“I’m Glad to be Me!”

Petalwink the Fairy is the winged mascot of her own book series for children, especially girls aged 3-8. In her books, written in rhyme and illustrated in bright watercolor washes by Angela Sage Larsen, Petalwink learns how to believe in herself and the greater good, how to be a good friend, how to be a graceful “loser,” and how to socially navigate in her hometown of Newman Forest with a cast of quirky and appealing animal and fairy friends. Each book brings out a useful lesson while still maintaining the sense of spontaneity and whimsy that fairies typify and celebrating the innate sparkle, sweetness and innocence of childhood. Petalwink carries the message to girls to believe in themselves and in the greater good. Click here to purchase Petalwink books and products.

Petalwink Book Series Trailer

Watch the trailer for all SEVEN books in the Petalwink series.

Good Things Come on Tiny Wings: The Adventures of Petalwink the Fairy®

Click here to purchase the books: Hardcover, Paperback and/or eBook!

Click here or here to read a review of Petalwink’s first book, Petalwink Learns to Fly.

Petalwink Series (eBooks) published by:

Dear Parents & Educators,

Petalwink the Fairy is the winged mascot of the sweetness, innocence and creativity of little girls. If girls grew up knowing their worth at an early age and never lost their sense of wonder, the world would be a better place. Petalwink represents a movement of girls and parents who know that the value of girls isn’t found in their physicality. She agrees with what little girls have a hunch is true: that they are worthy of being and doing good and they have the power to change the world. Girls recognize themselves in her. At the heart of Petalwink, is not only the reminder to value ourselves, but to allow service to others to be the natural overflow of that gratitude.

Because she’s a fairy, Petalwink invites imagination and adventure. Through the vibrant and colorful story book pages, little girls being read to or just learning to read, journey with Petalwink as she looks to her friends for help and encouragement, but ultimately learns to own the important lessons learned. The storybook series incorporates humor, fresh design and delightful color.

As we have worked on the Petalwink concept, we’ve developed and polished Petalwink’s story line and distilled her message to Giving, Imagination, Faith and Timelessness. We saw how each of her fairy friends embodied characteristics that girls identify with. June Bug’s desire to have the answers and be the “smart one;” Willow & Whitney’s need to turn everything into a game or competition; Felicia Fairy’s creative touch makes everything more beautiful; Gordo has an insatiable hankering for adventure. Each character has a full and interesting personality to complement Petalwink’s. Newman Forest, Petalwink’s magical world, sets the stages for her adventures.

“I’m glad to be me!” hundreds of kids have shouted over the past few years. Every time I read the story out loud to a group, I request the audience to exclaim with her the message of Petalwink Learns to Fly. The children delight in letting the world know they’re pleased with who they are. We’ve had parents contact us and say that since reading story, their child now frequently bursts out with “I’m glad to be me!” for no reason at all. What sweeter sound is there? We hope you will enjoy getting to know Petalwink and her world a little better in her storybooks and on these pages. May you join with Petalwink and the growing chorus of her fans in declaring “I’m glad to be me!”

Fairy best,

Petalwink the Fairy: New Arrival

Hummingbirds are not known for patience. At their size and at their speed, the wait of the world is a long slow blur. This was especially true one very special morning, moments before the sun burst forth yellow and all was still a periwinkle calm. The barely-breeze was laden with jasmine, pine and dew. Some birds, the ones who were celebrating having gotten their worms, were already limber with singing.

One hummingbird hovered repeatedly over an unopened day-flower’s bud in Newman Forest. The morning glory’s soft furry tendrils fingered their way around twigs and young tree branches, every day reaching ever higher, pulling the plant closer to the sun so its happy faces could smile in the light.

This unopened bud seemed to hold such promise, the pearlescent green hummer couldn’t wait to be the first to taste its nectar. But there was something more about this one particular blossom, closed in a tight lustrous twirl of purple and pale green. It glowed from inside.

And then in a moment, in a soft flash of glory (like its name), the flower sprung open as the sun popped over a hill and the hummer drew back like a zipper. But he did not fly in for a sip, instead he chirped a twitter of approval and did a dance mid-air; in the center of the blue flower, stretching as if waking from a long nap, appeared a tiny radiant thing: ethereal and sweet, Petalwink the Fairy, herself the size of a hummingbird, appeared on the scene. Her glimmering periwinkle hair only a few inches long, yet reaching her waist, reflected the color of her resting place. Her tiny bug-like features, dainty and exquisite, were alert and expressive. Her iridescent aqua wings, like ornate poplar leaves, buzzed as quickly as the hummingbird’s in a blur of pale blue as she fluttered them awake.

Fairies like Petalwink, though without parents, are never orphans. They are born of joy, laughter and the delight of a child. Their very surroundings provides all that each forest resident could ever need: encouragement from a nodding flower, soft kisses from butterflies, lullabies from the crickets. Such was the case with Petalwink. Though she did not have parents as we think of parents, still she is parented with tender loving care. Her home, Newman Forest, is a place of possibility and promise; always in a season of renewal, glimmering with hope, color, and the radiance of sheer magic.

