

Pair this one with Herman Parish’s similarly themed Amelia Bedelia's First Valentine (see my review here) for a  duo of hearty and heartfelt (as well as inspired and improvised) Valentine’s Day gifts.

A Friend in Need: The Very Fairy Princess A Spooky Sparkly Halloween by Julie Andrews and Emma Hamilton

BOO! You might not recognize me, because I'm wearing a costume... but I'm still a fairy princess underneath.

You can take the princess out of her sparkles, but you can't take the sparkles out of a princess.

But Gerry has a problem with her costume for the school Halloween parade. Her brother wisecracks that she should go as a drama queen! Her dad annoyingly jokes that she can just wear her daily attire, fairy wings and crown. Gerry protests:

"That's not a costume! That's what I AM!"

How to find a costume that allows her to keep her crown and wings? But real fairy princesses rise above adversity, and Gerry has a stroke of brilliance. She adds a draped white sheet and a halo, and voila'--she's an angel!

At school everyone is dressed for the occasion, and her best friend Delilah shows her her dentist's costume, pointing out that that is what she's going to be when she grows up. But at lunch, class clown Connor gets a bit wild with the ketchup for his hot dog and squirts the red stuff all over Delilah's impeccable white medical coat. Delilah is distraught.

"I can't wear this in the parade! It sends TOTALLY the wrong message about dentists!"

But a friend in need is a friend indeed. Gerry takes off her sheet, and tying it around Delilah's shoulders in two big knots, turns her into a giant tooth.

"But what about your costume?" asks the loyal Delilah.

Gerry gets to work with construction paper, glue, and glitter, and presto! Suddenly she's the Tooth Fairy, the perfect parade partner for Delilah, and the two take the trophy for the Most Creative Teamwork.

Fairy princesses make sacrifices for friends in need, and Julie Andrews and daughter Emma Walton Hamilton concoct another convincing plot for their persistently effervescent and best-selling heroine in The Very Fairy Princess: A Spooky, Sparkly Halloween (Little Brown Kids, 2016), all dressed up for the holiday in an appropriately glittery new paperback edition with stickers, in a story that celebrates the Halloween holiday with the bonus of a perky plug for thinking outside the box. Their illustrious illustrator, Christine Davenier, provides the sparkle in her charming watercolor and pencil artwork of a very fairy princess at work in the world, in a holiday story that young readers will relish (without Connor's ketchup!)

My Fair Fairy: The Very Fairy Princess by Julie Andrews

HI! I'M GERALDINE.

I'M A FAIRY PRINCESS.

I KNOW YOU MAY NOT BELIEVE ME, BUT I CAN TELL YOU I AM.

I KNOW THAT I'M A FAIRY PRINCESS BECAUSE I FEEL IT INSIDE.

There are lots of little girls who love fairies. There are lots of little girls who love princess stories and like to pretend they are the ones wearing the crown.

But Geraldine IS a fairy and she IS a princess. Her parents and siblings are just ordinary, plain-Jane folks, but Geraldine just knows she's been blessed with the fairy dust. She never goes out without her crown ("fairy princesses are always presentable"), and her big decision each morning is whether to wear princess pink or royal purple. She can turn ordinary flapjacks into fairy pancakes with fairy dust on top with a wave of her wand (otherwise known as a butter knife). Her doubting best friend Delilah is counseled with good advice: "You can be anything you want to be. You just have to let your sparkle out."

There are problems, of course, even for princesses with powers.

FLYING IS NOT ALLOWED IN CLASS, SO AT SCHOOL I HANG MY WINGS UP IN MY CUBBY.

MISS PYM SAYS FAIRY PRINCESSES DON'T FIDGET OR INTERRUPT.

BUT HOW ELSE CAN I BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR PROBLEMS TO SOLVE? SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO SPEAK UP.--LIKE WHEN OUR CLASS PET, HOUDINI THE HAMSTER, ESCAPES!

It's a hard-knock royal life with skinned knees and lots of bumps along the road, one that makes a girl weary well before bedtime, and as she tells us, "Fairy princesses need lots of beauty sleep to RECHARGE their sparkle!" but our girl is up to the job. Geraldine is a girl with plenty of self esteem, in musical star Julie Andrew's latest picture book tale, The Very Fairy Princess (Little, Brown, 2010), co-authored by daughter Emma Hamilton, with a bit of fairy dust to sparkle up the illustrations of Christine Davenier. Fans of Fancy Nancy and her sister pinkanistas, not to mention all those readers of the fairy princess persuasion, will all go for Geraldine and her undeniable sparkle.

