When my youngest sister was little, my other sister would put a “leprechaun trap” outside their bedroom door the night before St. Patrick’s Day. The trap would be made out of a shoe box propped up by a stick. The next morning, the stick would have been removed, and the box would be upside down and flat on the floor. Underneath it, there would be a little prize: a toy or a piece of candy. My two sisters are adults now, but they still talk about the leprechaun trap every St. Patrick’s Day. These “magical” traditions stick with us. For Megan Pighetti, being fairy-tailed on her birthday was an annual tradition. This tradition became the basis for her picture book, Fairy-Tailed Wish. Check out my review of Fairy-Tailed Wish along with my interview with author Megan Pighetti.
Fairy-Tailed Wish plot summary
Fairies Dax and Lily join Suzie in their first mission to surprise a little girl named Bri on her birthday by decorating her room with toilet paper. Using magic, resourcefulness, and a ton of training, the three fairies sneak into the little girl’s room to complete their fairy-tailed mission. But a rookie mistake may blow their cover before they can complete their mission.
The story
Fairy-Tailed Wish is a colorful, imaginative picture book that tells a simple yet complete story that will add excitement to any birthday. I liked how the story began just outside little Bri’s house rather than over explaining the ins and outs of the fairy world and fairy-tailed training program.
Each page contains a few short but sweet sentences to tell the story. There’s a well-balanced mix of dialogue and narration which creates a nice rhythm and pacing. The vocabulary is picture-book appropriate without sounding like a stale easy-reader.
The characters
The fairies in the book are enthusiastic, driven, and focused, despite their differing experience levels. I love that the trainees are dressed in military camouflage gear. Their body language is different from the expert, Suzie, who has a more confident and seasoned presence. However, she acts more like a safety net rather than a superior, allowing Dax and Lily to work through the mission and put their training to the test.
The only other character in the story is Bri, who makes her appearance towards the end of the story. The friendly atmosphere of her bedroom gives the impression that she’s deserving of her place on the fairy-tailed wish list. And her reaction to the toilet paper decorations oozes with gratitude. She’s a Charlie Bucket rather than a Veruca Salt. In this way, she sets a good example for kids to appreciate what surprises come their way on their birthday, big or small.
The illustrations
Illustrations can make or break a picture book. This book’s illustrations really elevate, and in some cases, help to tell the story. For instance, Dax’s idea to crawl through a faucet on the outside of the house isn’t presented in the text but in the drawing.
The pictures are colorful, detailed, but also simple and cartoonish. There’s a real eye-catching color palette that doesn’t get too busy. It manages to pull off a bright night landscape that highlights the magical elements of the story. The fairy dust is especially pretty and not overused.
I really have no complaints about this book. It’s well-thought out, professionally written, and beautifully illustrated. I recommend it especially to little girls who love fairy stories.
And of course, it makes a great birthday present, especially if it includes a plan to add the birthday kid to the fairy-tailed wish list. There is a call for readers’ fairy-tailed photos at the end of the book. In this way, they can start their own birthday tradition that adds a touch of magic to their special day.
About the author
Author Name: Megan Pighetti
Titles of all of your books or the book that you’d like to feature: Fairy-Tailed Wish
Genre(s): Children’s Picture Books
Book summary
This is more than a book…it’s a childhood experience to be treasured for a lifetime. Let the Birthday Fairies take you on a journey into the night and show you what it means to be Fairy-Tailed. Watch as one lucky child sees her birthday wish come true.
Book excerpt
Zigging and zagging through the grass and up into the trees,
their singing voices flew off into the breeze.
You’ve made your wish; we’re on our way
Zoom through the night for your birthday.
Up and down in your room, we’ll sail
Over and under, till you’re Fairy-Tailed.
Review excerpts:
Author links:
Talking Shop
What is the central theme or message of your story? What do you want readers to take away from it?
This story is near and dear to my heart. The tradition of the Birthday Fairy is from my childhood. I remember waking up to being Fairy-Tailed and feeling so loved and overjoyed on my birthday. I want to spread that joy to other children on their birthday.
Suzie, the Original Birthday Fairy, and her trainees Dax and Lily are on a mission to celebrate birthday’s around the world. If a charm is hung and wish is made to be Fairy-Tailed they are on their way!
