Five-Star Reviews
Marky the Magnificent Fairy
written by Cynthia Kern OBrien
illustrated by Jeff Yesh
Book Reviewer's Name: Karishma Bathla
Book Reviewer's Job Title: Children’s Book Author & Reviewer
Rate this Book: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rate the Cover: 5 - Love it
Review of the Book: Marky the Magnificent Fairy is a sweetly written and brightly illustrated story that teaches young children we are more similar than we are different, regardless of what we look like.
Marky is a fairy who looks different from the other fairies - one of her wings is smaller! But it doesn't bother her. She loves her wings just the way they are. But, the other woodland creatures make fun of the way she looks - not only her wings, but her hair color and more.
Marky is MAGNIFICENT as she stands up to them all and teaches them that she is not different than them. Even though she cannot fly, she enjoys many other activities like art and singing and has dreams to be a fashion designer. She shares about her other friends who are "different" but also have hopes and dreams. She teaches the woodland creatures that everyone has skills they are good at, activities they enjoy, and hopes and dreams they live for. So, they are not that different!
The author does a great job of consistently relaying the main message of the story. I love the repetition of the line "Marky was a MAGNIFICENT little fairy" to help reiterate that even though Marky had one small wing and couldn't fly, she was magnificent. The story also included the individual stories about Marky's friends which helped spread the message and can make it relatable to many readers.
What I really enjoyed about the story is that Marky did not let her physical difference stop her from doing things she loved and did not stop her from standing up for herself or her friends. She teaches the woodland creatures that make fun of her that we are not that different.
The illustrations are beautiful, bright, and colorful. Very eye-catching cover as well as interior pages. Children will not only enjoy reading the book, but the illustrations too. They will help keep them engaged.
Marky the Magnificent Fairy is a must read.
Book Reviewer's Name: Brie Gebhart
Type of Reviewer: Parent
Rate this Book: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rate the Cover: 5 - Love it
Review of the Book: I really enjoyed this story. It was written in a nice manner with beautiful pictures. I liked how she explained many different disabilities and how they have big dreams too! Showing that if you put your mind to it you can achieve many goals and dreams. Has nice discussion questions at the end as well.
Book Reviewer's Name: Lori Fuller
Book Reviewer's Job Title: K-8 Emerging Bilingual Educator
Rate this Book: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rate the Cover: 5 - Love it
Review of the Book: I love this book. This is such a special and non-threatening way to speak with scholars about their differences and their alternate abilities. This gives them an outlet to experience that their hopes and dreams are no different from anyone else's.
Book Reviewer's Name: Lindsey Goeke
Book Reviewer's Job Title: Teacher
Rate this Book: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rate the Cover: 5 - Love it
Review of the Book: I highly recommend this book for any home or elementary school library! I love how the author enables young readers to appreciate the uniqueness of the characters in such an easily relatable way. This book is a great lesson in kindness and acceptance.
Book Reviewer's Name: Vickie McEntire
Book Reviewer's Job Title: Literary Agent & Award-Winning Children’s Book Author
Rate this Book: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rate the Cover: 5 - Love it
Review of the Book: Marky the Magnificent Fairy and her little sidekick are adorable. There doesn’t appear to be anything different about her. We discover she isn’t like the other fairies, because she can’t fly. Then, some mean woodland creatures start picking on her appearance. Readers will recognize the taunts that Marky receives. She takes it in stride and explains all the wonderful things she is capable of doing. The story ends with many differently-abled friends sharing their hopes and dreams. The ending is full of hope and provides an uplifting message for readers. The whimsical illustrations by Jeff Yesh are fun and engaging. The author, Cynthia Kern O’Brien, provides an author’s note before the story to encourage back-and-forth discussions about bullying. There are definitions and helpful discussion questions after the story. Also included in the back is a special Resource Guide on How to Talk to Children about People with Disabilities written by Michael Cope, CPO. Overall, this book is a great resource for the protectors of all children and for young readers who may be struggling with bullying.
Book Reviewer's Name: Brenda Lucca
Book Reviewer's Job Title: Teacher
Rate this Book: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rate the Cover: 5 - Love it
Review of the Book: "Magnificent" book! Colorful illustrations and impactful text. From the discussion questions to the resource guide, this book is first rate when dealing with the difficult topics of inclusion and bullying. I made so many connections to this story and wish I had it to read when I was going through elementary school. A must for every classroom library!
Book Reviewer's Name: Brenda Henricks
Book Reviewer's Job Title: Librarian Media Specialist
Rate this Book: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rate the Cover: 5 - Love it
Review of the Book: Marky is unique with her one small wing. She is bothered by the others who think her small wing is a source of ridicule; however, with the help of others who see her as a friend vs a disabled fairy, she endures. This was/is a great book for lower-level students, but I have contact with Middle School and High School students who could learn a lesson or two from Marky's situation. It was a great read...
Book Reviewer's Name: Tom Tracy
Book Reviewer's Job Title: Parent & Award-Winning Children's Book Author
Rate this Book: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rate the Cover: 5 - Love it
Review of the Book: Marky isn't like the other woodland fairies and some of other woodland creatures tease her. But Marky is a confident fairy who knows that her differences are actually magnificent qualities. This is a well told story that reinforces the message that exceptions are actually exceptional. Marky is a fun, likeable character that all readers will certainly be drawn to. The illustrations in this book are amazing and contribute to the overall advancement of the story. This is a good add to the library of parents', educators and anyone working with children.
Book Reviewer's Name: Laura Skidmore
Type of Reviewer: Book Reviewer, Teacher, Bookseller, Publisher
Book Reviewer's Job Title: Author
Rate this Book: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rate the Cover: 5 - Love it
Review of the Book: This is a beautifully illustrated book that is extremely eye catching! Most importantly, it teaches very valuable lessons for children to accept, appreciate, and love each other not only because of their differences, but because of their similarities. I loved the insightful story and that each character told their own story, and children can relate to them.
Book Reviewer's Name: Deborah Edmisten
Book Reviewer's Job Title: Author
Rate this Book: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rate the Cover: 5 - Love it
Review of the Book: Marky the Magnificent Fairy by Cynthia Kern OBrien truly lives up to its magnificent title! In a tender and poignant unfolding of Marky’s story, OBrien touches the hearts of her readers and deftly calls for the best in them when encountering those unlike themselves. Through the whimsical and wonderful illustrations of Jeff Yesh, the world of Marky and her diverse friends bursts to life, and the lessons they teach about love and inclusion are the kind our world desperately needs. The addition of discussion questions and a resource guide are incredibly useful tools that will aid in having much-needed conversations with children about important life issues. BRAVO, Cynthia Kern OBrien and Jeff Yesh - Marky is an absolutely MAGNIFICENT creation!!
Interested in reviewing books?
Are you an author?
Interested in learning how to get your book reviewed by teachers, librarians, and parents? Click on the button to learn more about our marketing email campaigns!
Questions?
Contact us at bookreview@storymonsters.com or (480) 940-8182.
