Full Description

Thistle and the Shell of Laughter

Illustrations By: Tara Larsen Chang

Inside you is the power to do anything

Giggles, guffaws, chortles and chuckles are created within the Shell of Laughter. And now it has been stolen!

But who would dare to take the world’s laughter? Only the Spirit of Sorrow would be so bold. So, Madam Toad decides to send Thistle, the fairy most full of laughter to find it. Luckily Thistle has her mentor, her friends and her courage. But is even that enough to stop an enemy this sad and evil?

What if you discovered you had magical fairy powers? Meet the girls of The Fairy Chronicles, otherwise normal girls like you who are blessed by Mother Nature with special gifts. Their extraordinary adventures will change the world!

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Chapter One: Christmas Break
Chapter Two: Fairy Circle
Chapter Three: The Elf’s Cave
Chapter Four: The Gnome, the Bobolink, and the Witch
Chapter Five: The Trail of Sorrow
Chapter Six: Killjoy Crosspatch
Chapter Seven: Mirth, Merriment, Joy, and Glee
Chapter Eight: The Shell of Laughter
Fairy Fun
Fairy Facts

Excerpt

Excerpt

The colors of the forest became even deeper and blacker as they journeyed. The next evidence of sorrow they came upon was a tortoise that seemed consumed by grief. He was sobbing in agony and desperation, as though possessed by some terrible misfortune.

Again, Thistle and Snickers dosed out their laughter medicine, and the tortoise was relieved of the Spell of Sorrow.

Reviews

Reviews

BN.com Rita Rodriguez
’Lovely Fairy Tale’
This is a wonderful story about a group of girls doing some pretty incredible things. (You probably thought I was going to say it was a story about fairies.) It is also a story about fairies but less of a fantasy story than I thought it would be which is why this story is so good. The girls are interested in recycling, giving Christmas presents to gnomes, and making sure places like Finland and Norway have enough laughter. I don’t think anyone reading this story will feel like they are missing out when they discover that this book isn’t entirely filled with pixie dust and fairy magic because it is an interesting story of blending real with fantasy. I like the ending when the girls/fairies are spending Christmas with their families, and they are all celebrating in slightly different ways. Read this book if you like fairies and children’s fantasy, and you will discover a world where the fairies are connected with real life and do important things to help the world.

Suzanne Mesecke
Good Addition to the Series
I like the variety this series is beginning to show. There are more magical creatures added than in the last two books, and the fairies have a somewhat creepy forest adventure this time. It’s just a little dark and scary because the Spirit of Sorrow spreads darkness and sorrow spells. Of course the fairies triumph, just like in their previous adventures, and save all laughter in the world. It’s nice that little girls are shown to make such a difference in the world with their deeds. These are good role-model girls because they seem to care more about things like nature and simple games and solving problems than they do about TV. And they are really too young to worry about boys yet. It seem the most this author is including in the books is some blushing, pranks, and note writing between the brownies and fairies. That is refreshingly innocent and reminds me of my own interactions with boys when I was a small girl, put a smile on my face. I have recently discovered the Fairy Chronicles website with what seems like a whole list of ebooks relating to this series, and I am looking forward to reading about more of the fairies’ adventures. The list looks interesting so far. I hope the author keeps going because this is pretty wholesome stuff and I think our world needs that.

Danielle Romero
We really get to know the girls behind the fairies.
I like the fact that this writer gives good background and a lot of character details. Because we know about these girls, we want to know more about what happens to them. Since we know their hobbies, likes, dislikes, strengths, weaknesses, etc., we are very engaged in their quests. My girls and I have read the first two books in this series also and are very happy that each of our fairy “friends” is getting her shot at her very own fairy adventure, as a leader of the mission. This is a good lesson in fairness and makes us realize that everyone has greatness inside them and is capable of achieving great things. This story is fairly short, but has a lot of fun elements. We again have some contact with gnomes and brownies, but the writer has also added in elves, leprechauns, unicorns, a hedgehog, and a witch to the story. The fact that Madam Robin is a fairy mentor, but not a fairy, is also interesting. I am wondering how she got enchanted and hope that information is part of the series in the future. The entries from the Fairy Handbook are amusing, especially the toadstool ring definition. I recommend this book for lovers of fairies, magic, and little girl hero stories. You will like these little girls, they are very personable and good people. They take their jobs as fairies very seriously and do good things.

Risa B
The Make-Up of Laughter
One of my favorite parts of this book is the description of what laughter is made of: things like tickle feathers, the sound of puppies barking, birdsong, wind chimes, jokes, Christmas snow and buried treasure. I also love the fact that Yin Yang balance is stressed in this story. My daughter loved the Christmas fairy circle and the brief unicorn visit to the fairies in the apple orchard. How laughter is spread around the world is also very interesting. My daughter actually asked questions about the jet stream, the chinook and zephyrs. She also wanted to know about Iceland, Finland and Norway. This book has made her want to learn things, and I have not had that kind of a response from her with many other books she has read. We have ordered an Atlas because of this book and looked up things in Encarta about the winds. However, this was mostly just a fun read for her because it was a good story.

Ninfa Jones
Good Fairy Tale Story
I got this book for my little granddaughter and we read it together at bedtime. She loved the fairies and the adventure. I found myself smiling at her smiles and at the story. This book is very good for entertaining small children but they won’t be able to read it by themselves until they are around eight or so. Our favorite parts of the story were the different kinds of fairies. They all have different fairy spirits. My granddaughter also liked the unicorns, the bobolink bird, and what is inside the Shell. This is a good fairy tale.

