I’m so excited to share with you my experience of reading Hope and Fortune by Marissa Bañez. Her children’s book was such a rewarding, multicultural read that I know you will love. You’ll also have the opportunity to read Marissa’s insightful guest post about the symbolism found in her book.
But first, here’s a bit about Hope and Fortune:
Hope and Fortune is a modern-day fairytale, featuring multicultural, multiracial (e.g., Filipina, African-American, Latina, Asian, Muslim, etc.), multigenerational, and multigender (including a boy) fairies of different shapes and sizes who help a sad little child who has lost her way to find her path. Each fairy represents an ideal – Hope, Innocence and Wonder, Truth and Virtue, Generosity and Kindness, Strength and Courage, Respect and Dignity, Confidence, Imagination, Happiness, Beauty, Wisdom and Intelligence, and Love and Friendship. Although the protagonist is a little girl, the life advice given by the fairies is non-gender-specific and could resonate with anyone facing a difficult situation at any point in her/his/their life.
My Review
What a charming book! You meet Esparanza when she loses her way. Guided by the Golden Tree, she is instructed to meet with the 12 fairies. Each fairy represents an ideal, and offers a point of discussion with you and your child. Whether you want to talk about the beauty of hope, generosity and kindness, imagination, and more, Marissa Bañez’s book invites so many wonderful conversations. I also love the multicultural, multiracial, multigender, and multigenerational representation in this book. It’s wonderful to see! It’s also a fantastic point of discussion to bring up with a child. Plus the drawings are spectacular.
Purchase a copy for yourself on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Bookshop.org. You should also add it to your GoodReads reading list.
Before you go, I also want to invite you to read Marissa Bañez insights into the symbolism in Hope and Fortune:
Hope and Fortune is full of symbolism, creating a multilayered story.
Esperanza means “hope” in Spanish. Esperanza wears jeans, T-shirt and sneakers to be relatable to modern-day girls and boys. She represents all children beginning their life paths.
Golden Tree represents these ideals:
Gold – fortune
White – innocence
Purple – wisdom
The Fortune Fairy of Hope represents my Filipina mother and the Philippines with her slightly darker skin and black hair. Her outfit evokes the distinctive bell sleeves of the Philippine national dress and the red-and-black cloths worn by the Igorot/Ifugao tribes.
Because the term “fairy” isn’t gender-specific, I chose a boy as the Fortune Fairy of Innocence and Wonder. I want to change the idea that boys who don’t like sports or anything deemed “macho” are “fairies” to mean gay. That he is a young wide-eyed boy surrounded by young animals signifies youthful purity and curiosity.
The Fortune Fairy of Truth and Virtue represents some of the best of the “American ideal” by combining Lady Justice and Lady Liberty. The American bald eagle signifies strength and dignity. The “purple mountains majesties” from America the Beautiful reference the country’s beauty and magnificence.
The illustration for the Fortune Fairy of Generosity and Kindness shows the “fruited plains” from America the Beautiful. The hands-to-heart on her dress is the universal symbol of kindness. The horn-of-plenty and her feeding the deer show that abundance should be shared. The deer represents gentleness and re-generation.
The female pan-Asian warrior epitomizes strength and courage. Red signifies power and passion, and gold means magnificence. The cougar symbolizes protection and agility.
The Fortune Fairy of Respect and Dignity represents women who’ve struggled against prejudice and injustice. Gray represents practicality and red means power. The peacock symbolizes respect, honor, and dignity.
The Rosie the Riveter vibe of the Fortune Fairy of Confidence honors the resilience and confidence of Black women. The leopard symbolizes power, tenacity, survival, and self-reliance.
The Fortune Fairy of Imagination reflects the Islamic contribution to Western civilization through the arts, mathematics, sciences, and medicine. Teal means communication and clear thinking, and gold means achievement. The fox represents intelligence and cleverness.
The Fortune Fairy of Happiness’s yellow symbolizes optimism, joy, and happiness. The crane means good fortune.
The Fortune Fairy of Beauty – a heart radiating positive and bright energy – shows that “beauty” goes beyond physical human attributes.
The Fortune Fairy of Wisdom and Intelligence defies the traditional depiction of old women in traditional fairy tales as crones. She is also an homage to Princeton University. Orange represents meditation, inspiration, and creativity. The tiger, Princeton’s mascot, symbolizes high intellect.
The Fortune Fairy of Love and Friendship is inspired by Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, as Venus is the goddess of love.
Thank you Marissa!
A first-generation immigrant to the U.S. from the Philippines, Marissa Bañez is a graduate of Princeton University and a lawyer licensed to practice in New York, California, and New Jersey. She has published legal articles for the prestigious New York Law Journal and the American Bar Association, but her true passion is in her children’s stories. She currently lives in New York City with her husband and daughter, whose childhood was filled with many original stories and puppet shows made up entirely by her mom. In her free time, Marissa likes to travel, design and make clothes, cook, binge-watch Star Trek shows and Korean dramas, and occasionally strum a guitar.
She is currently working on her second book, Hues and Harmony (How the Singing Rainbow Butterfly Got Her Colors), a story about mixed or multiracial children, self-discovery, and respect for others as told through the life and adventures of a caterpillar. It is scheduled for publication on July 20, 2023.
You can find her online:
Website: https://www.marissabanez.com/
