At the tender age of a hundred or so, Hunky Dory is certainly in line to be the wickedest witch at her charm school, capable of casting the many complex and evil spells needed to properly be a wicked witch. Frogs into princes, wilting flowers, booming thunder, curses, you name it. The only problem is, even though Hunky Dory comes from a long line of out-and-out wickedness, she’s discovered a tender streak, and an attraction towards being good and granting wishes. This leads to a career change: Fairy Godmother in training. Ostracized by her family, shunned by many of her friends, she buries herself in the fascinating work of giving people what they want. Whether it’s giving a woodsman a mustache, a wolf a grandmother costume, lessening a death curse cast on an infant, or giving Cinderella the right pair of shoes, she tries her best. But does her heart still remain with her witch mother and auntie? Only time (and fairy tales) will tell.
I enjoyed Dairy of a Fairy Godmother. It’s a self-aware, modern look at all those old fairy tales. Examining them from a magical viewpoint, it suggests that what we’ve always seen on the surface wasn’t necessarily so. From Cinderella to Rumpelstiltskin, Little Red Riding Hood to Goldilocks, this story weaves through them all. The main character is charmingly cute in her own innocently not-so-evil way. Of course, the book may go a little too far to be cute; how seriously can you take a book starring characters named Hunky Dory, Lemon Droppings, Frantic Search, and Acid Reflux? Witches and fairy godmothers sure have odd naming conventions. However, that’s a small stumbling block. Frankly, I think this would make a splendid animated feature. It has everything younger readers like: quirky characters, a light and fast-moving plot, and plenty of humor.