Jessie wakes up to a rainy day. It's her birthday and all the plans for fun depend on being outside.
At school, her fellow classmate and neighbour Irena, is telling her friend that she 'has' to go to Jessie's party, but it's bound to be terrible. Irena said her grandmother is a looney and they'll only play childish games. Sal Jessie's friend tells her not to worry about Irena saying mean things.
Her grandmother tells Jessie to go clean her room, get into her party dress and come back to help her in the kitchen. Great birthday so far, she thinks. When her whimsical grandmother tells her to go and count the toadstools at the back of the garden and to take the red umbrella with her, she is wondering what for. Of course, Jessie knows the old lady is magical, having been Queen of the fairies, she left to marry the human she loved. She tells Jessie it will be alright. Will it? Jessie's not sure if it keeps raining.
When she goes to count the toadstools there are so many there. One appears to have a door on the side. She finds a golden key under the mat. Then Pixies arrive to which her many 'happies' and give her gifts. Jessie finds she's having fun and forgets about being grumpy. Then she finds herself being blown away in the wind because she's shrunk to the size of fairies. How will she get home?
Emily Rodda is a talented writer of many genres of books.