The Sharey Godmother

Shari T. Fairy, who has light brown skin, rosy petal wings, and a tower of bubblegum-colored balloons for hair, is exuberantly selfless: “If you forget your lunch, Shari will share half of hers. The bigger half. And dessert. And probably a snack for later.” But some fellow fairies wonder if Shari, also known as the Sharey Godmother, gives too much. Perhaps people are taking advantage of her? Shari admits that sharing can be a thankless act, and she has concerns (“Is she only sharing so people will be her friend?”), but refraining doesn’t confer happiness, either—when she hogs her own seat on a roller coaster, she looks miserable. Then another cadre of fairy friends with various skin tones and hairstyles offers a countering insight: if sharing makes her happy, does anything else matter? Curato’s digitally colored ink-on-paper drawings, punctuated by collage, have an immediacy and effervescence perfectly in sync with Berger’s chatty, confiding style. Among the growing number of picture books about kindness for its own sake, this emotionally incisive story by the creators of What If... advises self-exploration and self-confidence, and is one truly worth sharing. Ages 3–6. [em](Apr.) [/em]