Born to Move: Nadia, the Girl Who Couldn't Sit Still by Karlin Gray

In the village of Onesti, Romania, there lived a girl who couldn't sit still. She loved soccer, swimming, playing with dolls, and climbing trees. But she didn't just climb--she swung from branch to branch.

Little Nadia was a perpetual motion machine. The nearby forest trees were her climbing bars. She was fearless, feisty, forever on the go, and sometimes unpredictable.

As a tot she tried climbing even the Christmas tree. Both she and the tree wound up on the floor amidst broken ornaments.

Once she got in trouble for trying on a pair of roller skates in a store... and skating right out the building.

Mama Comaneci decided that her busy daughter need something to focus her energies upon. She took her down and enrolled her in a gymnastics class. Nadia stood still, a little taken aback, in the big room with the strange equipment. But there were so many things to climb, to jump on, to swing on!

Nadia loved gymnastics class. She and her friend practiced their cartwheels together on the playground, where they were spotted by a coach named Bela Karolyi, who invited the two to join his new gymnastics school. Nadia was small, almost dainty, but very strong and agile and she progressed rapidly, At the age of nine, with high hopes, Nadia went with her team to compete in the National Junior Championships.

But Nadia was new to competition, and she fell from the balance bar. Bravely she climbed back up to continue her routine, but she fell two more times. She finished an unlucky thirteenth place. But that only made Nadia practice harder, and at the very next Junior Championships, Nadia won first place.

Soon it was time for the Montreal Olympic Games. Completing in the women's rounds were Russia's renowned gold medalists Olga Korbut and Lyudmila Turischeva. Nadia was still a small, light girl, barely fourteen, and looking much younger, but Bela Karolyi believed that she was ready.

Nadia mounted the uneven bars. She was a long way from the forests of Romania. But she swung around as easily as she had jumped from branch to branch as a little girl. The audience gasped.

Nadia finished her routine by soaring through the air and landing perfectly on the mat below. The crowd exploded with applause.

The fans murmured with excitement. In their minds, the tiny girl with the dark pony tail was surely the winner, flying higher and with more ease and grace than even the veteran Russian champions. They waited as the judges scored her performance. Possible scores ranged from a 1.0, the worst, to a possible 10.0. But no one had ever received a perfect score. Surely Nadia would receive the coveted 9.9.

After a long wait, the scoreboard flashed a number. 1.00. A terrible score.

The crowd couldn't believe that. Everyone looked at the judges' table. And then...

One of the officials held up ten fingers as a voice announced over the loud speaker:

"Ladies and gentlemen, for the very first time in Olympic history, Nadia Comaneci has received the score of... a perfect ten!"

But Nadia wasn't done. At the close of the gymnastics rounds, Nadia Comeneci had scored a perfect 10 on seven different events. She went home with three gold medals one silver and one bronze medal, the youngest gold medalist in gymnastics ever.

And the rest, as we always say, is history! Nadia Comaneci had become the first female Olympic phenom of the television age. She was celebrated everywhere, by fans and world leaders, a media sensation, right down to her image on boxes of Wheaties, and millions of little girls worldwide put down their Barbies and signed up for gymnastics classes, some of them soon following Nadia to Olympic gold stardom.

Karlin Gray's forthcoming Nadia: The Girl Who Couldn't Sit Still (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016) tells the story of how Comeneci conquered the gymnastics world and the hearts of people all over the world, many of whom knew nothing of her sport. Gray's memoir portrays the great passion Nadia had for her sport, and Christine Davenier's light and graceful curved lines and subtle humor perfectly capture in sumptuous watercolor illustrations the spirit of her lighter-than-air grace on the bars, the beam, and the vault. As we approach the next Olympic Games, this book is a perfect introduction to one of the Games' most popular sports and most beloved champions.

For more of Christine Davenier's delightful art, see the best-selling series by stage and screen star Julie Andrews, beginning with The Very Fairy Princess or Davenier's charming young danseuses in Grace Maccarone's series beginning with Miss Lina's Ballerinas.

Waiting for Breakfast! Early One Morning by Mem Fox

EARLY ONE MORNING A LITTLE BOY WENT FOR A WALK IN SEARCH OF A COUPLE OF THINGS FOR HIS BREAKFAST.

Followed by a nosy hen, he walks past the old green farm truck.

BUT TRUCKS DON'T LAY THEM!

The little boy keeps going, passing an old green farm truck and the red tractor, a haystack, a pony in the pasture, and a sheep. He queries the brown cow, too, asking each one his question. (His hen seems to be thinking, "What am I, chopped liver?")

SO WHO DOES LAY THEM?

He heads for home, where breakfast eggs are waiting for him and his mother!

And of course he knows the answer all along, in beloved author, Mem Fox's latest, Early One Morning (Beach Lane Books, 2021).