Jessie Fraser
What is Laughter?
It is a pretty cute idea this book puts forth, that laughter is made of things like bubbles, tickle feathers, birdsong, and other things, all mixed up in correct proportions inside the manufacturing plant of the Shell of Laughter. The fairies have to figure out what has happened when the shell goes missing, and they have to go on a mission to get the shell back. I also like the idea that laughter is spread by various winds. My daughter liked the hedgehog best in this story. I only wish the books of this series had illustrations. That is pretty much the only thing I would change about this book. Otherwise, the story is wonderful.

Andrea Bisson
Fun Story with a Leprechaun, Hedgehog, and Elf
This is a nice cast of characters for a fairy book. There is also a witch, unicorns, two kinds of gnomes (garden and wood), and a bobolink bird, which I thought was a made up kind of bird until I looked it up to discover it is real and is one of those birds named after the sounds it makes like a bob white bird. This really was nicely engaging and my nieces sat through the whole story without a break. It took us about an hour to read the whole thing aloud. They both want fairy wands and handbooks now. I’ll have to see what I can do since I am the favorite aunt and can’t let them down.

Both girls loved the hedgehog, Snickers, best in this story. But they thought that Tom, the leprechaun was cute too. Jenna, the oldest, told me, very seriously, that she always knew that real elves didn’t wear pointy shoes or look like Christmas elves. The writer of this book does a good job of describing the characters. I could see them in my mind as I was reading aloud. Jenna is six and took the book to read to herself after we had finished it. She seemed to be getting most of the story right and sounding out the longer words. I am sending a copy of this book, along with the first two in the series, to my other niece in Kentucky. And when I have little girls of my own, I will read this book to them.

Marty B. Shane
Changing the Fairy World
This is a really nice perspective of the magical world. Reasons why we can’t see fairies, gnomes, elves, etc. These things are explained. Even the far fetched things are believable in this fairy tale because we are given explanations and reasons. I wasn’t at all surprised to find out what laughter is made of or that an elf carries the Shell around the world to spread laughter. And I am not surprised to learn about the job of fairies - they protect nature and fix problems. But I was surprised that the fairies are little girls who secretly go about their fairy business, with the help of older fairies, mentors as the book describes. This is interesting and different than other fairy books. This author is very creative as far as the world she writes about and is not staying within the world of what is known about fairies. I wish more authors would take chances to stray from the traditions ingrained in the realm of the magical world.

Amazon.co.uk B. Rosales
Great Story
My two girls, ages 4 and 9, really loved this story. I myself was intrigued because the girls were so real and the story so fun.
After attending their fairy circle gathering, and having Christmas fun with a visit from unicorns, the girls/fairies set out on a fairy mission to save all laughter in Iceland, Finland, Norway, and Sweden for the coming year. (The Shell of Laughter is used to spread laughter all over the world via various winds and because it has been stolen, that part of the world is in danger of not receiving its share of laugther for the year.)
The girls/fairies are helped by an elf and his hedgehog, a witch, a leprechaun, a gnome, and a bird in their travels. There is a nice teamwork theme running throughout. The story also has some nice elements involving recycling and celebration of nature.
We also really enjoyed learning what laughter is made of, that part of the book made us laugh. My girls learned something about winds and we looked up seashells after reading this story. I think anyone would enjoy this light, yet important adventure of real people doing something important.

Amy Mason
Terrific Fairy Book
I love this particular installment of the Fairy Chronicles Series. The story has a lovely theme of helping to save all laughter in the world while recognizing that sorrow and laughter must both exist.

I have a brand new niece and though she is too young for a book like this I am carefully putting away a copy of this book for her. I don’t believe any little girl will be disappointed to read this story. The elf who is "Keeper" of the Shell of Laughter is very stoic, and that is an interesting part of this fairy tale. The writer explains that he is a necessary balance to the shell and otherwise would not be able to withstand the effects of longterm exposure.

I think what I love most about this book and the Fairy Chronicles Series in general is the variety the stories are presenting. In Thistle and the Shell of Laughter, we see unicorns, meet a leprechaun and a hedgehog, learn about types of winds, and discover a special bird called a bobolink. We also meet a witch and learn a little bit about geography (Finland, Norway, etc) when it comes to the spreading of laughter on the winds. There are a number of different kinds of fairies (Starfish, Marigold, Toad, etc) with different personalities so the girls are not all the same. Having enjoyed all of the books in this series so far, I plan to read a lot more about fairies.

Arlene Granger
4 and ½ Stars, Interesting Story
Assets:
The story has great characters (elf, hedgehog, witch, and leprechaun help the fairies) and a nice theme (balance in our world). The book is creative and original and does not strictly follow traditional or known fairy lore. My daughter loved this book and did not stop reading until she had finished it.
Drawbacks:
Paperbacks are not as collectible as hardbacks.
This book does not have illustrations.
4 and ½ Stars

Risa Blevins
The Make-Up of Laughter
One of my favorite parts of this book is the description of what laughter is made of: things like tickle feathers, the sound of puppies barking, birdsong, wind chimes, jokes, Christmas snow and buried treasure. I also love the fact that Yin Yang balance is stressed in this story. My daughter loved the Christmas fairy circle and the brief unicorn visit to the fairies in the apple orchard. How laughter is spread around the world is also very interesting. My daughter actually asked questions about the jet stream, the chinook and zephyrs. She also wanted to know about Iceland, Finland and Norway. This book has made her want to learn things, and I have not had that kind of a response from her with many other books she has read. We have ordered an Atlas because of this book and looked up things in Encarta about the winds. However, this was mostly just a fun read for her because it was a good story.

Customer Reviews:

Specs / Support

Trade Paper Specfications

• Length: 8.50 in
• Width: 5.50 in
• Height: 0.00 in
• Weight: 8.00 oz
• Page Count: 128 pages