Dana Simpson’s ‘Unicorn Crossing’: The Fairy Blog Review

Cartoonist Dana Simpson is author/illustrator of the Phoebe and Her Unicorn book series.

Unicorn Crossing: Another Phoebe and Her Unicorn Adventure is the fifth book in Dana Simpson’s New York Times best-selling Phoebe and Her Unicorn series. The books follow the adventures of nine year old Phoebe Howell, an awkward fourth grader, and her magical best friend, a unicorn named Marigold Heavenly Nostrils. The series is based on Simpson’s nationally syndicated comic strip Phoebe and Her Unicorn.

Phoebe was pretty lonely until she met Marigold. One day she was alone by a lake, skipping rocks, when one of the rocks accidentally hits the unicorn. It turns out that Marigold was trapped by the loveliness of her own reflection in the water, and the rock snapped her out of it. Grateful for being rescued, the fairy creature offers Phoebe a wish. Phoebe wished for Marigold to be her best friend. Eventually, the unicorn decides to become the girl’s best friend just because she likes her.

In Unicorn Crossing, the girls’ friendship continues to grow as they discover more about each other’s worlds. Marigold shows that even a unicorn with magic powers isn’t spectacular at everything when she throws a Halloween party for Phoebe; mean girl Dakota is still picking on Phoebe, and manages to use her popularity to turn goblin friends into a fad; and Todd the Candy Dragon and Lord Splendid Humility both make appearances. Phoebe goes through Unicorn withdrawal when Marigold visits a unicorn spa with her sister Florence Unfortunate Nostrils; and Marigold learns there’s a down side to over-using the Spell of Forgetting.

Unicorn Crossing by Dana Simpson, Andrews McMeel Publishing.

This award-winning series has something for everyone, from kids to adults. It’s funny, warm, enchanting, and completely unique. Along with the laughs, fun, and wonder, it features the charming ongoing story of a beautiful friendship between two very different beings from different worlds who love and appreciate each other for who they are, just as they are, flaws and all. And that is the true magic of this smart, funny fairy story.

Verdict: Fairytastic! I give it 5 out of 5 stars. Other books in the series are Phoebe and Her Unicorn, Unicorn on a Roll: Another Phoebe and Her Unicorn Adventure, Unicorn vs. Goblins: Another Phoebe and Her Unicorn Adventure, and Razzle Dazzle Unicorn: Another Phoebe and Her Unicorn Adventure. Unicorn Crossing: Another Phoebe and Her Unicorn Adventure is published by Andrews McMeel Publishing, and will be released March 28, 2017.

The Phoebe and Her Unicorn comic strip is available online at GoComics, where the daily strips go all the way back to the beginning of the story. Fans can follow Phoebe and Her Unicorn on Twitter and like the official Phoebe and Her Unicorn page on Facebook.  

   

Disney’s New ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Shines

Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" is in theaters now. Copyright Walt Disney Motion Pictures

I’ll be honest, I did not enjoy Disney’s live action remake of “Cinderella.” That added to the reviews I saw on TV yesterday and this morning, made me apprehensive about seeing “Beauty and the Beast.” Boy were those reviews wrong, I loved it! Everyone else in the packed theater did too – we laughed, we cried, and we applauded at the end.

Let’s address the focus of the less than stellar reviews: the two leads Emma Watson and Dan Stevens. Yes, their singing was underwhelming, yes, Emma Watson’s voice is small, and was highly Auto-Tuned, but it didn’t ruin it for me. They gave engaging performances, and I truly cared for these characters.

Now, as for the other performances, they couldn’t have been better. Luke Evans almost stole the show as Gaston. He gave a terrific musical performance, and he was funny, vile, and evil – a great villain. Also of special note was the wonderful Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts. This is only the second musical the Oscar winning actress/writer has done since her professional career took off back in the 1980s, and I can’t imagine why. And what can I say about four-time Tony award winner Audra McDonald as Madame Garderobe? She’s one of the greatest musical theater performers of all time. Her voice is beautiful, rich, resonant, and luscious, and she gets to use her upper register which is sparkling and full of color.