What is being Fairy-Tailed? It is magical, fun, and silly! As a child, you wake up to your room being covered in toilet paper. Then you get to use your imagination and decide if you want to be a monster and rip them all down, or a spy and sneak out of your room. It is so fun to show them to all your friends.
This book brings you on a journey of Dax and Lily’s first Fairy-Tailed mission. Will they be successful? Sometimes, things don’t always go as planned.
Did you use any professional services before publishing your book? Are there any you recommend to indie authors?
Yes! I spent a lot of time making sure I was releasing a product that was top notch and not just thrown together. This tradition means a lot to me and I wanted it to mean a lot to other families so it was important to put out a book that represented just that. I took the time to use a developmental editor, content editor, and a professional illustrator. In addition, my wonderful parents helped with a lot of the details in the final editing process as well. If you saw my first draft you would not even recognize the story.
My illustrator, Tamara Piper, did an amazing job. I would work with her again in a heartbeat. She was great to work with and really followed my notes exactly.
I highly recommend indie authors take the time to go through all the steps. I used Fiverr a lot and was able to save some money and still find quality work.
Name a fact or detail about your story that can’t be found within the pages of your book.
I can tell you a secret that can be found within the book, that is never said. There is a hidden butterfly on every page to be found. I always loved the seek and find books and I could not resist putting it in there. This is something special I wanted to include as a little something extra for children to enjoy as they read the book for the second or third time. A little secret to be passed down by word of mouth.
What’s the best review/compliment that you’ve received about your book?
I have been filled with joy simply by hearing that a child wants to read my story a second time. However, I think one of the biggest compliments I have received is my 8-year-old daughter wanting to write about it for school as her favorite book. It just melted my heart.
I know you asked for just one, but I get so excited by every compliment I receive. Another one I was really excited about was when my girl’s previous kindergarten teacher said she loved it and wanted to read it to her class. I was overjoyed! A kindergarten teacher is like a celebrity to a picture book author! Of course, it had to be read virtually because all the schools are closed due to the virus.
Are your books for sale at any book stores? Have you tried any other methods of selling hard copies in person versus online?
This is an interesting question for right now in life. My books are only for sale online and that is my only option. I published at a time when the world was closed due to COVID -19. Only essential businesses where open so even approaching small bookstores are not an option. Doing readings in a classroom are not an option. My only tool is online for sales or promotion. Hopefully, as the world reopens I am able to look into new options for sales and marketing.
“What If” Scenarios
If you could have one person that you admire, living or dead, read your book, who would it be?
I know you said one person, but I have never been great at following the rules. If I could have one person living and one person dead then I would choose my Grandma. She passed away when I was very young but, I think she would have loved this book and I know my Mom would have loved to share it with her. The camel comment in the book was also a small tribute to her.
If I could pick one person living…my current goal is Dana Perino. She does an amazing read aloud of children’s books and she is a Colorado native. I would be thrilled if she would read my book!
A wealthy reader buys 100 copies of your book and tells you to hand them out to anyone you wish. Who do you give them to?
That is fantastic! I am so glad they bought that many copies. These are some fun questions. First, I would thank them! Second, I would sign them all…then do some hand stretches. Then I would donate them to Reach Out and Read Colorado. It is a great organization that partners with health care providers to talk to families about the importance of reading aloud to young children, especially those in poverty.
Reach Out and Read Colorado provides books for the health care providers to give to these families at their appointments. I would love to share this gift with them and know that I am spreading the love or reading and the joy of the Birthday Fairies to new households.
You are transported into your book for one day. What role do you play? How do you alter the events of the story?
How fun would that be?! I would love to be one of the Birthday Fairies. I have already been blessed to experience being Fairy-Tailed so I would love to be a fairy. Flying around in the night sky and being able to fulfill the wishes of children to make their birthday’s special and help them feel loved! That would be unbelievable.
You’re given $10,000 to spend on marketing for your book. How do you spend it?
Wouldn’t that be fantastic! I do the best I can at marketing and I do have some knowledge with a little background in the field. However, I can say there are people that would be better at it than I am. So, I would probably hire a professional. I think with that amount of money I would be able to hire someone that could do a less grass roots gorilla marketing campaign and put together a more professional one.
