The Only Lonely Fairy

Leah is looking for a friend to play fairies with her. She keeps asking pairs or groups of children if they will join her to play fairies. Each time they say no, and Leah moans, “I am the ONLY one here playing alone.” That is not actually true. In her efforts to find friends, Leah has overlooked Allie who has been available and looking towards Leah as Leah moves from activity to activity, moaning that she is the ONLY one who wants to paint, to read, and has to stand in line alone.
Finally Allie approaches Leah and, with a smile, tries on Leah’s fairy wings. When Leah asks Allie, “Do you ….want to play?”, the answer is clear. The illustrations show the two girls making a set of fairy wings for Allie and standing in line together. When the two girls notice a boy standing alone near them, they ask if he wants to join them. The answer is, “Here we go-the happiest three fairies in the land.”

The author’s note for parents and guardians, which is located at the end of the book, states that finding a friend requires confidence and social skills. Lana Button suggests that parents/guardians demonstrate how to approach a friend. Another suggestion is for parents/guardians to provide many opportunities for their child to practice their skills.

The full-colour, full-page illustrations in cartoon format fully support the text and add important information. The children depicted are an inclusive group, showing different abilities, (one girl is shown in a wheelchair), and several different ethnicities.

Children will enjoy having The Only Lonely Fairy read to them and will learn some very important tips for a very important skill – how to make a friend.