Horn Book (Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2004)

After best friends Pish and Posh find The Fairy Handbook on their doorstep, Posh tries to use its magic to get out of doing the dishes. Bottner's loose, exaggerated images capture the characters' emotions, but at times it's not clear who is speaking, and the friends' world contains a confusing mix of mundane and surreal details.

Kirkus Reviews

Much ado about very little in this incoherently sketchy easy reader. Finding in succession a copy of The Fairy Handbook , a magic wand, and a packet of fairy dust on her porch, impulsive young Posh tries to do the dishes and find a neighbor's missing pooch by magic. Not being one to read instructions, however, she fills the kitchen with suds, discovers a mermaid in the bathtub, and creates sundry other mishaps. Luckily, she lives with Pish, a more methodical "best friend," but also, to judge from the resemblance in Bottner's rapidly drawn illustrations, either her mother or her big sister, who reins her in and organizes the clean-up. Pish and Posh both sport pointy, doglike ears in the course of this episode—which, along with the fit-and-start pacing may leave young readers wondering what they're missing. Not much. (Easy reader. 6-7)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

This whimsical I Can Read Book by husband-and-wife collaborators (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">It's Not Marsha's Birthday) opens with a bang—literally: "After dinner, there was a loud <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">thudoutside the front door." Racing to the doorstep, a delighted Posh discovers a copy of <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">The Fairy Handbook while her more sensible, skeptical best friend and housemate Pish firmly declares, "We are not becoming fairies." Posh obviously has other ideas, as she scans the tome in a futile attempt to discover a fairy's method for doing dishes quickly. She fails to read the instructions closely, however, and when a wand appears at the door, she waves it with cheerful abandon, causing "mountains of suds" to escape from the sink. The youngster's subsequent (mis)use of the handbook to retrieve her friend Izzy's missing dog brings similarly outlandish results, as Posh inadvertently conjures up a troll, mermaid and giant—but no pooch. The much taller, sophisticatedly dressed Pish presents quite a contrast to Posh, who sports a yellow polka-dotted frock and an oversize hair bow, but the two do share several characteristics—brilliant red tresses out of which poke elfin ears, providing an extra dollop of fun. Bottner's buoyant pictures feature comical facial expressions, adding the right tone to this breezy portrait of an opposites-attract friendship. Ages 4-8. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Jan.)

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-This book scores a hit with two well-defined characters: irrepressible, curious, impatient Posh and the more mature and methodical Pish. When a copy of The Fairy Handbook is mysteriously left on their doorstep, Posh can't wait to give it a try but Pish insists that her friend must first finish her chores. However, Posh is not discouraged, and she attempts to cast several spells without reading all of the fine print. Before long, she discovers that finding a magical solution to a problem sometimes creates an even greater dilemma. Although this beginning reader has the requisite large font and controlled vocabulary, nothing is lost in the story's simple presentation, and the plot builds to a satisfying climax. Strategically placed to aid new readers, Bottner's humorous illustrations convey the action well. The characters, who have elfin ears, are delightfully drawn and full of expression. An excellent addition to any library, this story will keep youngsters quickly turning pages and persevering until the last line.-Mary Elam, Forman Elementary School, Plano, TX Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.