Your book becomes a best seller. What do you do next?
That’s easy, I would write another book with the Birthday Fairies in it. I already have a couple more started. And I love the characters. Their personalities, their clothes, and their mission. I just want to wait and make sure the rest of the world loves them as much as I do. I would have Tamara do her amazing illustrations again. In the next book, I might delve into where the fairies live or how they deal with a child not being asleep when they show up. I already have multiple works in progress.
Would you rather own your own book store or your own publishing house, and what would you sell or publish?
Great question. I am going to add in there and assume that the last question also holds true that my book is best seller. It’s fun to dream. I would have a publishing house. I would love to publish children’s picture books.
However, I would want to help some of the people that could be indie authors but are too nervous because it seems so intimidating. Not like a vanity press though, I would want to set up a different sort of structure so I am just helping them launch so they can finally see something they have worked on for years come into print. It is so rewarding and I would love to do that for others.
Just For Fun
What legacy do you want to leave behind?
I hope to leave many things behind. My husband, Kiel, and I have two beautiful girls. I like to think I have done a lot of good in the world. However, part of my legacy is Fairy-Tailed Wish. It meant a lot to me to share our family tradition with the world.
Someday my great grand kids will know that this is part of our history and it started back in the 1980’s. It is a positive experience that was impactful to my life and gave me such wonderful memories and loving feelings as a child.
One bucket list item you’ve completed and one that’s still on your list.
One bucket list item I have completed is sky diving. It is a fun story as Kiel and I were in our early 20’s. I called him at work and told him that I made a reservation for the next morning. Both of us took a personal day and went sky diving instead.
Still on my bucket list is writing a second book. I know it sounds small but right now it seems like a large item to me. That is the item I am currently working on.
Favorite time of/part of your day.
The favorite part of my day is usually dinner time. Because we eat as a family. This question made we laugh because it is one of our dinner questions and this is usually my answer there as well. We like to ask everyone: What was the favorite part of your day?
I typically have two answers. The first one is dinner as a family. Then I choose something else as well. So, I would have to say the favorite part of my day is dinner as a family. I even wrote a blog post on the questions we ask at the dinner table!
Favorite place you’ve visited/place you want to visit.
My all-time favorite place to go is the beach. I just love to be in the warmth and by the water. There is something relaxing and calming that I get there that I don’t feel anywhere else. It is as if time stands still and you can just breathe. We love going with the kids and watching them play and get the same enjoyment we do being by the water, looking for shells, and playing in the sand. My oldest loves to use the metal detector, which is always a hoot. Sometimes it’s just the simple things in life.
Where I want to visit? There are places I have been that I want to go back to as a family. Seeing things again but showing them to our girls is like seeing them for the first time. Exploring the world together would be a dream come true. I can’t wait to see their faces when they see the Eifel Tower for the first time. That is something they really want to see. We had planned on going this summer on our way to visit one of my sisters, who lives in Germany. We will just have to wait and see if this trip gets canceled or not. Will the world be open or closed? Only time will tell.
Food you’d like to win a lifetime supply of.
Even my girls could answer this one. They know to stay out of my hidden stash of chocolate. I most definitely have a sweet tooth. Baked goods and chocolate are a weakness of mine. Kiel is the best at making sure my needs are met and my stash is full.
The topic you can’t shut up about/the topic you wish everyone would shut up about.
I think this one is going to be the same topic, as strange as this sounds. If this topic gets brought up, I tend to ramble and I don’t mind talking about it if it helps someone else. Sometimes my knowledge has assisted someone else who is struggling.
It is my migraines.
At the same time, it gets frustrating when someone tells me I don’t look well or is constantly commenting on them. Or I feel a look of judgement that it I just a headache.
There are a few friends I have that are also suffers and we share together and discuss new things we are trying. It is a real struggle in my daily life that I have dealt with since I was around 5 years old. Some years have been worse than others.
Overall, I try not to dwell on it. And I do my best to get done everything I can on the days I feel well. I am blessed to have a supportive family who is understanding and takes good care of me. Life is beautiful.
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Buy a copy of Fairy-Tailed Wish by Megan Pighetti here, and help support local bookstores. This is an affiliate link, and I will earn a commission on any sales.
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