Princess Lily and the Hair Fairy - Sarah Bankuti - ★★★★.½

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AUTHOR: Sarah Bankuti
ILLUSTRATOR: Kristina Dutton
GENRE: Children's Picture Book
PUBLICATION DATE: December 1, 2021
RATING: 4.5 stars.

Oh, this won my heart over!

Princess Lily is upset at having lost her hair while undergoing treatment for an illness. She is worried about looking funny but her parents are extremely supportive and do their best to appease her. Imagine her surprise when she finds out that there's a Hair Fairy, just like a Tooth Fairy. When she discovers what the Hair Fairies use the lost hair for, Lily feels quite proud and satisfied.

This is a sweet and heartfelt book, which would be the right read for young children who are facing any illness or treatment that results in hair loss. It's a feel-good story that will generate a smile on the faces of those brave little warriors. (I smiled too, but I was also left a bit teary-eyed.)

The illustrations are really cute and will remind you a bit of Disney's Tinkerbell story books. The effect is just as remarkable.

This is one of the books where the intent is as good as the content. Though it has a very niche audience, it's a readership that is mostly ignored. I am happy that these kids will finally get a magical story to relieve their worldly discomfort at least to some extent.

The author’s GR bio states that she was inspired to start writing these books for children with cancer after her little daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumour. That factor comes out in the story very clearly – this book is a mother’s attempt at making sure that her child (and other children) don’t feel left out because of their illness.

Heartily recommended, though it breaks my heart to remember that there are so many children in the world battling such health issues. This certainly helps us to keep a better perspective about our blessings in life.

The book is free on KU.

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