THE MAGICAL ADVENTURES OF QUIZZLE AND PINKY PALM

Waterland presents an episodic children’s book about magical people, magical creatures, and grand life lessons.

While looking for amethyst crystals in Tree Forest, an accident causes magic-using fairy Auntie Hoolahoop to lose a wing and go falling through the clouds before landing under the nose of Mrs. Grupple, a sleeping yellow dog on Redbush Ranch. Luckily, her niece Quizzle, her friend Pinky Palm—an “everyanimal,” who is seen by others as a reflection of themselves —and Dragonfly and Hummingbird ensure everyone’s safe return home. The following summer, it’s time for Quizzle’s “flying up party” and she’s nervous about her command of her fairy wings. Pinky’s ordered a special present for Quizzle: a guardian angel named Titania with a magical whistle. A reassuring look from Pinky gives Quizzle the confidence she needs, and she flies into the party, then up and away through the ozone layer: “The Earth was as one body, populated with perfect little beings….Indeed, like waves in an ocean, they were each a different expression of the same thing—love.” On Halloween night, Wag the witch, angry that she wasn’t invited to Quizzle’s party, kidnaps Quizzle and Titania. The pair are terrified and lost in a dark tunnel until Quizzle remembers Titania’s whistle, which gives her some hope, and her fear decreases: “As their faith grew, the wicked witch began to shrink.” The creatures of this world are shown to learn things through experience, and a clear philosophy of love, empathy, and the mysteries of life connects each episode of the book. Pinky’s empathetic nature and his love for Quizzle lead him to find a new “me” identity without compromising his everyanimal abilities. Heyman’s black-and-white drawings with occasional colorful full-page illustrations ably decorate the narrative, which spans an entire year. Waterland’s prose features occasional cheeky rhymes, moments of humor, and detailed characterization—even of trees in the forest. No character is portrayed as completely evil; antagonists’ vulnerabilities are revealed, and foes often turn to friends.

A lighthearted book that blends magic with earthly themes and the loftier nature of all things.