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The Runaway Fairy
A story about Fairy Rosalind and how she looks after her rose bush in her garden and the adventures that she encounters when she decides to leave her garden because of interference from others.
- GenresChildrens
24 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1982
27 people want to read
About the author
Molly Brett
45 books11 followersMolly (Mary Elizabeth) Brett was an English illustrator and children's author. She grew up in Surrey, Great Britain, [Croydon Registration District] surrounded by animals and nature.
Her mother, Mary Gould Brett, was a respected animal painter who encouraged her daughter to paint from life, and this is reflected in Molly's gift for making her animals look thoroughly naturalistic while giving them human characteristics and activities.
Molly began her art training with a correspondence course in illustration, followed by formal instruction at Press Art School and the Guildford Art School. It was at Guildford that she met Margaret Tarrant (also destined to attain substantial fame as an illustrator), who soon became a close friend and lived with her in Cornwall.
She began her career by illustrating weekly papers for children. One of her earliest commissions was to illustrate stories by Enid Blyton.
Inspired by this, she went on to write and illustrate 21 books of her own for the Medici Society of London, with whom she was associated for 60 years. Medici has published over 500 of her paintings as postcards, greeting cards and prints.
Molly Brett's work has enchanted generations of children with its beautifully drawn details, subtle colours and magical atmosphere. Her work follows in the tradition of other twentieth-century "dressed animal" illustrators such as Beatrix Potter, Margaret Tempest, Racey Helps, and others.
Footnote: The actual date of Molly Brett's death is uncertain but she died in the second quarter of 1990 so April 1 has been included for completeness.
Her mother, Mary Gould Brett, was a respected animal painter who encouraged her daughter to paint from life, and this is reflected in Molly's gift for making her animals look thoroughly naturalistic while giving them human characteristics and activities.
Molly began her art training with a correspondence course in illustration, followed by formal instruction at Press Art School and the Guildford Art School. It was at Guildford that she met Margaret Tarrant (also destined to attain substantial fame as an illustrator), who soon became a close friend and lived with her in Cornwall.
She began her career by illustrating weekly papers for children. One of her earliest commissions was to illustrate stories by Enid Blyton.
Inspired by this, she went on to write and illustrate 21 books of her own for the Medici Society of London, with whom she was associated for 60 years. Medici has published over 500 of her paintings as postcards, greeting cards and prints.
Molly Brett's work has enchanted generations of children with its beautifully drawn details, subtle colours and magical atmosphere. Her work follows in the tradition of other twentieth-century "dressed animal" illustrators such as Beatrix Potter, Margaret Tempest, Racey Helps, and others.
Footnote: The actual date of Molly Brett's death is uncertain but she died in the second quarter of 1990 so April 1 has been included for completeness.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 27, 2019
Fairy Rosalind lived in a garden where every plant and bush belonged to a fairy, elf or pixie with each of them caring for their own particular flowers, watering them with dewdrops, supporting stems when winds were rough and chasing off caterpillars, slugs and snails. Fairy Rosalind was particularly keen to keep her rose bush in good shape; only butterflies and bumble-bees were allowed near it. Even ordinary bees n search of honey were not welcome and she would chase them off shouting, 'You will disarrange the petals!'
Then things began to go wrong. Firstly a large dandelion appeared close to her bush; 'What a horrid WEED!' she cried and quickly called some elves to pull it out. Then matters got worse for one morning she was awakened by a strange sound, 'CLIP! SNIP! CLIP! SNIP!' Looking out she saw to her horror that all her roses were being snipped off to go to the local flower show.
Rosalind was heartbroken and, despite pleas from her friends to stay and take over something else in the garden, she decided to fly away to the countryside and visit her cousins the Wild Flower Fairies. She had plenty of adventures on the way, including rescuing a bumble bee that was caught in a spider's web, stepping on a Sundew plant and having its sticky leaves stuck to her feet and saving a hedgehog from a predatory snake and then decorating the hedgehog's prickles with flowers to make him as smart as many of the other animals.
