Fanny's Dream
By Caralyn Buehner
The Story
A sturdy farm girl named Fanny Agnes waits in her garden for a fairy godmother to whisk her off to the mayor's grand ball and her destined prince — but who actually shows up changes everything.
Why It's Special
For the kid who's heard every Cinderella retelling and needs one that pokes gentle fun at happily-ever-after, Fanny's Dream lets a farm girl's big dream take a turn nobody ordered from a fairy tale catalog.
- Big idea: Real happiness doesn't always look like the dream you started with — sometimes it looks better.
- Vibes: Warm, funny, down-to-earth magic with a wink at fairy-tale expectations.
Perfect For Kids Who
- enjoy fairy tale retellings with a twist
- are working on redefining what a happy ending looks like
- love stories with humor tucked into the illustrations
- respond well to a strong, unconventional heroine
Ask Your Little Reader
- Story & problem-solving: Fanny waited in the garden for her fairy godmother — what do you think happened when someone else showed up instead?
- Feelings & empathy: How do you think Fanny felt while she waited and waited for magic to happen?
- Real-life connection: Have you ever wanted something so badly, like Fanny wanted to be a princess, that you almost missed something else good happening?
- Imagination: What would your own grand ball look like if you got to plan one?
- Big ideas: Do you think a happy ending has to look exactly like what you dreamed of?
