Pixylations by Joe Laudati

A delightful book that revisits Irish folk tales and legends, Pixylations by Joe Laudati tells the story of a rebellious and talented pixy called Faela, immersing the reader in a spellbinding story about friendship, love, and self-acceptance.

The Irish countryside of the 18^th century is thriving with magic creatures that have their own world and problems. Faela is not like all other pixies – first of all, she is blue and not a warm shade of yellow or pink like her peers. She is also not as tidy, or well-dressed, and certainly not as disciplined. She loves experimenting with flower growth outside of the prescribed laws, creating hybrids, and applying changes that she thinks will help the environment thrive.

Because of her creativity, she has always felt like an outcast, and many even say that her blueness is the cause of her dangerous divergence from the norm. Pushed towards mischief by her judgemental community, Faela one day goes too far with her fairy pranks and the King decides that she will have to watch over the McBride family, and especially little Ellie, who has lost her mom, leading the community to finally appreciate her differences.

Written at a middle grade level, the prose can veer into the complicated for new readers, and the cover may suggest an audience who is even older, but this is a beautifully crafted work of children’s fiction with a well-integrated message. Though the line work in the interior illustrations could be more defined, the drawings are lively and enhance the text in a cinematic way. All told, this is a wonderful book for young readers or to be read aloud, with a layered storyline, a fantastic central character, and prose that engages from the start.