She met her relations, Vera Vetch, Diana Daisy, Toby Toadflax and Baby Briar Rose and also a bad-tempered Dandy the Dandelion elf who was displeased at her flowers always being called weeds and then being pulled up. There followed fun and games in the wood and on the nearby pond but while they were playing a passing magpie who loved bright things swooped down and plucked up Dandy Dandelion with her bright yellow hair and flew away.
Rosalind and the other fairies grabbed the magpie's tail and held on for dear life, hoping to rescue Dandy. They did so with great difficulty and returned to the woodland to dance the night away. It was all very hectic for Rosalind, who had her dress torn in the struggle with the magpie and also lost her shoes. So when she decided to return to her own quiet garden the Wild Flower Fairies gave petals for Sarah Stichwort to sew her a new dress, the Lady's Slipper pixie made her some new shoes and Helen Hairbell cared for her hair.
As Rosalind was returning she spotted flags flying, a marquee and lots of people milling about and she realised that the annual flower show was about to start. She dropped down to visit and saw some of her friends and, through a gap in the hedge she spotted lots of exhibits that had won prizes. The main one that caught her eye was a vase of roses, her very own roses, and they had won the Champion of the Show award. She was very proud indeed.
She had some fun at the show before returning to her garden for a grand garden party at which the silver cup for her roses was on display.
Later her rose bush grew new buds and she was once again busy tending to it and thoroughly enjoying life in her quiet garden once more.
Illustrated in Molly Brett's inimitable style, 'The Runaway Fairy' is another delightful book from this author.
Then things began to go wrong. Firstly a large dandelion appeared close to her bush; 'What a horrid WEED!' she cried and quickly called some elves to pull it out. Then matters got worse for one morning she was awakened by a strange sound, 'CLIP! SNIP! CLIP! SNIP!' Looking out she saw to her horror that all her roses were being snipped off to go to the local flower show.
Rosalind was heartbroken and, despite pleas from her friends to stay and take over something else in the garden, she decided to fly away to the countryside and visit her cousins the Wild Flower Fairies. She had plenty of adventures on the way, including rescuing a bumble bee that was caught in a spider's web, stepping on a Sundew plant and having its sticky leaves stuck to her feet and saving a hedgehog from a predatory snake and then decorating the hedgehog's prickles with flowers to make him as smart as many of the other animals.
She met her relations, Vera Vetch, Diana Daisy, Toby Toadflax and Baby Briar Rose and also a bad-tempered Dandy the Dandelion elf who was displeased at her flowers always being called weeds and then being pulled up. There followed fun and games in the wood and on the nearby pond but while they were playing a passing magpie who loved bright things swooped down and plucked up Dandy Dandelion with her bright yellow hair and flew away.
Rosalind and the other fairies grabbed the magpie's tail and held on for dear life, hoping to rescue Dandy. They did so with great difficulty and returned to the woodland to dance the night away. It was all very hectic for Rosalind, who had her dress torn in the struggle with the magpie and also lost her shoes. So when she decided to return to her own quiet garden the Wild Flower Fairies gave petals for Sarah Stichwort to sew her a new dress, the Lady's Slipper pixie made her some new shoes and Helen Hairbell cared for her hair.
As Rosalind was returning she spotted flags flying, a marquee and lots of people milling about and she realised that the annual flower show was about to start. She dropped down to visit and saw some of her friends and, through a gap in the hedge she spotted lots of exhibits that had won prizes. The main one that caught her eye was a vase of roses, her very own roses, and they had won the Champion of the Show award. She was very proud indeed.
She had some fun at the show before returning to her garden for a grand garden party at which the silver cup for her roses was on display.
Later her rose bush grew new buds and she was once again busy tending to it and thoroughly enjoying life in her quiet garden once more.
Illustrated in Molly Brett's inimitable style, 'The Runaway Fairy' is another delightful book from this author.
April 12, 2021
The book is beautifully illustrated with captivating images. However, the images lack diversity, apart from a buttercup fairy who is slightly bigger than the other fairies. The story is bland and mostly unengaging, apart from a question that is asked on page 10 'can you see where the fairies hid?'
