Fanny's Dream by Caralyn Buehner

Genre II: Traditional Literature

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Buehner, Caralyn. Fanny’s Dream. Ill. by Mark Buehner. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.1996. ISBN 0803714963

2. PLOT SUMMARY
In a small farming community, during a not so distant past, Fanny Agnes is a plain, brawny, girl with dreams fit for a princess. She wants to live in a castle, attend fancy balls and ultimately marry a prince. Heber Jensen also has dreams. He longs for someone with whom he can share a life of joyful farming. Heber finds Fanny waiting for her fairy godmother to cast a spell that is certain to secure the romantic fantasy she has read about. When her fairy godmother doesn’t show, Heber proposes. Reluctantly, Fanny accepts and they begin a life together that turns out to be full of laughter, hard work, babies, and eventually “happily ever after”.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Fanny’s Dream is a great “reality is better than fantasy” surprise. In her very own Cinderella-like story, Buehner creates a story in which actuality is chosen over make-believe when the heroine realizes her life is better than the fairy tale she dreamt about. The author references some of the elements of traditional tales, (fairy godmothers, princes and balls) but they are not central to the plot. Traditional language is replaced with verbiage of the farm. Buehner takes us beyond the style of speech and into the mentality and lifestyle of farmstead folk when she tells of frozen laundry brought in to thaw, outhouses, and caring for animals day after day. She uses short, powerful sentences to mark critical turning points in the text (e.g.: “Heber thought this over”, “I don’t do windows”, “Then Fanny and Heber built the house again”, “Not”). Mark Buehner’s illustrations are accomplished by using oil paints over acrylics. The result is that the reader enjoys brightly textured fabrics and cool evenings under the stars. Additionally, we are treated to clever features such as clouds in shapes of Cinderella characters and Heber’s bedtime story choice-Cinderella. The most significant detail for me is how he paints the expression in Fanny’s eyes brighter and more intense as the story unfolds.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
BOOKLIST: A truly wonderful mix of storytelling and art from a husband-wife team with a fine sense of humor. Having a familiar fairy tale at its heart, this homespun yarn tells the whimsical story of a small-town girl who has big dreams. What's more, there's plenty for youngsters to enjoy in the robust, bucolic pictures, which seem almost to jump off the page. Rich, glowing colors and a plethora of detail--from pictures on walls to animal shapes.

KIRKUS: This clever tale from the Buehners has smart twists and takes and is shot through with such tenderness that the telling nearly shimmers off the page. The text yields corny humor and rural circumstance; the artwork is just plain wonderful.

3. CONNECTIONS
*Have students create a compare and contrast visual aid discussing what skills and talents are needed to be a successful farmer versus a member of government or royalty. Use the conversation between Heber and Fanny to get them started.
*Ask students to verbalize what they think Fanny learned in this story. What did Heber learn? What about the fairy godmother? Or ask students to use inference skills by answering: What do you think the fairy godmother did after Fanny went back inside the house? Why was she late?