“Daisy Meadows” has the last laugh.

The Quick Review

Rainbow Fairies – God we hate these terrible books. Boring, repetitive and utterly devoid of original storytelling. And cynical too – all the UK most popular girls’ names are blatantly used so that Emily, Ruby and Freya can all have a fairy named after them. But guess what, our kids REALLY REALLY LOVE THEM. And our 6 year old now wants to learn to read just so that she can follow the adventures of all 4729 of these execrable fairies. Bah humbug.

Return to Rainspell Island (The Rainbow Fairies movie) – And yet the film does what the books fail to do: tells a story in a quite interesting way with moderate intrigue and, yes, even some dramatic tension.

Ponyo – Kooky Japanese animé that we tricked the kids into watching by telling them it was by the same director as Return to Rainspell Island. (Miyazaki-san, we are so so sorry.) And yet, the ending is a bit anti-climatic.

When I Dream of ABC – A rare treat – an alphabet book that sits down, crosses its legs, and speaks directly to its audience. Full of wonder and warmth. Age 2+

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