The Wishing of Biddy Malone

By Joy Cowley

Book Overview

To be sure, Biddy Malone is a singer and a dancer?though her dundering feet fall all over each other and her voice sounds like a rusty gate. Even her brothers? teasing can?t stop her dancing.And then one day, Biddy stumbles upon a faerie village, and meets a loveling so beautiful he takes her breath away. And when he asks to hear her three deepest wishes, she tells him every one. But all too soon, she learns that something gained for nothing has no value, and that wishes can only come true if you make them so yourself.Beloved author Joy Cowley and brilliant illustrator Christopher Denise bring a spirited new heroine to life in this magical tale of light and love.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399234047
• ISBN13: 9780399234040
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Philomel
• Length: 40 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 20.0" x 0.0" x 10.0"
• Age Range: 5 to 10 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 5

Customer Reviews

All around great book

A story of achievement through hard work without bonking you on the head with it, a believable heroine, an encounter with fairies that somehow seems possible, perfectly matched illustrations. Matter of fact enough even to appeal to boys in a read-aloud (even though it's about a girl who wants to sing and dance beautifully, it's also a subtle tale about ignoring bullies if you want to reach your goal). I should say at this point that I am an unabashed Joy Cowley fan. Whatever style she chooses to use (straight non-fic as in Red-Eyed Tree Frog, neo fairy tale as here) she completely immerses herself.

An Irish Tale

Biddy Malone has a fearsome temper. She loves to sing and dance but has no patience for the mistakes she makes or her brothers, who tease her. One evening, "it was the soft hour between day and night," Biddy stumbles into the land of faerie. The music and dancing are wonderful and Biddy meets the most beautiful boy she has ever seen. When he offers her three wishes she asks for the ability to sing, to dance and for a loving heart to soothe her temper. Biddy returns to her world where she discovers two months have passed. Initially, her wishes do not seem to be working but she practices every day and her singing and dancing improve. Once the fairies get hold of your heart though it is hard to move on though and Biddy must find her way back to the love of her life. This is an interesting folk tale without a tidy ending. Are our abilities the result of talent and gifts or the result of hard work and practice? Christopher Denise has filled with book with glowing images. His colors are in the tradition of N.C. Wyeth, Maxfield Parrish and Howard Pyle. I realized I knew his artwork from the Redwall books, The Great Redwall Feast and A Redwall Winter's Tale.