Veteran Aussie author Mem Fox gently builds a little tension into her tale, as savvy kids will be bouncing in their seats because, of course, they know the answer to that question, "So who does lay them?" Veteran award-winning artist Christine Davenier keeps her cute little overall-clad protagonist moving from left to right on each page until breakfast is ready, done up in her signature upbeat but softly illustrated style. Mem Fox is also the author of Koala Lou. Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes padded board book, and Hattie and the Fox. and Christine Davener is the illustrator of Miss Lina's Ballerinas and the Prince series, and Julie Andrews' very popular The Very Fairy Princess and its very many sequels.

Different Drummer: Oddrey by Dave Whammond

ODDREY HAD ALWAYS KNOWN SHE WASN'T LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.

HER DAD SAID SHE DANCED TO THE BEAT OF HER OWN DRUM.

HER DOG, ERNIE, SAID, "MEOW!"

Even as a babe in her high chair, Oddrey proudly stacks her peas in a pyramid.

Her hopscotch layout looks like the floor plan for an avant garde art museum.

Her snow igloos are spray-painted in a rainbow of colors.

BUT NOT EVERYONE APPRECIATED HER UNIQUE STYLE.

Oddrey's art teacher looks askance at her blue apples. When a downpour appears at recess,  she plays on happily while the rest of the kids splash and slog for the school door.

SOMETIMES ODDREY FELT LONELY

.

Then their teacher announces that their class play is going to be The Wizard of Oz. You would think a savvy teacher could find a quirky role for Oddrey in that venerable oddball of a story. But, NO! Oddrey is assigned to be a tree. She optimistically designs herself an outstanding tree costume with multicolored leaves, but the teacher nixes the fancy foliage, gives her a boring brown tunic and a silly cap with twigs on top, and puts her in the back row.

Tree Number Two tries to keep her spirits (and foliage) up, but when the curtain rises on the performance, Oddrey has a sinking feeling. All is not well in Wizard-of-Ozville. Actors cower behind the scenery, stumble all over the stage, knock down the props, and, worst of all, forget their lines:

DUH DUH DUH DUH

Only Oddrey stays in character. This disaster drama calls for improvisation, and we know just the girl for that role!

It's stage fright night in Dave Whamond's brand-new Oddrey (Owlkids Press, 2012), as Oddrey joins other individualistic protagonists--Ian Falconer's Olivia in Olivia Acts Out, Julie Andrews' Geraldine in The Very Fairy Princess Takes the Stage, and Rob Scotton's Splat in  Splat the Cat: Splat the Cat Sings Flat (I Can Read Book 1) and shows just who has that star quality necessary to step up to the footlights and save the show in the nick of time.

Flower Girl At Last! Superlove by Charise Mericle Harper

THERE WILL BE A WEDDING AND A HAPPILY EVER AFTER!

As that month of blooming flowers and June, moon, spoon approaches, little girls of a certain age become inspired by weddings--brides in long white gowns, bridesmaids with bouquets, flower girls with rose petal baskets, and big white cakes. What's not to like about that?

In Charise Mericle Harper's Superlove (Alfred A. Knopf, 2014), her girl goes into instant wedding planning mode, titling herself Superlove, and staging her own event, a flowery garden wedding with her dolls and toy animals as guests, and her plush puppy, Mr. Mittens, and her cat, Pinky, as the betrothed.

The only problem is with the perspective bride. It seems that the blushing bride is up a tree, switching her tail and spurning her intended bridegroom. Love's Labour seem lost, and no amount of coaxing and cat food can persuade Pinky to come down and enter into matrimony. Mr. Mittens seems spurned as a spouse. Cue strains of "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off!"

But as a meltdown from Ms. Superlove threatens, Mom steps in with a plan that pleases the little wedding planner.

"DADDY AND I CAN GET MARRIED AND THIS TIME YOU CAN BE THERE, TOO."

The bride is smiling through her resurrected wedding veil, the groom is handsome, in formal bowtie with a freshly-picked posy in his buttonhole, and Superlove is a happy flower girl as her parents renew their vows. Even Pinky the Cat seems to be seeing Mr. Mittens, attired for the occasion in a natty top hat, in a new light. Author Charise Mericle Harper steps in to save their day with a sweet plot twist that satisfies, an ending that especially celebrates the "happily ever after" part of family life.

For more down-the-aisle festivities, pair this one with Julie Andrews' The Very Fairy Princess: Here Comes the Flower Girl!, (read review here) Kevin Henkes' best-seller, Lilly's Big Day,  Jane O'Connor's recent Fancy Nancy and the Wedding of the Century, or Barbara Park's hilarious classic, Junie B. Jones Is (almost) a Flower Girl (Junie B. Jones, No. 13).