The main character Rosalind has a snobby air that is set from the beginning with only ‘butterflies’ and ‘bumble bees’ being permitted to visit her rose bush. Rosalind is accused of being ‘stuck-up’ by Dandy the Dandelion and when her dress is ruined it is acknowledged that ‘such an untidy fairy would not be welcome in her own neat garden,’ a dress of petals is sewn by ‘Sarah Stitchwort’. The story has an uncomfortable reference about a buttercup flower fairy ‘who was rather a fat fairy, [that] bounced so high on her mount that she landed in an overhanging bramble’.
Flower references are in abundance in this book which could be appealing for nature lovers. However, the snobby tone and lack of diversity is unappealing.
The main character Rosalind has a snobby air that is set from the beginning with only ‘butterflies’ and ‘bumble bees’ being permitted to visit her rose bush. Rosalind is accused of being ‘stuck-up’ by Dandy the Dandelion and when her dress is ruined it is acknowledged that ‘such an untidy fairy would not be welcome in her own neat garden,’ a dress of petals is sewn by ‘Sarah Stitchwort’. The story has an uncomfortable reference about a buttercup flower fairy ‘who was rather a fat fairy, [that] bounced so high on her mount that she landed in an overhanging bramble’.
Flower references are in abundance in this book which could be appealing for nature lovers. However, the snobby tone and lack of diversity is unappealing.
July 23, 2021
I read this aloud to my cat, well part of it, until she got bored and left. It might have been the story, or my reading, but more likely it was just cats.
When her roses get cut down, Rosalind, the rose fairy, decides to go visit her cousins the Wild Flower Fairies. Along the way, she encounters a number of forest inhabitants, stumbles upon a party which her cousins are having, goes water skiing, leads a daring rescue from a magpie, participated in a fairy ring dance and even visited the human flower show before returning home to her own rose bush.
A good story to teach young children about the old folk lore which believed all flowers and plants in nature were tended by fairies and elves.
When her roses get cut down, Rosalind, the rose fairy, decides to go visit her cousins the Wild Flower Fairies. Along the way, she encounters a number of forest inhabitants, stumbles upon a party which her cousins are having, goes water skiing, leads a daring rescue from a magpie, participated in a fairy ring dance and even visited the human flower show before returning home to her own rose bush.
A good story to teach young children about the old folk lore which believed all flowers and plants in nature were tended by fairies and elves.
September 6, 2018
My all time favourite childhood book.
March 30, 2015
2.5 stars
Old fashioned but pretty illustrations are the best part of The Runaway Fairy. While it serves to teach children a few names of garden/wild flowers, the story is actually not terribly pleasant. I felt rather sorry for Dandy the Dandelion elf. All he does is get cross because people pull up his dandelions as "weeds" (seems like that would make anyone cross, especially given the titular runaway fairy has a strop and, well, runs away when her roses are cut) and he is labelled naughty and nasty and a troublemaker. Magpies are deemed cruel. Ditto snakes. The fairy Rosalind tells us herself that she wouldn't be welcome in her garden looking unkempt. And the fairies all jostle for first place at the garden show (the dullest of events, imho - who cares how big a turnip is as long as it tastes nice?) as if that's some consolation that the roses have been cut and will, therefore, die. But at least they look pretty! *rolls eyes*
The Runaway Fairy is not terrible, but it isn't particularly a gem amongst the mountain of children's books out there.
Old fashioned but pretty illustrations are the best part of The Runaway Fairy. While it serves to teach children a few names of garden/wild flowers, the story is actually not terribly pleasant. I felt rather sorry for Dandy the Dandelion elf. All he does is get cross because people pull up his dandelions as "weeds" (seems like that would make anyone cross, especially given the titular runaway fairy has a strop and, well, runs away when her roses are cut) and he is labelled naughty and nasty and a troublemaker. Magpies are deemed cruel. Ditto snakes. The fairy Rosalind tells us herself that she wouldn't be welcome in her garden looking unkempt. And the fairies all jostle for first place at the garden show (the dullest of events, imho - who cares how big a turnip is as long as it tastes nice?) as if that's some consolation that the roses have been cut and will, therefore, die. But at least they look pretty! *rolls eyes*
The Runaway Fairy is not terrible, but it isn't particularly a gem amongst the mountain of children's books out there.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews