Elsie Times Eight

The basic message seems to be to be sure you know what you hear before you try to do anything about it. The fairy godmother in the story mishears several things and takes action, sometimes with good results, sometimes with bad. When people take action without making sure they heard something correctly bad things can happen and in real life they don't magically disappear. A good book to read if you are trying to get a young person to cut down on gossip.

"Elsie's fairy godmother loved her very much and came by once in a while to see how things were going." She always meant well, but was a bit hard of hearing and sometimes got things wrong. One day she wasn't listening very carefully to Elsie's mama and papa, and that's when all the trouble started. Before anyone could stop her, she'd changed one perfectly nice Elsie into eight noisy Elsies, and then promptly disappeared..... Natalie Babbitt has written a delightful and magical tale that's sure to tickle your funny bone. Her charming and easy to read text is enhanced with expressive illustrations, and youngsters will love watching eight little identical Elsies wreak havoc on their neighbors and village. With its satisfying, happily-ever-after ending that sets everything right again, Elsie Times Eight is a sweet and humorous story that kids 3-7 shouldn't miss.