Director Bill Condon, and his production team have created a visual feast. This movie is stunning, with vibrant colors, and gorgeous sets and vistas. Real love was put into this enchanting tale of fairy. I can’t say enough good things about the acting, directing, visual effects, design, music, 3D effects, and cinematography.

Verdict: Fairytastic! 5 out of 5 stars. Get to the theater and see “Beauty and the Beast;” you’ll be so happy you did. Click here to visit the official “Beauty and the Beast” Facebook page, and here for the official website.  

  

Introducing the Flower Fairies Secret Garden

Daisy Fairy. Copyright Ultimate Source

Fans of fairy artist, author, and poet Cicely Mary Barker can now bring her flower fairies into their homes and gardens for themselves or their children. The Flower Fairies Secret Garden is a brand new line of flower fairy figurines and accessories from Ultimate Source that children (and adults) can collect, play with, and use to create their very own imaginary or real fairy garden. The flower fairies will be available starting March 2017.

I spoke with Joyce Sprau, Senior Project Manager at Ultimate Source, and creator of the Flower Fairies Secret Garden, about the new products and how they came about.

FB: Where did the idea for the Flower Fairies Secret Garden come from?

JS: The idea came from me. I’ve been a toy designer for 20 years. I’m always looking for an opportunity in the market to design something new for kids. I watched the miniature garden category grow over the last couple of years, but there was no good product out there for kids. I first saw the Cicely Mary Barker books at a nursery. I fell in love with the story, the artwork, and over 150 different fairies. I contacted Penguin Books licensing team with my interest and presented my ideas to bring the characters to life and specifically designed for miniature gardening and collecting. I was lucky enough to go to the Victoria & Albert Museum to see Cicely Mary Barker’s original artwork in the archives.

FB: What’s the difference between the Flower Fairies Secret Garden figurines and other Cicely Mary Barker fairy figurines?

JS: The new figurines are made out of durable plastic and safety tested for kids. We went to create a consistent scale and world around the Flower Fairies which has never been done before.

Ms. Sprau further shared that the Cicely Mary Barker Flower Fairies figurines that were made by Add an Accent are no longer being made. That makes the Flower Fairies Secret Garden the only Cicely Mary Barker figurines currently in production. She said that the relationship between Ultimate Source and Penguin (who own the copyright to Cicely Mary Barker’s flower fairies) will be long term. She says that Penguin’s been a great partner.

Buttercup Fairy shown with door accessory. Copyright Ultimate Source

There are twenty-three items in the line, including eight flower fairies plus accessories that can be used either indoors or outdoors, plus silk flowers and moss landscape for creating an imaginary fairy garden. There will be new fairies, fairy houses, and accessories coming out each year. The next fairies will be introduced this fall. They are also working on Christmas fairies.

Teeter Totter accessory shown with flower fairies. Copyright Ultimate Source

Ms. Sprau kindly sent me a selection of Flower Fairies Secret Garden fairies and accessories. They come in beautifully designed, sturdy packaging, perfect for gift giving. The fairies and accessories are well made, and slightly rubbery in texture, so they won’t break easily. They’re really sweet and charming, just like Cicely Mary Barker’s paintings. They’re safety tested for ages three and up, even though the packaging reads ages six and up.

They're designed for kids to carry around and take with them wherever they go. They’re great as collectibles, toys, and for real or imaginary fairy garden design. If used for outdoor gardens, they do need to be brought in over the winter, and there will be some fading of color from exposure to the elements over time.

You can click here to visit the Flower Fairies Secret Garden website. The website is still a work in progress, but there will be a “Where to Buy” page soon. Look for these delightful Cicely Mary Barker flower fairy figurines and accessories at garden centers and specialty gift shops. They’re currently available in the U.S., Canada, and Australia, but will eventually be available in other countries as well. You can click here for more information about Cicely Mary Barker’s life and work.   

  

Freeform's Harry Potter Weekend for March

Copyright Warner Bros. Motion Pictures

Freeform’s March Harry Potter Weekend airs this week! For those who haven’t heard yet, Freeform will lose the TV rights to the Harry Potter movies in July of 2018, so they’re generously airing Harry Potter Weekend movie marathons monthly. Unfortunately, the TV rights for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix currently belong to HBO/Cinemax, so the fifth film in the series won’t be included in the marathon. It won’t be back next month either. Starting July 2018, the TV rights for all Harry Potter movies will belong solely to NBC/Universal, meaning that NBC, USA, and Syfy will have the right to air Harry Potter movies. 