As Petalwink yawned and stretched and took in the sights, sounds and scents of the Forest, she very naturally made her way to the Fairy Ring at the heart of the forest in Violet Valley where the toadstools mingled with tiny viola plants. The Fairy Ring is a meeting place for fairies and their animal friends, a place of celebration and a place of introduction. There Petalwink was met by other fairies, frogs, birds and bugs and she felt she had always been home.

Morning heaved her gentle breath and caused leaves and feathers, petals and boughs, to whisper an invitation to celebrate. Fairies emerged as if from nowhere, each glimmering in a rainbow of colors, and as they converged on the fairy ring, it was as though the forest floor was a living bouquet. A lime green genteel Gardner snake with a silken neck tie, named Bliss Squiggle, slithered into his place; a cobalt-furred rabbit with overalls, grumpy George Rabbit, clomped out from a tangle of grass; Mayor Malone, a monocled emerald toad adjusted his vest; Birdie, an ostentatiously dressed nuthatch, whose chirp was as loud as her plumage, descended from above; a jade-hued diminutive frog with an orange and white polka-dot bow tie known as Francis leapt eagerly to attention, smacking his lips after swallowing a bug. Ladybugs came to light from the velvet underside of unfurled leaves and a gorgeous fat yellow and black striped honey bee with a cute hat hovered in a suspended drone above them all.

Petalwink the Fairy took her place in the center of the vibrant arena. Her purple and blue hair, fine as cobweb silk, fluttered near her tiny magenta rose-clothed waist. Her periwinkle skirt of fine vinca petals caught the rich morning light and glowed above her skinny green sprouts-for-legs. Yellow baby holly berries bejeweled her skirt and her sleeves. Her mini elfin shoes, coordinating with her petal skirt padded her feet. And in her hair, the tiniest pink daisy sat atop her green headband. Her pale skin, the color and quality of moonlight, glowed rosy at her cheeks and her movements were so quick and her eyes so bright, it was no wonder “wink” was part of her name. She was the blossoming of a flower, that magic moment of nature’s revelation.

She twirled and waved and the Forest unanimously broke out in a welcome chorus. Pixie dust as confetti fluttered all around and dewdrops made a slideshow of rainbows on every surface.

Petalwink the Fairy had arrived!

Felicia Fairy

Through the woods in the evening, when the fireflies flicker along your path, you may feel a presence, a calm peaceful feeling or a tickle of hope. You may start humming a tune you didn’t know you knew, take a deep breath, think of a loved one and say thanks for your life. Do you know what that is? That is the effect of Felicia Fairy’s presence.

Fairies see her, of course, but humans may not always realize her influence. She lives in Newman Forest, in Hollyhock Hollow near the Fairy Ring. She is a radiant little fairy with ruddy skin, smooth as a polished nut shell. Her strawberry-colored hair and elegant tulip petal skirt help her pose like a picturesque flower when you walk by. She expresses the beauty of nature in dance and song, often filling the breeze with the sound of the wind, or the sound of hope and promise (a sound humans can’t hear with their ears, but know it when they feel it). Her tiny dancing shoes, strapped on to her nimble feet with vine tendrils, kick and point with grace and her sublime lavender butterfly wings, iridescent and agile, flutter behind her like stage curtains.

Felicia always brings out the best in others, drawing them out and encouraging them to express themselves. She is responsible for the Annual Newman Forest Fun-Raising event, a festival with dancing, music and dramatic re-enactments of Newman Forest’s most noted historical events. When Felicia appears on the scene, you can expect her to bring out the beauty in everything around her.

Felicia is a seed fairy; she collects and manages all the seeds, nuts and kernels in the Forest, planting them or storing them for the spring. If there is an unexpected flower in your garden (a “volunteer”), Felicia probably planted it there. And if there is a tune that stays in your heart and puts a lilt in your step, she probably put that there, too.

by Petalwink

I have a job to do,
but it’s my pleasure, too.
I check on flowers & buds,
making blossoms out of duds.
Rain or shine, I make the rounds,
’til leaves are glossy and color abounds.

But today, like most
I got distracted from my post.
I first saw George Rabbit, grumpy & sad.
I asked after him, but that was bad–
(some want to be left to their shame,
and they might even target you for the blame!)
I think he was bored because he picked a fight
I tried my best to remain polite…

But thank goodness Bliss Squiggle arrived
and as usual, he helped peace to thrive.
Well, then I got chatting with Bliss
and listened to his wisdom and gentle hiss.
Then I spotted an acorn upside down
and thought it’d make a pretty neat crown.
I said good-bye to Bliss and George Rabbit
detoured again, as is my habit.

After buffing my crown with dandelion fluff,
I looked around for some sparkly stuff.
The sun turned pink as it started to set–
Oh no! the flowers! How soon I forget!
I dropped my crown and sped to the plants
On my way, I stopped to count an army of ants
(Bugville is like a circus of bugs!
snails, spiders, bees and big slugs!)

94, 106…oh, I can’t count them all.
I must see those plants before nightfall.
As the moon crests, I find the scene.
But leaves are tucked in and all is serene.
I kiss the plants goodnight with a sigh
And sprinkle some fairy dust from up high.
I return to my nest and curl up to sleep,
dreaming of tomorrows and promises I’ll keep.