Piper Green and the Fairy Tree
1 CD SET (see all formats)

"Seven-year-old Piper Green lives on an island off the coast of Maine and is a delight. Clever and witty, she takes listeners on a jaunty journey through the first few days of second grade. Wearing her older brother’s monkey earmuffs (he has gone to high school on the mainland, and she misses him), Piper has a rough start with her new teacher who looks like a princess, but definitely is not. First she assigns seats, and then she tells Piper to remove the earmuffs. Piper does not want to go back; she ditches the lobster-boat “school bus” and hides in a tree. Hidden treasures combine with erstwhile family stories from plucky old Mrs. Pennypocket, and the backyard tree transforms into a fairy tree! Tavia Gilbert’s narration is at once delightfully second-grade-squeaky and resolute. The action-driven story moves at a pleasantly brisk pace. VERDICT Listeners will love spending time with these sweet and interestingly quirky characters."

Tavia Gilbert performs this first-person narration with an enthusiastic high pitch—which is perfect for the eccentric young heroine who lives on an island in Maine and takes a lobster boat to school. Piper is a small girl with big feelings, especially strong since her older brother left for boarding school. Her emotions shift frequently, and Gilbert captures them all, especially Piper's wonder at discovering the gift-giving Fairy Tree. Gilbert also transitions easily to portray other characters. She adopts a Maine accent and jovial tone for the caring lobster boat captain. She's just as convincing as Piper's snooty classmate and the beautiful new teacher whose manner is commanding, rather than princess-like as Piper expects. Gilbert stresses the positive feelings and humor more than the underlying pathos of this story.