Alexandra Day has a knack for surprising juxtapositions. In fact, she is famous for it. She is the creator of a fierce looking Rottweiler named Carl who gently tends to an infant in a series of children's books that began in 1985. Now comes The Fairy Dogfather. A young boy, Hector, has trouble differentiating the letters D and G. Thus when he writes a request to the universe that he needs a fairy godfather, well, the Fairy Dogfather arrives instead. The Fairy Dogfather is a big black and brown who wears a fedora and beautiful brown jacket, smokes a cigar, and isn't at all what Hector had in mind. He uses a lot of big words, and instead of simply granting Hector's wishes, like a regular fairy godmother, he is a rather demanding visitor. It's understandable that a Fairy Dogfather would arrive hungry and need to check the weather report, but Hector needs a present for his Mom's birthday right away. It looks like his benefactor isn't going to be of much help. But in Day's capable and witty hands the Fairy Dogfather turns out to be a forceful and enigmatic figure who manages, with subtle wit, to grant all of Hector's wishes.

Author Biography

Alexandra Day and her husband, Harold Darling, established the Green Tiger Press in 1970. In 1983, Harold and Sandra were visiting Zurich, Switzerland, when they came across a volume of old German picture sheets, one of which featured a poodle playing with a baby who was supposed to be taking a nap. This image provided the inspiration for ""Good Dog, Carl,"" which successfully began what would become an increasingly popular picture book series. The Darling's own dog, a Rottweiler named Toby, was the model for the first book's main character. Since then, three other Darling Rottweilers have posed as Carl in the sequels. The Darlings now live in Seattle, Washington, where they have a ten-thousand-book library, primarily filled with illustrated children's books. Alexandra Day and her husband, Harold Darling, established the Green Tiger Press in 1970. In 1983, Harold and Sandra were visiting Zurich, Switzerland, when they came across a volume of old German picture sheets, one of which featured a poodle playing with a baby who was supposed to be taking a nap. This image provided the inspiration for ""Good Dog, Carl,"" which successfully began what would become an increasingly popular picture book series. The Darling's own dog, a Rottweiler named Toby, was the model for the first book's main character. Since then, three other Darling Rottweilers have posed as Carl in the sequels. The Darlings now live in Seattle, Washington, where they have a ten-thousand-book library, primarily filled with illustrated children's books.