The complete schedule is below; times listed are U.S. Eastern Standard Time. The schedule is subject to change by the network at any time:

 Freeform’s Harry Potter Weekend for March, 2017:

Friday, March 3:

3:30 p – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

7p – Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Sat., March 4:

7a – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

10:30a – Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

2:30p – Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

5:30p – Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

9p – Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Sun., March 5:

12:30a – Tom Felton Meets the Superfans

7a – Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

10:10a – Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

1:50p – Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

5:30p – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

9p – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Mon., March 6:

1:30p – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

5p – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

For further information, and to check for programming changes visit Freeform’s official website. As always, Freeform welcomes fans to tweet along with their official Twitter account, @FreeformTV, by using #HarryPotter or #HarryPotterWeekend. Follow, get updates, and participate by commenting on Freeform’s Official Facebook page.

The Cicely Mary Barker Flower Fairies site is Back

"The Wind Flower Fairy" by Cicely Mary Barker from "Flower Fairies of the Spring," 1923.

Fans of beloved fairy artist Cicely Mary Barker will be thrilled to know that her Flower Fairies website is back. The site had been taken down in 2016 to be revamped, and is now more user friendly and easier to navigate. Click here to visit the new Flower Fairies website.

The revamped site features Barker’s flower fairy paintings with the poems she composed to accompany them. There's a books page with a biography of the artist, as well as a menu feature to find the flower fairy books currently in publication in various countries. There’s also an activities section, including printable coloring sheets, a "Spotter Guide" to help children learn about flowers of the four seasons, and more. There’s even a news and events page.

Cicely Mary Barker circa 1915

Cicely Mary Barker was born on June 28, 1895 to Walter and Mary Barker in Croydon, Surrey, England. She had one sibling, her older sister, Dorothy. Barker suffered from epilepsy throughout her early life, so her parents had her educated by a governess at home. Cicely spent a lot of her time drawing and painting, a pursuit her father encouraged as he was a talented wood carver and appreciated art. He paid for Cicely to take correspondence art courses at the Croydon School of Art. 

Her proud father took some of her paintings to postcard publishers Raphael Tuck & Co. in 1911, and the company purchased them for publication. Cicely Barker was now a professional artist. Sadly, Walter Barker died in 1912, when Cicely was just 17. Following her father’s death, Barker helped to support the family with her artwork along with her sister Dorothy, who was a teacher.

After WWI, her epilepsy resolved itself, and she never suffered from seizures again. She continued her studies at the Croydon School and was able to attend classes in person. She was made a life member of the Croydon Art Society as a teenager, becoming their youngest member. She eventually earned a teaching position at the school.

First edition of "Flower Fairies of the Spring," Blackie and Son Ltd 1923

Cicely Mary Barker published her first book, Flower Fairies of the Spring, in 1923. The book’s success led to the publication of several more flower fairy books, along with many other books. During her lifetime, she published several volumes in the flower fairy series including: Flower Fairies of the Spring (1923), Flower Fairies of the Summer (1925), Flower Fairies of the Autumn (1926), The Book of the Flower Fairies (1927), A Flower Fairy Alphabet (1934), Flower Fairies of the Trees (1940), Flower Fairies of the Garden (1944), Flower Fairies of the Wayside (1948), Flower Fairies of the Flowers and Trees (1950), and The Flower Fairy Picture Book (1955). Barker never published a winter flower fairy book during her lifetime, but Blackie and Son Ltd assembled several of Barker’s works into Flower Fairies of the Winter, which was published in 1985.

From "A Flower Fairy Alphabet" by Cicely Mary Barker, 1934.

Barker’s art career began slowing down following the death of her sister Dorothy in 1954. Afterwards the care of their elderly mother was entirely in Cicely’s hands. Barker stopped drawing and painting in 1961 due to failing eyesight. She passed away on Feb. 16, 1973, fifty years after the publication of her first flower fairies book.